Honorary Degrees
at the University of Fort Hare
Every year, we confer honorary degrees on distinguished people from all walks of life who have made a significant contribution to society.
About the Honorary Degrees at Fort Hare
The Higher Education Act and the Statute of the University of Fort Hare grant the University authority to award honorary degrees. The Statute provides that a proposal to confer an honorary degree must be submitted in writing to the Registrar by a member of Council, Senate or the Convocation. Recommendations for the award of honorary degrees are made by the Honorary Degrees Committee to Senate.
The University of Fort Hare will award honorary doctoral degrees to individuals in order to recognise outstanding achievements in all spheres of human endeavour nationally and globally. The recipient of an honorary degree is an individual whose personal qualities and values are consistent with those which exemplify the goals and ideals of the University as well as the Constitutional values of the Republic. These are individuals whose selfless lives and accomplishments serve as an inspiration and an example worthy of emulation.
Such achievements may include but are not necessarily limited to,
(i) sustained and exceptional service to South Africa, the region or the world at large,
(ii) distinguished service in the fields of business and the economy, science, and for technological innovation and community service, as well as
(iii) significant and outstanding contribution to the achievement, protection and promotion of justice, human rights, democracy, peace building and nation building.
NOMINATION PROCESS
1. A proposal to confer an honorary degree must be submitted in writing to the Registrar by a member of the Council, Senate or the Convocation.
2. Such a proposal must be
(i) seconded by at least five members of the relevant constituency,
(ii) must be in writing and
(iii) must reach the Registrar on or before the date published in the University calendar, accompanied by a detailed statement indicating the reasons for the proposed conferment.
VERIFICTION & SELECTION
ELIGIBILITY
A candidate for an honorary degree shall be a living person of great accomplishment and should have made an outstanding contribution on a national or international scale. The contribution may be to the advancement of the candidate’s discipline or field of work, or it may be to artistic, cultural, or remarkable public/community service in a particular field.
(ii) A candidate’s record should be of such a nature that the conferment of a degree would bring credit to the University, and would not be at variance with the spirit of the South African Constitution and the University’s vision, mission, values, goals and strategic objectives.
(iii) An “outstanding contribution”, especially when it comes to conferment of the degree of doctor, would usually refer to extraordinary achievement over an entire career or a sustained period of time and not merely a single achievement. Mere success in a career or social role is insufficient. There should be evidence of a contribution that is beyond the norm which is characteristic of a leader in the field.
(iv) Honorary degrees from the University of Fort Hare will not be confered to current University of Fort Hare members of Council, Senate or their committees and its employees, but may, in exceptional cases, be conferred on former University of Fort Hare employees.
(v) Nominees whose profiles reflect multiple conferrals of honorary degrees by South African Universities, are considered on a case by case basis. In the case of nominees who have been awarded honorary degrees by another higher education institution in the Eastern Cape Province, a cooling off period of at least three years shall be required before they can be conferred an honorary degree at the University of Fort Hare.