11 articles
Academic dress, an inscribed scroll, a address to the graduates. The ritual is designed to include the honouree in the institution’s history — for a day. The etiquette around titl…
Civil rights leaders, novelists, scientists and public servants have all been honoured from commencement stages. A look at what kinds of contribution earn the gesture. What separa…
Recognition of public service, artistic achievement or a lifetime of contribution: the reasons are varied, and each says something about the awarding institution. For the public,…
Fellowships, medals, honorary doctorates: academic recognition comes in many forms with different meanings. A map of the distinctions that are easy to blur. What separates a genui…
The honoris causa award is older than most modern institutions. Its medieval origins explain a great deal about how universities use it today. Selection is usually a serious insti…
The tradition travels well, but each academic culture decorates it differently — from the wording on the scroll to the weight the title carries in public life. Criticism of the pr…
When did universities begin conferring degrees without coursework? The documentary trail runs through the late medieval and early modern period, and it is more colourful than expe…
For the sake of honour — three words that define what the award is and, just as importantly, what it is not. A close reading of the phrase behind the ceremony. What separates a ge…
