The acadamic value of an "honoris causa"
In his book "Bear's Guide to Earning College Degrees Non-Traditionally"(Benicia, California, USA, 1994) John Bear writes:
"The honorary Doctorate has no academic standing whatsoever..." (page 15)
That may be true for the North America but it is wrong for Europe, because the reasons for granting that precious degree vary. In Europe that degree is in 97 of 100 cases bestowed upon reputable persons explicitly because of their ACADEMIC achievements.
John Bear kept on writing: "...,and yet because it carries the same title, 'Doctor', as the earned degree, it has become an extremely desireable commodity for those who covet titles and the prestige they bring." (BEAR, 1994, p. 15)
Now he got it right!
The legend: An Honorary Doctorate started the regular (American) Doctorate Business
Bound by the rule "it takes a doctor to make a doctor" American academics had to come up with a trick, because in the late 17th century nobody in America had a Doctorate, since they were disconnected from English, church controlled universities.
Therefore one ruby morning Harvard's faculty gathered, and awarded an honorary Doctorate to one of them to enable the new Doctor to doctor other staff members and they subsequently could doctor their students.
If that was not ingenious, however, we cannot confirm the historical truth of that story.
If its true, that perhaps very well was the start of the graduate education in North America [which is very much below the educational level in European countries like England, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and the like, and first of all its a BIG business. American universities are mostly private, asking for hefty fees per credit hour while European universities are mostly run by the government, they are FREE to attend, the government even gives interest free loans to students (in Germany its called BAFOEG), so they can concentrate on studying instead of working their b.. off to pay their bills. Whatever you may think of Germans, they understand the nature of education of the youth: INVESTMENT in the country's and society's future.]
Stephen Edward Epler wrote: "except for military honors and occasional Congressional medals, the government of the United States grants few awards. Thus, the honorary degree is perhaps the most important honorific in the nation." [1]
This is still true today, and in many countries.
"It's very important to feel that academic
communities are keeping in touch with each
other--scientists from different continents, even. It's
important for cross-breeding--it's
cosmopolitan, in the best
meaning of that word." Russian space scientist Roald Sagdeyev [2]"For Gertrude Elion, winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, an honorary degree has even greater significance. 'When I first got one, it meant a lot, because I don't have a Ph.D.,' says Elion, scientist emeritus at
Burroughs Wellcome Co. of Research Triangle Park, N.C. 'This was my doctorate, essentially.' Last month, Duke gave Elion her 11th honorary degree. She says the honor is 'comparable with getting elected to the National Academy [of Sciences].' In both cases, she notes, 'people have looked at your work very carefully and decided you belong.' " [3]
"... the honorary degree is taken more seriously than an earned degree. That may sound silly, but it's true." Clark Kerr, president emeritus of the UC
system and chancellor emeritus of UC-Berkeley [4]
Did you know?
Some of the topnotch U.S.
research institutions have policies that prohibit the granting of honorary
degrees. E.g. the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford
University.
"Why would one turn it down? It doesn't cost anything to get it"
Melvin Schwartz, who won the Nobel Prize in physic 1988
http://www.nobel.se/physics/laureates/1988/schwartz-autobio.html
[1] Epler , Stephen Edward: "Honorary Degrees: A Survey of Their Use and Abuse" , Washington, D.C., American Council on Public Affairs, 1943
[2] Sagdeyev Roald , http://www.the-scientist.com/yr1991/june/spector_p1_910624.html [Accessed 24 July, 2002]
[3] Spector, Barbara: Honorary Degrees:
Controversial For Centuries. The Scientist 5[13]:1, Jun. 24, 1991. Available from: http://www.the-scientist.com/yr1991/june/spector_p1_910624.html [Accessed 24 July, 2002]
[4] Kerr, Clark, http://www.the-scientist.com/yr1991/june/spector_p1_910624.html [Accessed 24 July, 2002]
