Because charitable generosity falls under the rubric of judging criteria, the awarding of the medal does not create an appearance of impropriety, as it were. However, the UCI medal is the equivalent of an honorary Ph.D., an award that, it seems, should rely on academic stature and accomplishment. This does not mean to imply that the generosity of contributors should be taken for granted or go unappreciated. The school as a whole benefits greatly from private donations and depends on them to continue on its path to collegiate excellence in many fields of study. However, perhaps a separate award or significant honor medal should be created for such contributors to clarify the university's intentions in bestowing a particular award upon those making financial donations to the school.
Academia is a land where rewards and recognition come few and far between.
The Nobel, the Pulitzer and a sprinkling of other national and international prizes are held as carrots before a realm where learning and advancement are but standard and discovery is often taken for granted. To mingle corporate sponsorship and scholarship is a travesty to the symbolic purpose of a learning institution. It robs deserving individuals of recognition for their efforts. It wrenches the carrot from reaching hands. All contents of this site are 1999-2000 by the New University Newspaper.