Virtue & Moir to receive honourary doctorates

[MsZem]

It's possible to teach without a PhD or equivalent degree, especially in programs with a professional component, where practitioners can bring a much-needed perspective. But V/M are not qualified to teach at the university level (expect to deliver a guest talk - I'm sure that would be fun for students!). And they're certainly not qualified to be faculty members, whose job goes well beyond teaching. All of which is moot, because they're getting honorary doctorates and I've seen no indication that either of them has the slightest interest in an academic career or any other profession that requires a doctoral degree.

Joannie Rochette, on the other hand, is well on her way to becoming a doctor

 

[ballettmaus]

Unfortunately, these days honorary degrees are bestowed on many celebrities whether or not they have any accomplishments related to the educational institution. I won't bash these two because it's the way the system is played now.

I don't think that pointing out that you don't like honorary degrees is bashing.

I don't really get the concept. Is it a general degree or specific to athletics? If it's the former, it seems random and I'm not sure how that would honor/recognize their accomplishments in skating/as athletes.

 

[Parsley Sage]

Some honourary degrees are given when a person has made a large donation to the University, some are given to recognize alumni who have gone on to great success and other times they are give to recognize people who have had some great achievements.

When my sister received her Bachelors degree, an honourary doctorate was given to a man who had funded a library at the university. When she received her Masters, Olympic Triathlete Simon Whitfield received on honourary doctorate.

It's a way of getting inspirational speakers at convocations.

 

[Japanfan]

So you think V&M didn't put in the blood sweat and tears or make any life sacrifices? You think what they achieved didn't require intelligence, focus, commitment, use of their brains as well as their bodies?

But their intelligence, focus, commitment and use of their brains and bodies was not for academic purposes.

This is so mean spirited to me. What about Jim Carrey's honorary degree? Is he not worthy of that also? Oh and a heap of other people (Meryl Streep for instance who has three! Harvard, Yale, and Princeton) who've really worked at their chosen passion and achieved great results - through blood sweat and tears and life sacrifices - are they all not worthy just because they didn't follow the cloistered and narrow academic path to achieve greatness?

Honorary degrees are given for the sake of honour. Do you think these people do not deserve to be honoured?

Jeez!

I think they deserve to be honoured, just not with an degree, unless they've done the academic work or equivalent that the degree requires. I'm uncomfortable with the idea of honorary degrees in general. Plenty of people spend blood sweat and tears, and make life sacrifices, and get nothing for it in return but survival - and sometimes not even that. The academic pathway may be 'cloistered and narrow', but it is the pathway to a degree. And plenty of non-academics live in cloistered and narrow worlds - many figure skaters being examples.

 

[Sylvia]

I bet @victorskid is regretting changing the focus of this thread and original title...

Michelle Kwan, maybe you should consider returning your honorary degree from Smith College 2 years ago! https://twitter.com/MichelleWKwan/status/866288336155049988
ETA: MK also has received honorary degrees from Salve Regina University and Southern Vermont College (I looked it up online but I remember the VT one because it was her first).

 

[manhn]

I mean, surely other Canadian skaters have been bestowed with an honourary degree. Liz, Orser, Kurt, Elvis, Jamie and David. And if not, why the hell not. I would have screamed like a banshee if David was at my convocation. Oh yeah, I may have even attended mine.

 

[Japanfan]

I mean, surely other Canadian skaters have been bestowed with an honourary degree. Liz, Orser, Kurt, Elvis, Jamie and David. And if not, why the hell not. I would have screamed like a banshee if David was at my convocation. Oh yeah, I may have even attended mine.

But the point of being awarded a degree is not to make other people happy about the presence of a famous person. It is to award work that has done which 'earns' a degree. IMO a degree is a matter of merit, not a gift.

To give an example, much as I admire Greta Thurnberg, I'm not sure she merits an honorary degree (not sure if she has even finished high school yet). She certainly merits every advocacy award available today and public speaking awards, if those are available. But she herself says "don't listen to me, listen to the science'.

I guess my first concern is that honorary degrees can be a privilege that benefits those that are already privileged. Second, that it devalues the work of people who have earned their degrees on merit. I am not even sure that I think Malala deserves the honorary degree awarded to her, and I admire her as much as I admire Thurnberg. But I think Malala is or was studying at university in the UK, and am sure she will earn or has earned an actual degree based on merit.

OTOH, I do understand the opposite point of view regarding this issue and acknowledge its validity.

ETA: Malala started studies at Oxford in 2017 to earn a degree in “Philosophy, Politics and, Economics”(PPE)

 

[Japanfan]

But the point of being awarded a degree is not to make other people happy about the presence of a famous person. It is to award work that has done which 'earns' a degree. IMO a degree is a matter of merit, not a gift.

To give an example, much as I admire Greta Thurnberg, I'm not sure she merits an honorary degree (not sure if she has even finished high school yet). She certainly merits every advocacy award available today and public speaking awards, if those are available. But she herself says "don't listen to me, listen to the science'.

I guess my first concern is that honorary degrees can be a privilege that benefits those that are already privileged. Second, that it devalues the work of people who have earned their degrees on merit. I am not even sure that I think Malala deserves the honorary degree awarded to her, and I admire her as much as I admire Thurnberg. But I think Malala is or was studying at university in the UK, and am sure she will earn or has earned an actual degree based on merit.

OTOH, I do understand the opposite point of view regarding this issue and acknowledge its validity.

ETA: Malala started studies at Oxford in 2017 to earn a degree in “Philosophy, Politics and, Economics”(PPE)

Michelle Kwan, maybe you should consider returning your honorary degree from Smith College 2 years ago! https://twitter.com/MichelleWKwan/status/866288336155049988
ETA: MK also has received honorary degrees from Salve Regina University and Southern Vermont College (I looked it up online but I remember the VT one because it was her first).

Did Michelle not earn an MA in International Relations (or something like that)? It would be interesting to ask her whether the actual degree or honorary degrees were of greater value to her? My guess is she would say her actual degree, which has opened up a world of opportunities for her.

 

[MsZem]

When my sister received her Bachelors degree, an honourary doctorate was given to a man who had funded a library at the university. When she received her Masters, Olympic Triathlete Simon Whitfield received on honourary doctorate.

It's a way of getting inspirational speakers at convocations.

In Israel, or at least at the universities I have been associated with, honorary degrees are completely separate from the awarding of regular degrees. The honorary doctorates are typically bestowed during the Board of Governors, when various rich and important people are about, while the graduates receive their degrees a year after completing the requirements for their degree (I flew in from my postdoc to attend my PhD graduation). The ceremonies take long enough without having extra speakers!

 

[victorskid]

It's not just Michelle who has received such honours - just last year Peggy Fleming Jenkins received one:

On May 21, 2018 Colorado College will award Peggy an honorary degree during the College’s
commencement exercises. The Academic Events Committee, with the approval of the Board of
Trustees, awards honorary degrees to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in
their fields.

The criteria for that institution of higher learning are clearly spelled out here: https://www.coloradocollege.edu/oth...onorary-degrees/honorary-degree-criteria.html

By the way, at the ceremonies I attended when my father received his honourary doctorates he was one of about three individuals receiving the honour. One of the other honourees was the "convocation speaker" on each occasion.