• Section 1 - Purpose and Scope
• Scope
• Section 2 - Definitions
• Section 3 - Policy Statement
• Award categories
• Honorary Awards
• Honorary Titles - Emeritus Professor
• Section 4 - Procedures
• Honorary Awards Committee
• Nominations process
• Conferral of Honorary Awards
• Award of Honorary Titles
• Revoking of Honorary Awards and Titles
• Section 5 - Guidelines

Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) The University confers honorary awards on, and awards honorary titles to, individuals who have:

1. made distinguished:
   1. contributions to the advancement of knowledge; or
   2. service to society or the community; (including service to the University); and
2. achieved eminence in their field of endeavour at a local, state, national or international level.

Scope

(2) This Policy applies to staff, students and members of Council.

Section 2 - Definitions

(3) Nil.

Section 3 - Policy Statement

Award categories

(4) The University may confer honorary:

1. awards in the category of Honorary Doctor;
2. awards in the category of Honorary Fellow of the University; and
3. titles of Emeritus Professor.

Eligibility

(5) Subject to clause (6) and meeting the respective nomination criteria, any person may be eligible for an honorary award or title.

(6) The following persons shall not normally be eligible for an honorary award or title:

1. members of the University Council while in office;
2. members of staff of the University;
3. current students of the University;
4. persons who are otherwise being remunerated by the University; and
5. currently serving elected representatives at a local, State or Federal level.

Honorary Awards

(7) The conferral of an honorary award is prestigious and shall not be earned easily.

(8) The University may award an honorary doctorate to a person in recognition of excellence and outstanding achievement in a significant field of human endeavour.

(9) The award may be either:

1. an Honorary Doctor of the University (DUniv) (honoris causa) for service to the University or the community; or
2. an Honorary Doctor (honoris causa) in a discipline offered by the University where the nominee has made a distinguished academic and/or professional contribution in that discipline.

(10) Nominees for honorary doctorates should meet one or more of the following criteria:

1. those outstanding achievers in any professional, scholarly or other endeavour, who have significant ties with, or who have made major contributions to, the development of the region or the University;
2. those who have served the University with special distinction over a significant period; or
3. those with a national or international standing in any professional, scholarly or other endeavour, whose contribution to society or their scholarship is considered exceptional.

(11) The University may award an Honorary Fellow of Southern Cross University (Hon. Fellow of Southern Cross University) to a person in recognition of that person's distinguished contribution to the teaching, research or community service roles of the University, in a capacity other than as a staff member.

(12) The recipient of an honorary award shall be accorded appropriate courtesies and recognition on ceremonial and social occasions.

(13) The award does not entitle the recipient to participate in the governance of the University, nor to be granted any material benefits by the University.

(14) The conferring of an Honorary Doctorate or Honorary Fellowship does not carry an entitlement to a pre-nominal title. A pre-nominal title may only be used for official University business and/or events.

(15) A person conferred with an honorary award is entitled to use the post-nominal for that award.

Honorary Titles - Emeritus Professor

(16) The award of an honorary title is prestigious and shall not be earned easily.

(17) The University may honour any former Professor of the University who has made a distinguished contribution to teaching, research, scholarship, or the arts, or to service to the University, by conferring upon that person the title of Emeritus Professor.

(18) The Honorary Awards Committee will normally require the criterion of a distinguished contribution at professorial level over a period of at least ten years (five years of which have been served at the University) before recommending a candidate for the title.

(19) The honorary title of Emeritus Professor will not normally be awarded until after the date of resignation or retirement from the University. The application may be considered prior to this date and be awarded upon retirement or resignation from the University.

(20) The recipient shall be accorded appropriate courtesies and recognition on ceremonial and social occasions. Emeritus Professors may be entitled to some material benefits at the discretion of the Vice Chancellor and are entitled to use a pre-nominal title.

(21) Recipients are not entitled to participate in the governance of the University.

Section 4 - Procedures

Honorary Awards Committee

(22) The Terms of Reference of the Honorary Awards Committee and its membership as approved by University Council from time-to-time is available from the University's Policy Library.

Nominations process

(23) Nominations for honorary awards and titles are submitted to the Honorary Awards Committee and can be made:

1. by any two of the following persons:
   1. a member of the Council of the University;
   2. a Professor of the University;
   3. an Executive Dean or College Dean;
   4. a Director of a Special Research Centre;
   5. a member of the University Executive; or
2. by the Vice Chancellor directly.

(24) The Honorary Awards Committee itself may nominate a candidate pursuant to this Policy.

(25) A nomination shall be accompanied by a submission addressing the reasons for the appropriateness of the honorary award or title, relevant biographical information and any statements of support.

(26) Nominations for Emeritus Professor must also include the candidate's up-to-date curriculum vitae.

(27) The Honorary Awards Committee may seek further information or statements of support in respect of particular nominations where necessary.

(28) Nominations are to be made in confidence and, where feasible, should not be made with the knowledge of the person who is the subject of the nomination.

(29) A person who is the subject of a nomination for an honorary award must not be consulted or advised of the nomination prior to the decision of the University Council being made final, and no candidate is to be advised of unsuccessful nominations. Any exception will require prior approval by the University Council.

(30) The decisions of Council pursuant to this Policy are final.

Conferral of Honorary Awards

(31) An award for an Honorary Doctorate or Honorary Fellowship will normally be conferred at a graduation ceremony, at which the recipient may be invited to deliver the occasional address.

(32) Honorary awards may be conferred at times other than graduation ceremonies at the discretion of Council.

(33) Honorary awards may be conferred in absentia or posthumously in exceptional circumstances.

Award of Honorary Titles

(34) The title of Emeritus Professor will normally be awarded at a graduation ceremony, at which the recipient may be invited to deliver the occasional address.

(35) Honorary titles may be awarded at times other than graduation ceremonies at the discretion of Council.

(36) Honorary titles may be conferred in absentia or posthumously in exceptional circumstances.

Revoking of Honorary Awards and Titles

(37) An honorary award or title may be revoked by Council and require surrendering, on the recommendation of the Honorary Awards Committee, where Council is of the opinion that the recipient has acted in such a manner as to bring the University's name and reputation into disrepute.

Section 5 - Guidelines

(38) If a nominee:

1. declines the offer of an honorary award or title; or
2. fails to respond to the offer within three months.

(39) The Council resolution previously passed to approve the conferral of the honorary award or title will be deemed to be revoked.