National Honours
The award of a National Honour is made by the UK Government and recognises an individual’s contribution to our society. An individual should be awarded on merit, for exceptional achievement or exceptional service over and above that which might be expected.
The University of Bath is pleased to offer its community the opportunity to put forward prospective National Honour nominees for preliminary consideration. Nominations are considered by the Honorary Degrees Committee which is a joint committee of Senate and Council and is chaired by the Vice-Chancellor.
Who can nominate
The Committee invites staff, students and alumni to submit potential nominations for national honours. Nominations from external proposers cannot be accepted unless the nomination is supported by a University member of staff. Students and alumni should also seek a University staff member to second and support their nomination before submitting the form to the Committee.
Make a nomination
Please give thought to those whom you have encountered in your own sphere of work and who have made a significant contribution to society. The Honorary Degrees Committee can only consider individuals with a connection to the University.
You can submit a nomination using the nomination form. Guidance on completing the form can be found within the document.
Nominations can be made at any time during the year. The Committee meets twice per year to consider nominations, in March and October.
The Committee will determine which nominations are suitable for submission for a National Honour and will approve a ranked list of nominees, in accordance with Cabinet Office requirements. The Vice-Chancellor’s Office will then prepare the full nomination using the Cabinet Office’s prescribed form and may contact the nominator to request additional information or clarification, if required.
Guidance on national honours indicates that consideration of nominations typically takes between 12 and 18 months. Once the honours lists are published, the University will check whether any of its nominees have been successful. Successful nominations will then be reported to Senate for noting.
Find out more about national honours on the UK Government website.
Other awards
Before submitting your preliminary nomination for a National Honour, you may wish to consider the other awards that are bestowed by the University, as follows:
- Honorary Doctorate Degrees are academic awards celebrating excellence and impact on a national or international level.
- Honorary Master’s Degrees are academic awards celebrating University staff who have made exceptional and direct contributions to the life of the University community, as perceived by its community.
- President's Awards honour individuals who have made an exceptional and sustained contribution to the University, the city of Bath or the region. The award also aims to recognise members of the University community who have had a significant impact on other people’s lives whether locally, nationally or internationally.
The Honorary Degrees Committee also recommends to Senate the award of the Chancellor’s Medal; an annual award which rewards outstanding service to the University by individuals who have made a valuable contribution to its life and work that is not directly academic in nature.