Nominations for Honorary Degrees

TO: Members of Council and Court, Heads of Academic Departments and Centres, who may wish to raise the subject within their Department or Centre, All members of staff and students, Alumni (via Grapevine magazine).

  1. Nominations are sought for the award of honorary degrees of the University in 2013.  Up to twelve honorary degrees may be awarded.

  2. The Nominations Committee, which is responsible for presenting names to the Council, seeks balance and diversity in its selection, and has regard to the following:

    • academic or professional distinction in a field of specific interest to a department or to the University
    • a significant contribution to University affairs
    • distinction achieved by people associated with York and the wider region
    • distinction achieved by our own alumni
    • distinction in a field consistent with the general ethos of universities as places of education, learning, achievement and free enquiry

    A link with the University is desirable although acknowledged distinction alone is sufficient for selection. By convention the University does not award honorary degrees to current members of staff. Relevant academic departments will usually be consulted about nominations of people from specific disciplines who have not been proposed by those departments.  Sometimes two collaborators have been nominated to receive degrees together.

  3. The Committee considers all nominations in accordance with the University’s Equal Opportunities policies and in the context of

    • broad academic areas, e.g. sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities
    • an international perspective

  4. Proposers should complete Honorary Graduate Nomination (MS Word , 12kb) and return to Alice McLuckie, PA to the Director of External Relations, (alice.mcluckie@york.ac.uk)

  5. At least one nomination from each department and research unit would be welcomed for consideration by the Committee.  Such nominations would be additional to and equally weighted with those from individual members of the University.  There were some strong candidates considered for 2012 whose nominations will be carried forward.

  6. The Nominations Committee will meet to consider nomination for 2013 on 10 February 2012. Nominations should therefore reach Joan Concannon, Director of External Relations, by 27th January 2012.

Joan Concannon
Director of External Relations
October 2011