[sramsay]

> That's just an honorary title

It's true that it's an honorific, but I think it has a little more teeth than you think. At the institutions I've worked at, it comes with a few perks (like faculty-level library privileges), but it also includes the ability to serve on MA/PhD committees -- which is to say, you can be part of the group of people who certify the completion of an academic degree, which is not a privilege normally extended to retired professors. I've seen it granted when someone is switching institutions, but would like to remain the major advisor for a PhD candidate.

But whatever the case, the person is absolutely "still associated with the university;" that is part of the reason they're awarded. It's an award, certainly, but it's also a way for an academic to keep their credentials and for a university to keep their association with a (sometimes famous) academic.

But yes: It can be revoked at any time. I would be surprised if this one wasn't.

[compsciphd]

huh? Maybe for "internal" committee. For my PHD defense, I had 3 internals and 2 externals and the externals could have been anyone my advisor approved of (in practice for me, I picked my committee and my advisor just rubber stamped it, perhaps because he was content with my choices)

[sramsay]

I'm talking about who can sign the forms that say you fulfilled the requirements of a degree. Random people cannot do that. Emeritus professors usually retain that ability.

I've served on PhD defenses where you had uncredentialed people on the committee, but who could not sign off on the degree.

This probably looks different to you if you're a student, because you typically don't see the paperwork that gets sent around afterward. But a diploma is a legal document. There is no "rubber stamping" of anything. Not if the school would like to maintain its accreditation.

[dagw]

externals could have been anyone my advisor approved of

Don't they at least need to have a at least somewhat relevant PhD? Where I live that is definitely the case.