2008 Woodie Awards
It's time we reconsider honoring Mugabe's degree
Issue date: 4/17/07 Section: Editorial / Opinion
As it stands now, the process for obtaining an honorary degree is complicated and bureaucratic. A nominating committee on campus accepts nominations for candidates from anyone. This committee parses the list down to eight or 10 candidates and sends it to the Chancellor. The Chancellor adds or subtracts names at his discretion and then sends it to President Wilson. President Wilson then adds or subtracts names and sends it to the Board of Trustees, who create a finalized list (after, of course, adding or subtracting names). In the end, there is a possibility that the final list could look nothing like the original compiled by the nominating committee.
A lot of people wonder why anyone should care about this issue. The question of revoking the degree is not if it will affect Robert Mugabe; odds are that he won't be distraught at the prospect of losing an honorary degree from the University of Massachusetts. The real issue at hand is whether or not the University of Massachusetts believes in the criteria it set forth for honoring those who have done good for the community. Revoking this honorary degree would show they are committed to being an institution which takes principled stands on issues it believes are right and just. Allowing Mugabe to keep his degree shows that the University is perfectly fine closing its eyes to horrible realities going on in the world.
Is that the kind of University you want to attend?
Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian Editorial Board.
A lot of people wonder why anyone should care about this issue. The question of revoking the degree is not if it will affect Robert Mugabe; odds are that he won't be distraught at the prospect of losing an honorary degree from the University of Massachusetts. The real issue at hand is whether or not the University of Massachusetts believes in the criteria it set forth for honoring those who have done good for the community. Revoking this honorary degree would show they are committed to being an institution which takes principled stands on issues it believes are right and just. Allowing Mugabe to keep his degree shows that the University is perfectly fine closing its eyes to horrible realities going on in the world.
Is that the kind of University you want to attend?
Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Massachusetts Daily Collegian Editorial Board.
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