Our Honorary Graduates

The University makes honorary awards to persons of eminence, excellence, and leadership to celebrate their personal and professional standing, and to engage them in its long-term development as an institution of quality and distinction.

The University sees its honorary graduates as key ambassadors for enhancing its reputation in the wider world, and expects recipients to develop a continuing relationship with those faculties and departments in which they have an interest.

The University sees its honorary graduates as enhancing its reputation and as key ambassadors for the University in the wider world, and wishes to honour outstanding achievements, or distinction in a field or activity that aligns to the values and commitments of the University.

The honorary degree awarded by the University is an honorary doctorate.

Nominations can come from anyone within or outside the University.

Individuals cannot nominate themselves for an Honorary Award.

Listed below are the criteria against which nominations can be supported by the University Honours Committee.

Honorary doctorate degrees are an academic award celebrating excellence in a recognised field. These fields might include:

• Academic and scholarly distinction
• Arts and science
• Public and community services – including the University’s One Community Values
• Contributions to education and culture
• Innovative and socially responsible business developments

Persons nominated should be active in an area of activity that is relevant to the University of Lincoln, such as our Strategic Plan or areas of research expertise.

Awards should reflect the values of the University.

To protect the integrity and independence of the honour, the University does not make honorary awards to:

• Serving politicians
• Business leaders or others with whom the University has substantial commercial dealings
• Public servants with whom the University is in partnership in any activity other than educational or academic
• Benefactors of the University who do not otherwise meet the criteria for receipt of an honorary award
• Any other person to whom the award of an honour could be seen as reward for specific services rendered to the University and who does not otherwise meet the criteria for receipt of an honorary award

PROCESS

Step 1: Identify who you’d like to nominate and why. Have a few good, clear reasons as to why you’re nominating them, and complete the nomination form.

Step 2: Submit your nomination at any time during the year. It will then go to the University Honours Committee of the Board of Governors, which normally meets twice a year to review submissions.

Step 3: The University Honours Committee of the Board of Governors will approve/decline nominations. Please note, if a nomination is unsuccessful, no feedback is provided as the process is confidential.

Step 4: Following approval, the Vice Chancellor will write to your nominee and invite them to receive their Honorary Degree at one of our upcoming graduation ceremonies.

CONFIDENTIALITY

The process for nominating and approving honorary awards is confidential and should not be discussed with the proposed honorand or made public in any way before the Vice Chancellor has invited the honorand to accept the award and the award has been accepted.

CONFERMENT

Honorary awards are conferred at the University’s graduation ceremonies.