Queen’s Senate Committee on Honorary Degrees (SCHD) has altered the deadline for honorary degree nomination packages to make the process easier for those hoping to submit a nomination.

“We want to make it more convenient for people to recommend outstanding candidates for honorary degrees,” says Lon Knox, University Secretariat. “By shifting the nomination deadline to March instead of August, individuals will have both the fall and winter terms to prepare their nomination packages before they are occupied with various commitments away from campus over the summer months.”

March 1 is the new deadline for nomination packages, instead of Aug. 1 as in previous years, and Senate will approve the honorary degree recipients in April each year, rather than September. Nominations received by March 1, 2017 will be considered for honorary degrees to be granted in the 2018 calendar year.

The university confers honorary degrees on people who have made outstanding contributions to their disciplines or fields of work, community, society, or Queen’s. The university will bestow the 2018 honorary degrees at convocation ceremonies held in June 2018 and November 2018.

The committee invites nominations for all who meet the eligibility guidelines, including women, people from Indigenous communities, visible minorities, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ community.

It is critical to have a diverse pool of nominees that reflects not only the full breadth of the diversity of Canada, but also the diversity that we are aiming to achieve within both our student body and the university itself.
— Irène Bujara, University Adviser on Equity and Human Rights

In recent years, Queen’s has honoured people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, including Shawn A-in-chut Atleo, former chief of the Assembly of First Nations; the Hon. George E. Carter, the first native-born jurist of African descent in Canada; Ronald McCallum, LLM’74, the first totally blind person appointed to a full professorship at any Australian or New Zealand university; and Michelle MacLaren, Artsci’86, an Emmy-winning producer.

“Honorary degree recipients not only bring honour and distinction to our university, but the achievements of these individuals also provides inspiration to our graduates,” says Irène Bujara, University Adviser on Equity and Human Rights and a member of SCHD. “It is therefore critical to have a diverse pool of nominees that reflects not only the full breadth of the diversity of Canada, but also the diversity that we are aiming to achieve within both our student body and the university itself.”

Visit the University Secretariat website for more details and to download a nomination form.