I think I heard once that Rice does not award honorary degrees. If so, I'm okay with it. I understand that universities like Notre Dame and ASU recognize a body of work by awarding honorary degrees (especially to commencement speakers), but I tend to think degrees should be tied to scholarship, not political or social accomplishments. Political and social accomplishments are generally recognized elsewhere.

I'm glad we don't give honorary degrees. However, I wish we'd pay a little more for a speaker. At least they'd be worth listening. The one for my year (2008) chastised the US for not spending enough on volunteer work...yet gave us no advice as to how to go on after graduation. Useless and boring.

(05-17-2009 04:59 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  I'm glad we don't give honorary degrees. However, I wish we'd pay a little more for a speaker. At least they'd be worth listening. The one for my year (2008) chastised the US for not spending enough on volunteer work...yet gave us no advice as to how to go on after graduation. Useless and boring.

I believe that Rice should pay $0 for commencement speakers. If the speaker does not have enough ties to Rice to be honored by the invitation, then we don't need them. A celebrity speaker is a waste of money, time, and energy, and potentially a source of needlessly distracting controversy. In fact, the whole idea of keynote address is largely unnecessary; a few summary congratulations by the Provost or something would sufficient and perhaps more appropriate.

I know that 22-year-olds like to say to their peers at other universities, "My graduation speaker was more famous than yours." That's a pretty unimportant sentiment to begin with, and whatever importance it does have tends to disappear pretty rapidly -- e.g. by age 22 and a half.

I remember who several commencement speakers were during my time at Rice, but don't remember who actually spoke at my commencement (it was either Bush the Elder or a rice alum who had risen to be the highest ranking civilian woman at the Pentagon). I do recall who spoke at my wife's commencement (Kurt Vonnegut).

I agree that Rice should not be spending a lot of money for commencement speakers. I also don't think honorary degrees are appropriate.

My HS graduation speakers was one of our teachers, and he gave the best graduation speech I heard during my four years there... with apologies to my friend's father who spoke at one of the other graduations.

(05-20-2009 02:31 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(05-17-2009 04:59 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  I'm glad we don't give honorary degrees. However, I wish we'd pay a little more for a speaker. At least they'd be worth listening. The one for my year (2008) chastised the US for not spending enough on volunteer work...yet gave us no advice as to how to go on after graduation. Useless and boring.

I believe that Rice should pay $0 for commencement speakers. If the speaker does not have enough ties to Rice to be honored by the invitation, then we don't need them. A celebrity speaker is a waste of money, time, and energy, and potentially a source of needlessly distracting controversy. In fact, the whole idea of keynote address is largely unnecessary; a few summary congratulations by the Provost or something would sufficient and perhaps more appropriate.

I know that 22-year-olds like to say to their peers at other universities, "My graduation speaker was more famous than yours." That's a pretty unimportant sentiment to begin with, and whatever importance it does have tends to disappear pretty rapidly -- e.g. by age 22 and a half.

Just wish my speaker had said anything worth a damn. And the fact of the matter is, President Leebron wants Rice to get more exposure. Well, bringing famous speakers in would do it. How about the elder Bush? I'd be interested to hear him.

Wait, you had George Rupp as your commencement speaker? Did he not talk about building, unbuilding and rebuilding?

Bush the Elder has done it before. Not saying he couldn't do it again, just pointing that out.

The favorite that I've attended was Vonnegut, but I don't think he's up for the repeat performance.

(05-17-2009 03:33 PM)Caelligh Wrote:  I think I heard once that Rice does not award honorary degrees. If so, I'm okay with it. I understand that universities like Notre Dame and ASU recognize a body of work by awarding honorary degrees (especially to commencement speakers), but I tend to think degrees should be tied to scholarship, not political or social accomplishments. Political and social accomplishments are generally recognized elsewhere.

This is a tough one for me... Honorary Degrees certainly attract certain speakers... and the fact that we don't give them comes up even less often than "who spoke at your graduation"... in other words, the only ones who know it wouldn't care who the speaker was (as a measure of the quality of the University) and those who would ask wouldn't be impressed by our "exclusivity".

Yes, political and social accomplishments are honored elsewhere... but we DO have schools of social and political science.

(05-20-2009 02:31 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(05-17-2009 04:59 PM)d1owls4life Wrote:  I'm glad we don't give honorary degrees. However, I wish we'd pay a little more for a speaker. At least they'd be worth listening. The one for my year (2008) chastised the US for not spending enough on volunteer work...yet gave us no advice as to how to go on after graduation. Useless and boring.

I believe that Rice should pay $0 for commencement speakers. If the speaker does not have enough ties to Rice to be honored by the invitation, then we don't need them. A celebrity speaker is a waste of money, time, and energy, and potentially a source of needlessly distracting controversy. In fact, the whole idea of keynote address is largely unnecessary; a few summary congratulations by the Provost or something would sufficient and perhaps more appropriate.

I know that 22-year-olds like to say to their peers at other universities, "My graduation speaker was more famous than yours." That's a pretty unimportant sentiment to begin with, and whatever importance it does have tends to disappear pretty rapidly -- e.g. by age 22 and a half.

Generally agree as in my reply above... but do you really think a commencement speaker can give 400 people career advice in 15 minutes? Complaining about America is pretty popular... still

(05-20-2009 03:37 PM)texd Wrote:  I remember who several commencement speakers were during my time at Rice, but don't remember who actually spoke at my commencement (it was either Bush the Elder or a rice alum who had risen to be the highest ranking civilian woman at the Pentagon).

Tex, weren't you '95? I thought we had Bill Bradley.

(05-23-2009 06:38 PM)texd Wrote:  Wait, you had George Rupp as your commencement speaker? Did he not talk about building, unbuilding and rebuilding?

No, he talked about how terrible we are as a country b/c we don't spend a high enough percentage of either our GDP or GNP (I can't remember which it was) on charity/non-profit. Seriously, that's all I got out of it. Not how prestigious my degree was. Not what I can do with it. I mean, I wasn't asking all for career advice...just a little recognition considering he used to be the freaking President of Rice.

You're right... it was (though that was not technically my commencement). Somehow I jumbled Bradley and another speaker of our era Jimmy Carter together in my mind and came out with Bush the Elder. Or maybe I'm just thinking of the Bush's presence for George P's commencement (also my wife's). Shows how memorable these all were to me.

(05-25-2009 07:26 PM)lauramac Wrote:  

(05-20-2009 03:37 PM)texd Wrote:  I remember who several commencement speakers were during my time at Rice, but don't remember who actually spoke at my commencement (it was either Bush the Elder or a rice alum who had risen to be the highest ranking civilian woman at the Pentagon).

Tex, weren't you '95? I thought we had Bill Bradley.