Should famous people be given honorary degrees?

[Umma]

Doing the honours

By Jonathan Duffy

BBC News Online

It's the season for honorary degrees, but with so many celebrities on the receiving end these days, isn't it just a publicity stunt? And if not, could an unsung hero of online journalism earn such an award?

Footwear fashionista Jimmy Choo has got plenty going for him. Fame, fortune - and his name has even entered popular culture.

I, meanwhile, can make no such claims. But on the other hand, one thing I do have that he doesn't (and I admit I may be clutching at straws here) is a bachelor of arts degree from the former Leicester Poly.

Even that's about to change though. Next week the shoe designer who is feted in every style magazine from here to Hong Kong, will pick up an honorary degree from De Montfort University in Leicester.

Then, should he ever feel the urge, Jimmy will be able to tick off every one of his lifetime achievements against a list of mine, and unquestionably come out on top.

It's the season for graduation ceremonies and alongside all those students eagerly awaiting certificated proof of their academic prowess are a handful of folk who, one might say, fast-tracked their way to the podium.

Bob Geldof, JK Rowling, Bob Dylan, Helen Mirren and Eamonn Holmes are just some of the big name honorary graduates who will figure in the class of '04 yearbook.

Read the rest here

[Wolfie]

For someone who works in academia I never liked the concept. I have seen many people working thier butts off to get thier MS, Phd, docrotrate and etc. and it sorta cheapens thier efforts by handing out awards to people based on fame.

Even if the justification is due to non-academic acheivement in related field the only reason such persons gets such a recognition goes back to thier celebraty status. Another less famous person might have had similar acheievements but it was not recognized by an educational institution merely due the fact that they don't have famous household name.

Of course, we all the reason universities do this is for free publicity and to bring in more of the all mighty doller to thier respective institution. As for the big name people they get to add another award to thier wall of fame in thier houses.

Sorry to sound a bit harsh but this how I feel about this issue. :D

PS. sorry for some of the misspelling but I still can't get spellcheck to work in Firefox.

[Umma]

I think any degree of academic achievements should be reserved solely for those who work hard to receive the merit. Giving honorary degrees willy nilly to celebrities, dishonours those graduates.

[DudeAsInCool]

I think honorary awards are fine, but not full degrees, unless someone has pioneered a field, or done such outstanding work that it deserves to be acknowledged. Being a distinguished scholar myself, it irks me when I see professionals given a degree simply because of the corporation they are at in the hopes the school with get a donation...

[moonglow]

short and sweet NO

[rainbowdemon]

:D :D

[Shawn]

I actually posted the commencement speech Jon Stewart gave this spring as he received an honorary degree.

While the text shows how honored he was, he did point out it may be an insult to others.

link

[Cerebral_Assassin]

NO!

Dr. Pee Wee Herman, that's unthinkable..............lol

[Stuzb]

No! they f'ing shouldn't.

My justification for this is as follows: I am one of potentially many who never had the oppurtunity to go to university, because the money simply wasn't there. So, for these jumped-up retarded f***wits to get 'honourary' degrees just makes the whole situation a giant piss-take. So they've made lots of money - how the f*** does that mean that they're entitled to be among the supposed intellectual elite? Short answer? it doesn't, not by a long chalk; the acceptance of these 'awards' by some of the most mentally deficient people in the world just highlights why I have so little respect for the majority of graduates and the universities/class-system that granted these 'honours'

Also, Rainbowdemon, unless I'm mistaken (which happens, albeit rarely, but it happens :) ), Dr Brian May has an astro-physics degree, or something similar at least, which proves he's not all that stupid and shouldn't be confused with the ordinary brainless dipsh*ts that are ordinarily granted such things.

Yes, I'm bitter and jealous about these awards but not without reason.

...Rant over, for now. ;) :)

[DudeAsInCool]

I am one of potentially many who never had the oppurtunity to go to university, because the money simply wasn't there.

I wouldnt give up this readily...there is a lot of money out there in loans, financial aid, and scholarships - no one should be denied the opportunity to further their education...

[Stuzb]

I wouldnt give up this readily...there is a lot of money out there in loans, financial aid, and scholarships

PAH! Financial aid? Scholarships? In Yanksville, parhaps, but in good ole Blighty, believe me, not unless you're some talentless actor or a product of the in-bred high society.

Yeah, there are loans etc, but...

The questions are these: why should the intelligent but financially poor be penalised? Why should those who are inevitably going to pay more taxes have to pay more to start with? Why should a 21-yr-old finish university with a £15000+ loan over their head? Why should parents be expected to cover accomodation costs because the student loans only ever cover educational costs?

And the crucial question - why should people have to pay these things given that the supposedly 'socialist' government all had THEIR degrees paid for by the then state???

Fortunately, I have never taken 'no' for an answer so exploited the loopholes in the law as it stood (f*** you Tony!!!) and consequently had to spend 14hrs a day at college 3 days a week in order to persue a career in accountancy and am now, fortunately, with an employer who is paying for my CIMA course.

However, for those not so clued-up but still financially poor the situation, as it stands, is wholly inadequate and merely aims to promote the current class-system that exists in Britain.

Just my opinion, but that's the way I see it...

[FreakinWeasel]

I said no, but there are areas where like Bob Geldof was knighted and such, for great feats of selflessness. What degreee did he honor? He certainly did more for humanity than most degreed people do. So I suppose in some cases they should be recognized for their achievments.