May 12, 2008

UMass Under Renewed Pressure to Revoke Mugabe's Honorary Degree

Robert G. Mugabe’s honorary degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst is under renewed threat. Mr. Mugabe, the autocrat clinging to power in Zimbabwe, received the honor in 1986, when he was still fairly well regarded as a leader of the country’s struggle for independence and black-majority rule.

A generation later, Mr. Mugabe is an international pariah, his country is in economic ruins, human-rights abuses by his government are legion, and his regime is trying by various means to thwart the apparent victory, in elections this spring, of the opposition party.

Last year UMass trustees rebuked Mr. Mugabe but declined to revoke his degree, saying that they had no procedure for rescinding such an honor. Now, according to today’s Boston Globe, a leading state lawmaker has reiterated a call for the degree to be revoked.

In a letter dated last Friday, the lawmaker, Rep. Kevin J. Murphy, said he planned to bring up the matter at the UMass board’s meeting in June. And the Globe quoted a UMass spokesman as saying that the lack of a precedent may no longer be an obstacle to board action.

The University of Edinburgh revoked its honorary degree to Mr. Mugabe last year. —Andrew Mytelka

Comments

1. Honorary degrees should not be given to mass murderers, whether it be Mugabe or George W. Bush

   — Donald Winters    May 12, 10:53 AM    #

2. Why give these things out to begin with? They’re like your dad making you call his best friend “uncle.”

   — original marci    May 12, 12:53 PM    #

3. Or mom making me call any boyfriend “uncle”? :)

   — Jimbo    May 12, 03:08 PM    #

4. do people realize the number of people with truly questionable backgrounds who receive honorary degrees? and why wait until now to start with mugabe? how ‘bout we rescind ALL honorary degrees and stop the charade!

   — mike j.    May 12, 03:16 PM    #

5. There are reasons to give honorary degrees to honor exceptional lifetime achievements, often from those with a connection to the institution. However, the practice at many of today’s institutions of giving every commencement speaker an honorary degree is inappropriate.

   — George    May 12, 03:36 PM    #

6. The exemplary contributions made by great spirits without doctoral degrees are deserving of at least as much academic recognition as the 240-or-so credits earned by many “doctors” whose accomplishments and contributions are dwarfed by the efforts and genius of people who simply chose to apply themselves in service to the real world.

   — EC    May 12, 03:37 PM    #

7. Mugabe was, twenty-five years ago, an extremely articulate and erudite fellow on the correct side of a monumental human rights issue in Africa. That he has become an egomaniacal dictator is tragic and disgusting. His award was for the man he was, not for the beast he is today! His self-directed devolution into brutality and paranoia make someone like Mr. Mandela saintly in comparison. Let’s give Mandela a few more degrees!

   — Droste    May 12, 04:12 PM    #

8. Hmmm … Mugabe is certainly an embarrassment to any who feted him for his actions of 2 decades ago, but that can be said for any number of degree holders who have been exposed as scoundrels later in life. Honorary degrees are routinely awarded for all kinds of reasons having little to do with accomplishment (big donors come to mind) often leading to later embarrassment for the awarding institution. I think it would be better to simply “asterisk” Mugabe and others who prove to be embarrassments as being no longer worthy of the honor.

   — CW    May 12, 04:31 PM    #

9. What about the doctorate that Stephen Colbert possesses? The school that gave it which I won’t name here, has received a ton pf publicity (for free).
   One that I agree with is Dr. Ralph Stanley’s doctorate in music. He is one cat that has a life of experiences that mean something in that field and he no doubt could earn one. The school…. Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee, in 1976)
   Later,
   Bubba

   — Good ol' Bubba    May 12, 05:26 PM    #

10. I know of a college that conferred an honorary degree on the wife of the Board of Trustees chairman. Her qualification? She had authored a neighborhood cookbook. Maybe Mugabe, too, produced a cookbook.

    — observer    May 13, 08:55 AM    #

11. Considering UMass Amherst gave the deploarable Andrew Card the “honor” last year, I’d say they actually enjoy this kind of thing.

    — KC    May 15, 10:37 AM    #

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