November 2003 - Nr. 11
York University to award honorary degrees to
Ontario Lt.-Gov. James Bartleman,
former German Constitutional Court President Jutta Limbach,
Canadian author Guy Vanderhaeghe
TORONTO, November 3 , 2003 -- York University will confer honorary degrees on Ontario Lt.-Gov. James Bartleman, former German Constitutional Court President Jutta Limbach and Canadian author Guy Vanderhaeghe, during its fall convocation ceremonies, Friday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. 8.
"Convocation recognizes and celebrates the remarkable achievements of both our newest graduates and our honorary degree recipients who have had a profound impact in fields ranging from exemplary foreign service, to award-winning fiction, to ground-breaking work in social justice and the law," said York University President and Vice-Chancellor Lorna R. Marsden. Their tenaciousness in defining success on their own terms makes them ideal role models for our students."
York’s fall convocation ceremonies also mark the departure of its chancellor, Avie Bennett, who will preside over his last convocation after two three-year terms. Reflects Bennett, “It has been my privilege to be part of a remarkable period of growth and transformation on York’s campus. This is evident not only in new state-of-the-art buildings but in the students themselves. York students, who reflect Toronto’s ethnic diversity, are often the first in their families to go to university and will have an influence for generations to come.”
Ceremonies will take place in the Tait McKenzie Main Auditorium, York University Keele campus, 4700 Keele St. A description of each honorary degree recipient follows in order of ceremony.
Guy Vanderhaeghe,
(D.Litt, Friday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m.)
Born
in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, in 1951, Guy Vanderhaeghe is an award-winning
author and playwright. He is the author of four novels, My Present Age
(1984), Homesick (1989), The Englishman’s Boy (1996) and
The Last Crossing (2002). The Englishman’s Boy was winner of the
Governor General’s Award for Fiction, a finalist for The Giller Prize and
the prestigious International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. He is also the
author of three collections of short stories, Man Descending (1982),
winner of the Governor’s General’s Award and the Faber Prize in the U.K.,
and The Trouble With Heroes (1983), and Things As They Are?
(1992).
Jutta Limbach,
(LLD, Friday, Nov. 7, 2:30 p.m.)
An
eminent legal scholar, distinguished jurist, and cultural leader, Dr. Jutta
Limbach is president of the German Goethe-Institut and former Chief Justice
of the German Supreme Court (the first woman to hold this post). Limbach is
recognized as an expert on human and civil rights as well as German culture.
During her long career as a ground-breaking lawmaker, she became one of the
most influential women in the European legal system. As president of the
Goethe-Institut, Limbach is active in the promotion of intercultural and
international understanding.
James Bartleman
(LLD, Saturday, Nov. 8, 10:30 a.m.)
Since
taking office in March 2002, Ontario’s 27th Lieutenant Governor has focused
on three priorities: encouraging aboriginal communities, especially young
people; speaking out to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness;
and supporting initiatives that fight racism and discrimination. The Hon.
James K. Bartleman has received the Hugh Lafave Award (2003) for his
advocacy of mental health, and the National Aboriginal Achievement Award
(1999) for public service. He is also the author of the award-winning Out
of Muskoka (Penumbra Press, 2002), a memoir of his early life. Mr
Bartleman previously served as Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister,
High Commissioner to Australia and South Africa, and Ambassador to the
European Union, Israel, and Cuba.
York University’s fall convocation ceremonies will be streamed live over the Internet at: http://www.studentaffairs.yorku.ca/convo/convolive.htm. Approximately 2000 graduate and undergraduate students will graduate during the ceremonies, joining York's more than 170,000 alumni.
York University offers a world-class, modern academic experience in Toronto, Canada's most international city. York is at the centre of innovation, with a thriving community of faculty, students, staff and alumni who challenge the ordinary and deliver the unexpected. York faculty members are internationally recognized for their pioneering research and leadership in teaching. York is the third largest university in Canada with over 47,000 students in 10 faculties, 21 research centres, and more than 170,000 alumni. York's groundbreaking approach to research is interdisciplinary and collaborative, cutting across traditional academic boundaries to bring fresh insights and solutions to real world challenges. Working together, we redefine the possible.
