Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigeria Universities Release Guidelines for Award of Honorary Degrees
The Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigeria Universities yesterday in Abuja released guidelines for the award of honorary degrees in Nigerian universities.
The Secretary-General of the association, Prof. Michael Faborode, said the guidelines would be effective from January 2013.
He said that the 27th conference of the association held at the Nasarawa State University in Keffi had examined the general erosion of academic culture and tradition.
Faborode said the “Keffi Declaration” would reduce the indiscriminate award of honorary degrees and restore the age long university culture and tradition of best practices.
He said that the onward procedure for the award of honorary degrees enjoined universities to make it a policy not to bestow honorary degree on any person holding political office while still in service.
He said that the guidelines and procedure for the selection of honorary degree recipients should be in accordance with the law and statute of the respective universities.
According to Faborode, this should be in line with best practices and the selection process should be through the appropriate committee of the awarding university’s Senate.
“The award of degree should be given to any professional who has made significant or ground breaking discoveries in the areas of accomplishments, invention, and innovation among others to societal development.
“This should not be tied to wealth consideration or political alignment, rather it should be based on leadership, service and the contribution of the recipient to social and economic development of the society.”
Faborode said that no university should be allowed to award honorary degree “if it has not graduated any PhD or has no post-graduate school.”
He added that the use of ‘Dr’ as a title for honorary degree graduates and awardees “is unconventional and therefore, not allowed.”
“We have also noted that most of these awards are based on wealth, political office, and position as a means of generating revenue with little or no consideration for integrity.
- Daily Trust
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