On behalf of the Senate Honorary Degrees and Convocations Committee, I write to invite the nomination of candidates for honorary degrees to be conferred at the Spring and Fall 2014 convocation ceremonies. As you know, an honorary degree is the highest honour within the power of the University to confer, and the awarding of such degrees reflects McGill University’s highest aspirations and ideals. I encourage you and your colleagues to submit nominations of truly exceptional individuals.
McGill honorary degrees are awarded to distinguished individuals in recognition of a lifetime of scholarly, scientific or artistic achievement, or for exceptional contribution to the public good through professional or philanthropic activity. Individuals selected to receive honorary degrees will have a record of contribution and accomplishments that positions them to be an inspiration and role model to our students, graduates and our community as a whole, and to enhance the reputation of McGill.
Consistent with the primary criteria of excellence of achievement and exceptional contribution, the University may honour individuals whose outstanding contributions to their fields or to society may not yet have been widely recognized, as well as those who have received recognition.
Through its recommendations of outstanding individuals, the Committee will endeavor to reflect the intellectual and cultural diversity of the McGill community and the broader communities in Quebec and Canada, as well as the international impact and reach of the University. In order to make it possible for the Committee to achieve this goal, I encourage you to nominate candidates who reflect the diversity of our society.
In preparing a submission, nominators should pay particular attention to the statement of reasons for the nomination and ensure that they provide enough information to allow the Committee to give each nomination full consideration. We ask nominators who are not deans to indicate the ceremony at which the proposed honorary degree would be conferred, and to consult with the dean of the faculty concerning the nomination.
Nominations are welcome at any time. However, nominations must be received by the Secretariat no later than Friday, October 4, 2013 in order to be considered by the Committee at its meeting in early November.
We hope that with the strong participation of the McGill community, we will have a large pool of superb nominations for the Committee’s consideration. Thank you in advance for your contribution to this important process.
The Committee’s Terms of Reference, further information about the selection process and the nomination form are available at: http://www.mcgill.ca/senate/committeesofsenate/standingcommittees/honorarydegrees/honorary-doctorates
Stephen Strople
Secretary-General
August 7, 2013