Backlash toward the University of Alberta is escalating, with donors pulling funding and rallies being planned, but the school's president says he won't compromise academic independence by reversing a decision to award David Suzuki an honorary degree. 'An honorary degree should unite, not divide'An industry advocacy group, Rally 4 Resources, has scheduled a protest at the university on June 7, the day Suzuki is to receive the honorary degree. "The awarding of an honorary degree should be an occasion for celebration and pride," Joseph Doucet said in a statement on the faculty's website Tuesday. "An honorary degree should unite, not divide." "If they'd like to stick to their guns and confer the honorary degree, so be it," he said.

Source: CBC News April 24, 2018 23:03 UTC