Honorary Degree Protocol

Decision

The Ceremonies Committee will consider only complete nominations and may: recommend the nominee for approval by Senate and Executive of Council for one of the honorary degrees named in the Senate By-laws, or reject the nomination. If a nomination is rejected, the file is destroyed.

Information on the action of the Ceremonies Committee regarding nominations will remain confidential.

The Senate and Executive of Council will, at its next meeting, receive the names of those recommended for approval and will vote on each name separately at an in camera session. In unusual cases, such as a Special Convocation, such voting may take place by mail or confidential e-mail ballot. Those approved for the awarding of a degree will be added to the list of “approved” candidates, which is maintained by the Associate Registrar.

Prior to each Convocation ceremony, the President and the University Secretary will review the approved list of honorary degree candidates and will chose the recipients to be honoured at the Convocation. Wherever practical, degrees will be awarded within five years of their approval by Senate and Executive of Council.

Publicizing the Nomination and the Award

If a nominator informs the nominee, or any one else, about the nomination, it must be on the basis that such communication is to be treated as strictly confidential communication and on the basis that such nomination is but a first step in a process which may or may not result in an honorary degree being granted. The University will not release the outcome of any individual nomination, except by making a public announcement of the honorary degree recipients for a particular Convocation. The names approved by Senate and Executive of Council will not be made public until this time. Members of Senate and Executive of Council are to treat as confidential any information regarding approved candidates.

The University Secretary will determine the timing of the public announcement.

Awarding

Honorary degree recipients may be invited to give the Convocation address but may decline the invitation to do so.

Honorary degrees are not awarded in absentia. An exception may be made only when an honorary degree recipient has accepted and arrangements have been made for its awarding but extenuating and unforeseen circumstances (such as sudden ill health or inability to travel) prevent the individual’s attendance.

Honorary degrees are not awarded posthumously. An exception may be made only when the honorary degree recipient has accepted and arrangements have been made for its awarding prior to the individual’s death.

The citation for the honorary degree is prepared by the University Secretary, in consultation with the President and in partnership with the presenter. The citation should be no longer than three (3) minutes in length. The Chancellor confers the honorary degree, the University Secretary hoods the honorary degree recipient, and the President presents the framed honorary degree parchment.

Honorary degree recipients wear a scarlet wool gown trimmed with gold silk around the collar and down the front. The honorary degree hood, which is presented to the honorary degree recipient at the ceremony, has a shell of scarlet wool lined with gold silk with an inverted green silk chevron and colors distinctive to the degree.

  • DFA – red with gold lining and a green chevron in the lining, and a narrow white and pink chevron above the green chevron;
  • LLD– red with gold lining and a green chevron in the lining;
  • DLitt– red with gold lining and a green chevron in the lining, and a narrow white chevron above the green chevron; and,
  • DSc– red with gold lining and a green chevron in the lining, and a narrow mint green and emerald green chevron above the green chevron.

The University will make a gift of the honorary degree hood to the candidate after the ceremony. The gown will be available on loan but is retained by the University.

Privileges

Privileges accompany the conferral of an honorary degree. The recipient will be:

  • a member of the University of Regina convocation.
  • referred to as Doctor at all future university functions.
  • a member of the platform party at future Convocation ceremonies.
  • permitted to hood members of their immediate family at Convocation ceremonies.
  • receive invitations to all future convocation ceremonies.

Rescission of Degrees

The Senate, acting on the recommendation of Council or on its own initiative but after receiving a report from Council, may revoke degrees (including an honorary degree), diplomas, certificates or distinctions conferred by the University and all privileges connected therewith from any holder of the same:

  1. who shall have been convicted of any criminal offence which shall be held (by the Council) to be of an immoral, or scandalous or disgraceful nature;
  2. whose membership in a Professional Society has been revoked for misconduct; or
  3. whose conduct, in the opinion of the Senate, shall constitute a breach of any agreement made with the University as a condition of the conferment of such degree or degrees, diplomas, certificates or distinctions (including institutional honours). 

The Senate may restore the degree, diploma, certificate or distinction or privileges revoked by Senate without further examiniation, on cause being shown, and after report by Council.