posted on Dec. 18: Honorary degree diploma gets new look

A new look for McMaster's honorary degree parchment and revisions to the Latin text that appears on it were approved by Senate on Dec. 13. Recommendations for the changes came from the Senate Committee on University Ceremonials and Insignia.

Most notably, some of the Latin text is gone. The University's name appeared entirely in Latin and was not immediately recognizable, and Hamilton was also printed in Latin, University registrar George Granger told Senators on Wednesday. These now appear in English. Some corrections to the Latin text were also made.(The committee preferred that the rest of the text remain in Latin.)

The design has been rotated to portrait from orientation. Honorary degrees will continue to be presented in padded cases.

Granger notes that the changes were proposed for very practical reasons. “The new design has the full coat of arms in colour, an improved version of the seal, and the addition of the President's signature.” Granger adds that in order to accommodate these changes, the orientation had to be rotated to portrait.

The change to portrait orientation offers recipients more options for mounting, he adds. The degree can be framed and hung, or the padded case can be propped open on a desk.

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A new look for McMaster&#039;s honorary degree parchment and revisions to the Latin text that appears on it were approved by Senate on Dec. 13. Recommendations for the changes came from the Senate Committee on University Ceremonials and Insignia.<br />
<br />
Most notably, some of the Latin text is gone. The University&#039;s name appeared entirely in Latin and was not immediately recognizable, and Hamilton was also printed in Latin, University registrar George Granger told Senators on Wednesday. These now appear in English. Some corrections to the Latin text were also made.(The committee preferred that the rest of the text remain in Latin.)<br />
<br />
The design has been rotated to portrait from orientation. Honorary degrees will continue to be presented in padded cases.<br />
<br />
Granger notes that the changes were proposed for very practical reasons. "The new design has the full coat of arms in colour, an improved version of the seal, and the addition of the President&#039;s signature." Granger adds that in order to accommodate these changes, the orientation had to be rotated to portrait.<br />
<br />
The change to portrait orientation offers recipients more options for mounting, he adds. The degree can be framed and hung, or the padded case can be propped open on a desk. <br />

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