Further Information:
Presentation
An honorary doctor's degree (honoris causa) is the highest academic distinction awarded by the
Universidad de Castilla La Mancha . Honorary degrees are conferred on the graduands by the
Rector in a solemn, academic ceremony that complies with the current legal requisites and
traditional university customs. In recent years the UCLM has conferred this award on a number
of national and international figures of conspicuous merit in the fields of science, technology,
art, politics, the environment, and so forth. Each doctor represents the continuity of knowledge,
the search for the truth and a sense of service and usefulness towards society.
HISTORY
Doctor -he who teaches, the scholar (doctus) is the word used to define, already in Cicero and
Horatio, the instructor, the mentor who complements the person who learns, the unlearned
(indocti) -thus, docti dicant et indocti discant-(scholars instruct and the unlearned may learn)and it is used in Spanish during the 14th and 15th centuries with this exact meaning.
The term was first used to define a university degree in a 1462 ruling. This distinction was given
to people as adulation or to people who in fact deserved such extreme excellences. The word
has been sometimes used together with laudatory words such as angelicus, eximius, mirabilis,
subtilis, illuminatus... (angelic, extraordinary, wonderful, thorough, illuminated...), which we will
only give as an example with no intention of exhaustiveness.
Once the title of Doctor had been defined as the highest academic order, each university
naturally wished for the most eminent academics to take a chair in their institution.
And this chair could only be granted as an honorary distinction in the cases in which such
eminencies were already part of another academic institution. This distinction would mean
recognition -and even profit in some cases- for both the institution and the grantee.
This was the origin of the title Honorary Doctor or Doctor ad honorem only awarded to those in
hand of relevant academic merits. Granting such honours to politicians, businessmen or any
other relevant citizen for reasons other than those mentioned above could be regarded as
simony.
Symbols
During the solemn public act of investiture, the rector awarded the newly elected member with
an honoured ceremonial cap, venerated insignia of the highest academic status and symbol of
the distinction granted. This distinction entitled its holder to the privilege of delivering opinions
and resolving inquiry procedures by means of a signet ring used to sign and seal such
documents.
And, through the white gloves in his hands he was reminded of the strict ethics that should
preside over all academic activities. The current protocol maintains these rituals, although few
universities maintain the use of traditional Latin for such effects.
In the past
The University Senate of Doctors were those in charge of deciding on the future bearers of
these awards -after hearing the proposals presented by one or several universities-, since they
represented the highest collegiate body and have done so until recent times.
The secular reasoning similis similibus (he who is alike, joins), which agrees with the criterion of
authority, could not allow imagining any person to reach such academic honour by any other
procedure than being chosen by his peers or superiors, a corporate system long forgotten in the
case of honorary titles but still used for granting ordinary academic posts.
Nowadays
The University Senate of Doctors has evolved into a more democratic body, influenced by the
different political trends in each historical period, until it became what is currently known as the
University Senate. Its ancestral memory remains, as a venerated relic, in the inscription
engraved on the medallions worn over the academic hoods that symbolically identify, by means
of colour, the degree of doctor during solemn academic events.
During this transformation and for the purpose of government agility, the fundamental executive
competences fell on the University Governing Council. Thus, this is the body which is now
responsible for granting the degree of Honorary Doctor and the University Medallion.
Legal Framework
After the Spanish Civil War, the procedure for awarding an Honorary Doctorate Degree
remained unlegislated until a law was approved on 20th June 1957, which was written
according to the political cautiousness of the time. This law was unable to legislate on any
proceedings regarding the so-called special engineering schools (Schools awarding technical
degrees), since technical degrees did not include PhD studies at the time.
This legislative deficiency had to be solved, and so it was by the 28th December 99/1966 law, in
the same year the first Polytechnic Universities were created.
The need to create a regulation for this matter was not considered by our university -which
would have meant creating a legislating commission ad hoc on 4th July- until the Faculty of Fine
Arts announced in the summer of 1979 its intention of submitting a proposal for an Honorary
Doctor, an intention that was materialised on 17th September.
UCLM Regulations
The precariousness of the regulation written for this purpose is excusable if we consider that
little more than a month went by between the submission of the proposal and its acceptance by
the Governing Board on 30th October. Proof of this precariousness is the need for the
agreement of two thirds of the Governing Board in order to proceed with any proposal.
This measure meant that even if only a few unfavourable votes were emitted, the proposal
could be rejected if the number of members attending the session were not to fulfil the minimum
votes required. Another obtuse regulation designed to filter the selection procedure meant that
only those candidatures -once approved by the Governing Board- that were ratified by the
University Senate could be considered.
It was not until years later that the UCLM arbitrated a reasonable regulation that could allow the
proposal of candidates without the fear of unnecessary rejection. It is nevertheless surprising to
consider that almost ten years went by between the implementation of the aforementioned
regulation and the 1988 investiture, by a more viable system, of Mr. Joaquin Rodrigo Vidre as
the first Honorary Doctor of the UCLM. The number of people that have since been awarded
with such a distinguished degree indicates that time has not been wasted since then.
Nowadays, the proposal for awarding an Honorary Doctorate Degree is presented by a
University School, Faculty or Department to the Research Committee, and once accepted, it
proceeds to the Governing Council for its final acceptance.
CONFERRAL
The procedures for the conferral of an Honorary Doctor's Degree have evolved according to the
regulations of a given period of time.
Nowadays, the awards are granted according to the University's Regulations for Honorary
Distinctions, which were approved by the University Governing Board in July 1989, the first
section of which is translated below:
Section 1. On the aims of honorary distinctions at the UCLM.
The Universidad de Castilla La Mancha institutes the honorary distinctions hereby regulated in
order to manifestly acknowledge the academic, artistic or technical merits of national and
foreign individuals or institutions, or to recognize outstanding contributions to the Universidad de
Castilla La Mancha .
The current procedure for awarding an Honorary Doctorate Degree at the UCLM is as follows:
A proposal is submitted by a School, Faculty or Department Council.
The University Research Committee draws up a report on the proposal. After that, the report is
sent to the University Governing Council, which will ultimately decide on the investiture of an
Honorary Doctor by the Universidad de Castilla La Mancha .
PROTOCOL
The academic retinue assembles at the University auditorium. They then proceed to the
assembly hall, where they are greeted by those present and escorted to their seats.
Once in the hall, the University's Secretary General calls out: "All rise" and 'VENI CREATOR' is
interpreted by the University Orpheum.
Once the interpretation has finished, the Rector of the Universidad de Castilla La Mancha
declares: "Members of the Council, please be seated and cover yourselves. The session is
open. The Secretary General will read the Rectoral Decree of the awarding of the medal of the
Universidad de Castilla La Mancha to Mr. Ben Shneiderman"
The Secretary General proceeds with the reading of the Rectoral Decree.
Then, the Rector declares: " The Secretary General will please go and accompany the grantee
and his guarantors to this Council.
Dr Manuel Ortega, the guarantor of the Doctor, Dr.... has the right to speak." The guarantor
reads his/her speech.
Afterwards, the Rector declares: "We are about to proceed with the investiture as Honorary
Doctor of ..." The Secretary General declares: "All rise". All rise and the guarantor walks with the
guest of honour towards the Board and stands in front of the Chairmanship.
The Rector declares: "The Governing Council of the Universidad de Castilla La Mancha ,
following the proposal of ...and in acknowledgement of your relevant achievements, has
conferred you the title of Honorary Doctor. By virtue of the powers vested in me, I confer this
title and I impose on you the honoured ceremonial cap, venerated distinction of the highest
academic order. Wear it on your head as the crown of your studies and achievements. Receive
the signet ring that has been given in this ceremony since ancient times as a symbol of the
privilege to sign and seal judgments, enquiries and sentences related to your science and
profession. Take these white gloves, symbol of the purity that your hands must protect. All of
these are, as well, symbols of the distinction of your order."
The investiture comes to an end and the newly appointed Honorary Doctor is embraced by the
Rector, who declares: : "Because you have joined our class, receive this fraternity embrace
from all those that feel honoured and congratulated for being your brothers and colleagues".
The newly appointed Honorary Doctor is then embraced by his/her guarantor. All take seat.
The Rector declares: "Mr./Mrs. ... has the floor." The Honorary Doctor reads his/her speech.
The round of speeches returns to the Rector and, next, the Chairmanship takes part. Alter this
speech, the Secretary General declares: "All rise". All rise and the Doctors take off their
ceremonial caps.
Finally, the Rector ends the ceremony by declaring: "The session is closed" and University
Orpheum sings "GAUDEAMUS IGITUR". After the canticle, all present exit the auditorium
inversely to their order of entrance.