Free Degree – Exeter University give away Free Degrees.
Mid summer is traditionally the time for graduation ceremonies and the awarding of degrees to students who have poured over their books and worked long into the night to complete research projects. Over three thousand Exeter University students will be joined by family and fiends for the degree ceremonies being during July. The ceremonies mark the successful completion of at least three years dedicated study and are an opportunity to award degrees for academic achievement. However some “lucky” ones simply have to turn up on the day to be given a free degree.
No Study Degrees – Degrees Given Away for Free!
Each year’s graduation ceremonies include the giving of free degrees – known as Honorary degrees – with no requirement for study to a selection of celebrities. The requirements to be a recipient of an honorary degree are cloudy – sometimes service to local community is cited. This year sees Ruth Hawker OBE who trained in nursing and education in Exeter, and became chief executive of Tor and SouthWest College, Devon – the award of an honorary degree to Ruth is recognition for the commitment and involvement with the local region over a long period of time.
The same cannot be said however for others on this years list:
Rik Mayo claims regional fame simply by the fact that he lives here – well give him a medal – it really is a test of character to relocate to the west country. Rik’s honorary degree is for his contribution to comedy. Why oh why then do we not see the like of Jethro (a hilarious Cornish Comedian) of the Wurzels (a hilarious Somerset beat combo) receiving these free degrees?
The bogus degree conspiracy deepens when we discover that Floella Benjamin is to give away these free degrees. Floella it is revealed has herself been the recipient of Exeter’s generosity being awarded a Hon D.Litt (Exon) – Doctor of Letters from Exeter!
Other awards will be made for contributions to literature, comedy, politics, media, business, engineering, higher education and healthcare – David Attenborough – Patron of a Blood Pressure healthcare organisation – in fact anything that will appeal to potential students during the college’s graduate recruitment drives.
For traditionalists, it gone too far. A Smithers, Professor of Education at the University of Buckingham believes degrees shouldn’t be dished out willy nilly with the hope of brightening up graduation ceremonies. Although he himself holds an honorary degree from Manchester he says: “The criterion these days is often that the honorary graduate is well known rather than they have made a distinctive contribution in their particular academic field,”
Rest assured – the Muncher has already written to the Western Morning News the hope that the tireless search for the perfect pasty will be acknowledged in due course.
Whilst carefully researching this post the following result appeared for a search for [pasty degree] which has a number one slot for Be a pasty chef? Get your degree in baking and pastry arts-The Culinary Institute of America
You’re absolutely right, it’s a total and utter DISGRACE!
There’s something to say against having pointless “slebs” flaunt their goods and steal the show on what should be a very important day for students. But I haven’t yet seen a single person on the honorary degrees list who isn’t in some way entitled to some recognition for their achievements. And if that recognition takes the form of a piece of paper and an entertaining speech, so be it. I’d be surprised if any of the attendants will be complaining.
Then again, some people will only be happy when they can wine about something or other.
Meanwhile, why don’t you try and correctly spell the names of the people you’re slagging off.
Good luck with that!
A university student, graduating this year (though sadly not at Exeter Uni).
Heleen Evers
Heleen
In my humble opinion Jethro the Cornish Comedian and the Wurzels both currently add more value to the South West quality of life and citizenship than Richard Mayall.
Hey is this you?
Wipes crumbs from keyboard.
Aye ‘t is! Well I was hardly going to *pay* for an effing Driscoll flick was I?! Nothing wrong with a bit of strategically executed opportunism. Belgians are known for that.
And as for Mr. Mayall’s degree, aside from him being an astonishingly well-hung, pan-global, light entertainer phenomenon, which is in itself quite enough to qualify for honours, his comedy partner Ade Edmondson got his degree last years (together with wifey Jen Saunders) so they just couldn’t leave him behind
(By the way… who’s this Donovan bloke anyway??)
Donovan – a hairy Jock folk singer song writer whose song “Mellow Yellow” has been the topic of many late night student discussions. Personally I think it is about the warm slowly going to cold sensation you get when you wee yourself.
Last sentence on this page – http://www.rikmayall.info/riknews.htm – you lurv him!
Top marks for Oliver of Exmouth who noted
“Nowhere does the article say why Rik Mayall was given a degree. He seems to have got drunk a lot and bought a house in Devon. On that basis I qualify for a free degree and so do all of my neighbours.”
on This is Devon News
Great ways to get access onto a universities campus is to offer great deals on clothes, books and school supplies If sold at cheaper prices than retailers then universities have incentives to let you use their campus for sales.
This university is always giving away free things. the other week i was on campus and they had cheap ipods – only 20 dollars, if you bring your student id card you could choose from a few different styles and colors! i think they also had cheap laptop computers for really good prices too but they had already been bought.
these deals dont come up very often so its in the public and students best interest to take advantage of it! They usually cut the prices a little bit to make it more of a deal and affordable and its a good way of advertising and getting students to be even more in debt!
Things like that are worth getting but why are books so expensive? I found a few websites that you can get your books from for about 30% cheaper and free 5 day shipping!
So True! my books cost me over 500 dollars and when i go to sell them back i get less than 20% for them, its so frustrating. If you could post up a few of those websites where i could find cheaper books that would be very rewarding!
the competition to getting into a good school is harder and harder these days, i just recently got into a couple good schools but they are really expensive!
i agree it doesnt help when youre paying an arm and a leg to just get into school then you have to take out a loan on your mothers limbs to get books.
Wow that’s absolutely asinine! People work years and years to get their degree and then the school decides to give them away like trading cards. I must tell you that this goes to show how corrupt the whole university system is currently.
I disagree with the above remark. I think in these tough economic times we need to rethink our old ways of thinking.
I think this is seriously putting down the standard of education and putting the country’s future in great trouble.