SELECTION PROCESS
The awards and selection committee will be comprised of at least six (6) members of the board. This committee is responsible for the awards selections including, but not limited to, the Distinguished Alumni Award for Career Achievement, the Volunteer Excellence Award, the Young Alumni Leadership Award, the Saluki Spirit Award, the Diversity and Inclusion Award, and the Innovative Program of the Year Award. Their duties include reviewing the awards criteria, reviewing nominee information and selecting award recipients.
This Committee will select recipients for the following awards:
The Distinguished Alumni Award
The Volunteer Excellence Award
The Diversity and Inclusion Award
The Young Alumni Leadership Award
The Saluki Spirit Award
The Innovation Program/Event Award
SELECTION CRITERIA
For each award, only one SIUC alumnus/a will be recognized on an annual basis. Alumni are graduates and former students of the University. Former students are those who have successfully completed one full-time quarter or semester of academic course work. Decisions based on ties, etc. during the selection process, will be made by the chairperson of the SIU Distinguished Alumni Award Committee.
General criteria for a suitable nominee:
- Selections are to reflect the diverse composition of the worldwide SIUC alumni body and will include alumni who have foremost, brought honor to Southern Illinois University while meeting the criteria of the individual award. These individuals will have displayed character and utmost dignity in pursuit of their aspirations, and in turn, have earned the respect of their peers. This includes alumni with local, national, and international accomplishments.
Nominees must meet specific criteria for the award for which they are nominated:
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Distinguished Alumni Award — The Distinguished Alumni Award will recognize the accomplishments of a Southern Illinois University alumni whose exceptional achievements in their profession, vocation, or community have had a profound and lasting impact.
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Volunteer Excellence Award — The Volunteer Excellence Award will recognize an alumnus who has enriched Southern Illinois University-Carbondale through their volunteer efforts.
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Diversity and Inclusion Award — The Diversity and Inclusion Award will recognize an individual who has demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to causes of social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion and who exemplify and enrich SIU’s values of community, diversity, respect and social responsibility in their broader community and/or organization.
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Young Alumni Leadership Award — The Young Alumni Leadership Award will recognize the accomplishments of recent graduates.
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Saluki Spirit Award — The Saluki Spirit Award will recognize individuals for their outstanding enthusiasm, loyalty, pride and spirit in support of Southern Illinois University.
- Innovation Program/Event Award — The Innovation Program/Event Award honors an event or initiative that developed or strengthened relationships between alumni and the university, attracted new audiences to engage with SIU, and/or utilized creative and unique methods to advance the goals of a group or department. Qualifying programs should also be able to demonstrate a return on investment, positive feedback, or insightful lessons learned in the process.
OTHER SPECIFICATIONS
1. Any graduate or former student of Southern Illinois University Carbondale is eligible with the exception of current Association board members and employees. Former students are those who have successfully completed one full-time quarter or semester of academic course work.
2. Any person can nominate a candidate for an award with the exception of self-nomination.
3. All inductees strongly encouraged to personally attend the induction events. Recipients will also be encouraged to network with students and participate in classroom discussions.
4. Posthumous awards can be made to honor the contributions and achievements of alumni.
5. A framed photo of the alumnus/a, their major and graduation year, and career biography, will be mounted on the SIU Distinguished Alumni Wall in the Alumni Lounge of the Student Recreation Center.
6. Official nomination forms can be found on the Association’s website. If necessary, the form may be printed and sent to the SIU Alumni Association Office, Woody Hall, to the attention of Director of Constituent and College Relations.
7. Only those nominations following the nomination protocol and format will be considered.
8. Nominees will remain on the list for a maximum of three (3) years before being removed. However, they can be re-nominated.
NOMINATOR GUIDELINES
This document has been prepared to provide basic guidelines to assist you in completing a nomination form for the Alumni Association Awards.
The nomination process consists of an online form containing a nomination statement of no more than two (2), 8 ½” x 11” pages. No more than two (2), one-page letters of support will be accepted in the online form as attached documents. A maximum of five (5) pages may be submitted to the committee. Vitae and resume may be submitted but will count toward the max number of pages. This will allow the committee to focus on the most important aspects of the nominations.
Quality of Nomination:
As a nominator, you obviously believe that your candidate is worthy to receive an award. Therefore, it is up to you, through the quality of your nomination materials, to assist the nomination committee in viewing the achievements of your candidate as you do.
The importance of the quality of the nomination itself cannot be overemphasized. The nomination and supporting documents should be as complete and concise as possible to convey your candidate’s achievements. Keep in mind that those involved in the selection process may have no personal knowledge of the candidate and will rely on the documentation for the information they need to make reasonable judgments.
The following will assist in preparation of the nomination:
1. Nominee information: Provide complete name of candidate. Provide employment and home address information as accurately as possible, particularly an email address.
2. Other professional accomplishments: Include service to the University, professional honors and awards, public service (local, national, and world-wide), and volunteer activities.
3. Significant contributions and achievements: Describe the candidate’s outstanding contributions and achievements in detail, within the space provided. The nominator must include information about the contributions/achievements in the areas considered for each award.
For more information or questions, please contact Cathie Mieldezis at cathiem@alumni.siu.edu or (618) 453-2408.