Strathclyde Uni Strips Pistorius Of Honour
Senate votes to revoke honorary degree from athlete jailed for culpable homicide
Strathclyde University has stripped Oscar Pistorius of an honorary degree, Clyde News can reveal. The athlete was jailed for five years last year for killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine's Day in 2013. His defence team said he would spend a sixth of the term in prison - 10 months - before being placed under house arrest for the remainder of his sentence. The 27-year-old was given an honorary degree from Strathclyde back in 2012. It was recognition for his outstanding sporting success and was handed out at the ceremony at the university's Barony Hall. Since his conviction Clyde News has asking the University whether or not the honour would be removed. Three months on, we received this statement: "The University of Strathclyde Senate has revoked the honorary degree awarded to Oscar Pistorius following his conviction in South Africa for culpable homicide" The university website states that honorary degrees are awarded to "recognise exceptional service and contribution to to society". It continues to say "honorary graduands are people whose work and reputation is compatible with the University’s core values: integrity, honesty and openness." "In their lives they will have demonstrated an affinity with the University’s purpose as a “Place of Useful Learning” with an ambition to make the world better educated, more prosperous, healthy, fair and secure. Through their life’s work they will be role models for our students, graduands, staff and the wider community."