Laurentian University has confirmed that for the third year in a row, it will not be conferring any honourary doctorates at its spring convocation ceremonies.
There were also no honourary doctorates conferred by Laurentian at the fall convocation ceremonies in either 2021 or 2022.
Global mine reclamation expert Margarete Kalin-Seidenfaden, the only person to receive an LU honorary doctorate in 2020, is the most recent name on the list of Laurentian honorary doctorate recipients going back to 1961.
Laurentian University exited insolvency restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (or CCAA) late last year, after having been under creditor protection for 22 months.
A written statement issued to Sudbury.com by Laurentian’s interim president said the university is looking into how it confers honourary degrees.
"We are currently reviewing the process through which honorary doctorates are awarded, ensuring a joint nomination by the Board and Senate,” said Laurentian interim president Sheila Embleton, in the statement.
“We will also be reviewing past nominations that were held on file, and are preparing to put out a call for new nominations. Laurentian University has an enviable history of impactful honorary degree recipients. It is a strong tradition that we hope to renew in the near future."
Laurentian’s spring 2023 convocation ceremonies run from May 30 through until June 2.
A full listing of Laurentian convocation ceremonies is available online here.
Heidi Ulrichsen is the associate content editor at Sudbury.com. She also covers education and the arts scene.
