Liberal Students, Academics Seek to Revoke Conservatives’ Honorary Degrees

Multiple universities across the country have rescinded honorary degrees, which are given to recognize the achievements of individuals who were not students at the university, from prominent members of the Trump administration.

Last month, Syracuse University put wheels in motion to rescind an honorary degree from former New York City mayor and lawyer to former President Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Business Insider reported. The university has not revoked an honorary degree in its 152-year history.

Giuliani argued that there was widespread election fraud during the 2020 election. He faced a criminal probe in Georgia regarding the presidential election results and appeared before a grand jury in August.

The University Senate, which approved a resolution in April demanding that the Board of Trustees rescind the degree, did not originally have a process to do so in its bylaws. However, university spokesperson Sarah Scalese confirmed to Business Insider that a process has now been adopted.

David Bruen, Student Association president, told Business Insider that while the process has been slow, Giuliani’s degree could be revoked by spring. The decision now lies with the Senate Committee on Honorary Degrees.

Syracuse would not be the first university to revoke an honorary degree from Giuliani. Rather, if the committee moves forward with implementing the new system, Syracuse would become the fourth school to follow through with such an act, following in the footsteps of Middlebury College, Drexel University and the University of Rhode Island (URI).

Four other universities, however, have refused to revoke Giuliani’s degrees, according to Business Insider. The universities include St. John Fisher University, Loyola University Maryland, The Citadel and Georgetown University…. (Excerpt from Wisconsin Daily Star and Daily Caller)