A “beloved member’ of one Vermont community has been given an honorary degree that puts him in a class all by himself: A doctorate in litter-ature. The recipient of the degree is Max, a housecat that’s been visiting Vermont State University for four years. “He just started hanging out with the college students, and they love him,” says owner Ashley Dow, who lives near the campus. Max even tours the university with prospective students, she adds. “I don’t even know how he knows to go, but he does,” Dow says. “And then he’ll follow them on their tour.” Although the rest of the students will be graduating on Saturday, Max won’t be part of the festivities, school administrators say. He’ll receive his degree at a later date, they say. Considering they’re given to animals, are honorary degrees worth anything?