Outstanding Achievement Award

This award may be conferred only on graduates, or former students of the University, who have attained unusual distinction in their chosen fields or professions or in public service, and who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and leadership on a community, state, national, or international level. The candidate's education at the University should represent a significant portion of his or her total postsecondary education. Nominees cannot be a current member of faculty or staff, or a sitting Regent, but retirees are eligible. Outstanding Achievement Awards are not awarded to encourage or reward financial contributions to the University.

Nomination Deadlines for 2012-13

August 22, 2012
October 17, 2012
November 14, 2012
January 16, 2013
March 13, 2013
April 10, 2013

It is recommended you allow at least six months from the time you begin the process to the time the award is presented.

Nominator

Must be a current member of the faculty or staff or an alumnus or alumna of the University.

Nominations must be submitted in the following format:

• Letter from Nominator: should focus on personal knowledge of the nominee's career accomplishments (one-page is acceptable).

• Letter from Dean or Chancellor: demonstrating support for the nomination.
• Supporting Letters: no more than 3 from the nominee's peers in and outside the University; again, these should focus on personal knowledge as above. These are in addition to the letter from the nominator and the letter from the dean or chancellor. Include current contact information for letter writers.

• Nomination Summary: 50 words or less, restricted to outlining the nominee's accomplishments, excluding degrees and appointments (see sample citations).
• Outstanding Accomplishments: one-page summary highlighting the individual's accomplishments.
• Biographical Information: not to exceed 5 pages and to include current address and telephone/fax number, date and place of birth, education (graduate or attended classes), current job title or last job title before retirement.
• Selected Publications: not to exceed 5 pages.
• Number of Copies: 30 of each item, collated, stapled and clipped (no binders or folders).
• Submit To: the honors committee of the appropriate college/unit, if one exists. The college/unit honors committee forwards its recommendation to the Senate All-University Honors Committee. If a college/unit does not have an honors committee, the nomination should be submitted directly to the Senate All-University Honors Committee, c/o Vickie Courtney, University Senate Office, 427 Morrill Hall, 100 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455.

Confidentiality

This process is confidential. No disclosure is to be made to the nominee or others. A nomination approved by the Senate All-University Honors Committee is submitted to the President and, finally, to the Board of Regents for approval. Once the Board of Regents has made a decision and the nominee has accepted, the award is no longer confidential. Nominators should make sure that others involved are aware that the nomination process is confidential.

Additional Information

Persons writing letters of nomination should know that their letters will be legally available to the nominee upon request, even to an unsuccessful candidate who becomes aware of the nomination. Nominators should also make sure that writers of supporting letters are aware that their letters, too, will be available on request.

The Senate All-University Honors Committee may reject a nomination either for lack of merit or for lack of adequate documentation. In the latter case, the nomination may be revised and re-submitted.

In general, award and citation costs are borne by University Relations, award ceremony costs by the nominating unit, and travel expenses by the awardee. Units sponsoring Outstanding Achievement Awards are encouraged to provide travel support when funds are available.

If you have any questions about the nominating process, please contact Vickie Courtney, director, University Senate Office and University Awards and Honors, at 612-625-4805 or courtney@umn.edu.

For additional information about this award go to: http://www1.umn.edu/usenate/alluhonors/handbook.html - under construction