Colby College To Rescind Cosby’s Honorary Degree

Colby College will rescind an honorary degree bestowed upon Bill Cosby in 1992.

The Maine college is the latest of several educational institutions that have decided to take back the degrees given to Cosby over his long career. The actor/comedian was convicted last week on three counts of sexual assault, after dozens of women accused him of giving them drugs before assaulting them, over his long career. Cosby is currently awaiting sentencing, while confined to his home. The 80-year-old faces up to 10 years in prison for each count.

A statement on the Colby College website states:

Following Bill Cosby's conviction last week on multiple counts of sexual assault, the Colby College Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to rescind the honorary degree he received in 1992. Colby will also convene a group of students, faculty, staff, and trustees to review its policies regarding rescission of honorary degrees.

While rescinding this honorary degree is an important statement about Colby's values, the College is committed to strengthening its systems, policies, programs, and culture toward the goal of eliminating sexual violence in its community.

Other universities who have decided to strip Cosby of his honorary degrees include Hopkins, Notre Dame, and Yale, among others, according to an article in Forbes. The move is the first time Yale has rescinded an honorary degree in more than 300 years.