Honorary Degrees Rules 2005 (Cth)

THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

HONORARY DEGREES RULES 2005

The Council of the Australian National University makes these Rules under section 7 of the Programs and Awards Statute 2004.

Dated: 10 December 2004.

Peter Baume AO

Chancellor

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Name of Rules and commencement

1(1)           These Rules are the Honorary Degrees Rules 2005.

(2)      These Rules commence on 31 December 2004, immediately after the commencement of the Rules (Repeal) Rules 2004.

2Definitions

2(1)In these Rules, unless the contrary intention appears:

Committee means the Honorary Degrees Committee established under these Rules;

honorary degree means a degree that may be awarded under rule 3.

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Honorary degrees

3(1)Honorary degrees may be awarded for:

(a)distinguished creative achievement as a scholar in any field of scholarship, letters or the arts; or

(b)the performance of distinguished creative contributions in the service of society; or

(c)the performance of outstanding service to the University.

3(2)Any degree of the University, except the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, may be awarded as an honorary degree.

3(3)           The honorary degree of Doctor of the University may be awarded for outstanding service to the University as a whole.

4Proposals

4(1)A proposal for admission to an honorary degree:

(a)   is to be in writing signed by one or more of the following persons as proposers, namely, the Vice-Chancellor, a member of the Council, a Dean of a Faculty, a Director of a Research School or a Director of a University Centre; and

(b)   must give the reasons which make it particularly appropriate that the person proposed should receive an honorary degree of the University; and

(c)   must contain supporting information, and may include supporting opinions and suggestions as to persons appropriate to be consulted in relation to the proposal.

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(2)A proposal must be addressed to the Chair of the Committee and delivered to the Head, Council and Boards Secretariat who must send it to the Committee for consideration and, if supported by the Committee, for recommendation to the Council.

5     Honorary Degrees Committee

5(1)There is established as a Committee of the Council, an Honorary Degrees Committee consisting of:

(a)   the Chancellor; and

(b)the Pro-Chancellor; and

(c)the Vice-Chancellor; and

(d)the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education); and

(e)the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research); and

(f)   3 members of the Council appointed by the Council, none of whom is:

(i)   referred to in paragraph (a) or (b); or

(ii)a member of the staff of the University; or

(iii)a student at the University; and

(g)   1 member of the academic staff of the Institute of Advanced Studies appointed by the Council on the recommendation of the  Vice-Chancellor, after appropriate consultation; and

(h)   1 member of the academic staff of The Faculties appointed by the Council on the recommendation of the Vice-Chancellor, after appropriate consultation; and

(i)   the Dean of the Graduate School; and

(j)   either the President of the Australian National University Postgraduate and Research Students' Association Inc. or the President of the Australian National University Students' Association, appointed by the Vice-Chancellor after consultation with both Presidents.

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(2)The Vice-Chancellor may appoint a member of the Council, being a person who is not:

(a)   already a member of the Committee; or

(b)a member of the staff of the University; or

(c)   a student at the University;

as an alternate member of the Committee for the purposes of a meeting which a member appointed under paragraph (1) (a), (b), (c) or (f) is unable to attend.

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(3)The Vice-Chancellor may appoint an appropriate member of the academic staff of the University as an alternate member of the Committee for the purposes of a meeting which a member appointed under paragraph (1) (g) or (h) is unable to attend.

5(4)A person who is a member of the Committee by virtue of holding an office of the kind referred to in paragraph (1)(a) to (e), (i) or (j) ceases to be a member of the Committee if that person ceases to hold that office.

6Procedure of the Committee

6(1)     The Chancellor is to be the Chair at meetings of the Committee.

6(2)     In the absence of the Chancellor at a meeting, the Pro-Chancellor or, in the absence of the Pro-Chancellor, a member of the Committee elected by the Committee, must act as Chair for the meeting.

6(3) Subject to these Rules, the Committee shall determine its own procedure.

6(4) The quorum of the Committee for a meeting to consider a proposal for admission to a degree under subrule 3(1) is 9

.

6(5)A proposal for admission to an honorary degree may be adopted by the Committee only if it is supported by at least 80% of the members present at the meeting.

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Confidentiality

7(1)A proposal for the award of an honorary degree must be considered highly confidential until the Council resolves to admit the person concerned to the degree.

7(2) If the Committee decides not to accept a proposal, the Head, Council and Boards Secretariat must inform the proposers accordingly.

8     Council

8(1)           When the Committee accepts a proposal for the award of an honorary degree, the Head, Council and Boards Secretariat must ascertain the proposed recipient's willingness to be admitted to the degree.

8(2)   If the proposed recipient is willing to be admitted to the degree, the Committee's acceptance of the proposal must be sent by the Chair of the Committee to the Council for consideration.

9     Conferring

9(1)The conferring of an honorary degree is to be at such time and place as is convenient to both the University and the recipient.

9(2) Honorary degrees may not be conferred in absentia.