The college's Board of Governors presented her with a scroll bestowing that title upon her during her last meeting as the school's head administrator on May 28.
France stepped down on May 31, after more than 35 years of employment at St. Clair, the past nine as its President.
She will be replaced by current Vice-President Academic and Registrar Michael Silvaggi.
From the Latin word "emereri", used to designate a soldier who has completed a distinguished term of duty, "emeritus" is an honorary title that is specially – and only very occasionally – granted to recognize a retiree who has provided long and exemplary service to an institution.
During the celebratory conclusion of the May 28th meeting, the Board also announced that the new Welcome Centre of the college would be named in France's honour. That is a fitting gesture, given that its construction was her chief architectural goal when she was named as the school's sixth President in 2015. When the new, 16,000-square-foot extension at the front of the college's main building is open in July, it will achieve France's long-standing goal of centralizing the half-dozen most commonly used student services – now scattered all over the campus – in a single, convenient, "one-stop-shop" location.
