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All awards, honours, honorary titles, distinctions, and recognitions conferred or administered by the Department of Honorary Awards of Chicago Open University (COU) are intended solely to acknowledge professional accomplishments, leadership, service, contributions to society, or other meritorious achievements, as applicable. Unless expressly stated otherwise and independently established under applicable law, such recognitions are honorary and non-academic in nature.

Such awards and recognitions do not constitute earned academic degrees, diplomas, academic credits, professional qualifications, licences, certifications of competency, or statutory credentials. They must not be represented or construed as equivalent to any recognised academic qualification or as independently establishing eligibility for admission, academic credit, recruitment, appointment, promotion, licensing, registration, or employment in academic, governmental, regulated, or other professional positions where specific qualifications or approvals are required.

Recipients are advised to list these recognitions under “Awards & Accolades,” “Honours,” or a similarly appropriate section of their CVs, résumés, biographies, portfolios, and professional profiles, and not under “Educational Qualifications,” “Academic Degrees,” or equivalent headings.

The conferment or receipt of any such recognition does not, by itself, establish that COU or the relevant award is recognised, accredited, approved, or endorsed by any government, statutory body, accreditation agency, professional regulator, university, or other competent authority. Any claim of such recognition or approval must be independently verified with the relevant authority.

Recipients are responsible for describing and using their awards and titles accurately and in accordance with applicable laws, regulatory requirements, recruitment criteria, and the policies of relevant institutions or employers. No recipient should use an honorary designation in a manner that misrepresents their academic credentials, professional status, or legal entitlement to practise a regulated profession.

This disclaimer applies generally to awards and recognitions administered by the Department of Honorary Awards, subject to the specific terms of each award and applicable law.