Honorary awards

Honorary Award Criteria & Guiding Principles

The following principles and criteria have been agreed by the Honorary Awards Committee to assist with the task of determining appropriate recipients for honorary awards.

1. The University confers honorary awards in order to make a public statement of the University’s core values and commitments.
2. Honorary awards are conferred upon individuals in recognition of their outstanding achievement in their field; for the contribution they have made to the life of the Highlands and Islands or society at large; or for their service to our university.
3. Honorary awards should normally acknowledge or establish a clear on-going connection with the University or be conferred upon a figure of considerable international distinction in a field that is of direct relevance to the University of the Highlands and Islands.
4. Honorary degrees should not be conferred upon active UK politicians or current members of staff.
5. Nominations for honorary awards should include the proposed location for conferring the award and a proposal of an Orator who will produce, with assistance from the University’s Communications team as required, and deliver a citation about the candidate at the award/graduation ceremony.
6. The conferment of an honorary degree should normally occur within two years of the issue of an invitation, if this time has elapsed, a new nomination should be submitted to the committee for re-consideration.

The Awards

Chancellor’s Medal

This award is given to individuals who have given exceptional service to the university and or to the Highlands and Islands. The award is used very sparingly and there is unlikely to be more than one in any one year and there is no compulsion to make an award every year. This award may be conferred on former staff or external nominees on the agreement of the chancellor to a recommendation from the Honorary Awards Committee.

Honorary Doctorate^* (DUNIV)

This award is given to those individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the university, either by personal service, or by other means, or who have earned
recognition for academic work or other activities associated with education, industry, public service, cultural or creative work.

Nominations will be invited from the court, academic council, the principal and vice-chancellor, academic partner principals and senior management teams, staff of the
university and the academic partnership, and the student body.

^*Recipients of this award may use the prefix Dr.

Honorary Fellowship

This award is given to those who have made a significant contribution to the university, either by personal service, or by other means, or who have earned recognition for academic work or other activities associated with education, industry, public service, cultural or creative work. Nominations will be invited from the court, academic council, the principal and vice-chancellor, academic partner principals and senior management teams, staff of the university and the academic partnership, and the student body.

Vice-Chancellor’s Medal

This is awarded to members of staff or recently retired university partnership staff to recognise an exceptional and outstanding contribution to the University of the
Highlands and Islands. The vice-chancellor’s medal is considered and awarded by the vice-chancellor. Nominations for this award are invited from academic partner
principals and the chief operating officer and secretary.