Honorary Degrees and Recognition Awards

To provide operational procedures by which Otago Polytechnic Business Division confers honorary degrees and recognition awards.  

 1. Otago Polytechnic Business Division (OPBD) shall establish an Honours Committee which will make recommendations to Te Pūkenga Council as to the conferring of

• Emeritus Professor (includes Associate Professor and Professor)
• Honorary Member of Otago Polytechnic Business Division
• Emeritus Member of Otago Polytechnic Business Division
• Honorary degrees.

1.1. The OPBD Honours Committee shall have as members:

• Executive Director
• Academic Committee Chair or nominee
• An appointee of the Executive Director appropriate to the nominee under consideration for the conferring of an honour
• Te Kaihāpai
• The Convenor of the Staff Subcommittee
• The Chair or nominee shall Chair all meetings of the OPBD Honours Committee.

1.2. The OPBD Honours Committee shall consider nominations and make recommendations to Te Pūkenga Council, under Te Pūkenga approved procedures and criteria, for the conferring of an Honorary Degree or Recognition Award consistent with the following OPBD criteria:

2. Emeritus Professor

The award of the title Emeritus Professor for consideration may be granted to a retiring/retired professor who:

2.1 Held the title of Professor on retirement.

2.2 Has made an outstanding/significant contribution to the life and well-being of OPBD over and above normal duties, or

2.3. Has undertaken nationally or internationally respected quality teaching or research, or

2.4. Has demonstrated innovative and strategically important leadership, or

2.5 Has developed a dimension of OPBD in a new way, or

2.6 Has made a significant contribution on behalf of OPBD to industry, business, and trades or professions on committees which OPBD serves.

3. Honorary Member 

The award of Honorary Member of the OPBD for consideration may be granted to any person who:

3.1. Is not, nor has been a permanent employee of OPBD, and

3.2. Has made an outstanding contribution to the leadership or well-being of OPBD through one of Otago Polytechnic Ltd OPBD committees, or a section of OPBD, or

3.3. Has been a major benefactor to OPBD, or

3.4. Has made a distinguished contribution to OPBD as a visitor, or

3.5. Has developed a dimension of OPBD in a new way.

4. Emeritus Member 

The award of Emeritus Member of the OPBD for consideration may be granted to any person who:

4.1. Has been and is no longer a permanent employee of OPBD, and

4.2. Has undertaken nationally or internationally respected quality teaching or research, or

4.3. Has demonstrated innovative and strategically important leadership, or

4.4. Has made an outstanding contribution to the life and well-being of OPBD over and above normal duties, or

4.5. Has developed a dimension of OPBD in a new way, or

4.6. Has made a significant contribution on behalf of OPBD to industry, business, and trades or professions on committees which OPBD serves.

5. Honorary Degrees

The award of an Honorary degree (from OPBD’s suite of local degrees) for consideration may be granted to any person who:

5.1. Is not a current permanent employee of OPBD, and

5.2. Has made an outstanding professional contribution to one of OPBD committees, or a section of OPBD, or

5.3. Has made an outstanding contribution to the wider community.

6. Specific Procedures

6.1. All communications and enquiries about honorary awards should be addressed to the Executive Director.

6.2. Nominations for the award of Emeritus Professor are made to the Executive Director who will bring the nomination to the OPBD Honours Committee for consideration.

6.3. Nominations for the conferring of an honorary award may be made by any two (2) persons, one (1) of whom shall be a member of Academic Committee and shall be made in confidence to the Executive Director who shall bring the nomination to the OPBD Honours Committee for consideration.

6.4. Each nomination shall be accompanied by a statement of the nominee’s background in relation to the stated criteria for the award.

6.5. The OPBD Honours Committee shall consider nominations and make recommendations to Te Pūkenga Council for the conferring of an award, and where appropriate the Executive Director will consult with the OPBD Executive Leadership Team.

6.6. Each honorary award shall be conferred by Te Pūkenga Council with any such decision to be made under Te Pūkenga approved procedures and criteria, for the conferring honorary degrees and recognition awards.

6.7. Any communication with proposed recipients of honorary degrees and recognition awards shall be conducted in confidence through the Office of the Executive Director.

6.8. In exceptional circumstances, Te Pūkenga have the authority to revoke any honorary degree or recognition award if deemed appropriate.

6.9. All honorary degrees and recognition awards will be conferred on recipients at Te Pūkenga graduation ceremonies, or at another appropriate ceremony within three (3) years of the award being approved by Te Pūkenga Council.

6.10. Recipients of Honorary Degrees and Recognition Awards will be entitled to:

a) Use of Otago Polytechnic facilities generally through the office of the Executive Director.

b) Use of Otago Polytechnic’s library facilities.

c) Negotiated use of email facilities (former kaimahi only).

d) In the case of Emeritus Professor use the title.

e)  In the case of Honorary degrees:

•  Wear the academic regalia for an honorary degree.
•  Use the award title using the following format Approved Degree Abbreviation (Honorary, Te Pūkenga or Otago Polytechnic) e.g., Master of Fine Arts (MFA) (Honorary, Otago Polytechnic of Te Pūkenga).

6.11. The OPBD Honours Committee is responsible for considering nominations and for making recommendations to Te Pūkenga Council for the granting of any honorary degree or recognition award.

7. Posthumous Awards – refer to TKM, Posthumous Awards, Section 7.7.

Emeritus Professor

Prof Khyla Russell – 2016

Dr Leoni Schmidt - 2024

Emeritus Associate Professor

Dr Linda Robertson - 2021

Emeritus Member of Otago Polytechnic Business Division

Ron McLeod – 2005

Rosemary Caulton – 2008

Dr Robin Day - 2011

Bridie Lonie – 2014

Dr Maxine Alterio – 2014

Ali’itasi (Tasi) Lemalu - 2017

Dr Jane Malthus - 2019

Honorary Degrees

Graham Crombie – Master of Design Enterprise - 2010

Margarita Robertson – Bachelor of Design (Fashion) - 2012

Huata Holmes – Master of Professional Practice - 2013

Michel Tuffery – Master of Fine Arts – 2014

Philip Ker – Doctor of Professional Practice - 2019

Policy Version: V9: Previously Coded: CP0006.