The Office of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement (OSLCE) is excited to announce it currently is accepting nominations for Outstanding Service-Learning and the Minnesota Campus Compact Presidents’ Awards. OSCLE annually recognizes a student, a faculty member and a community partner for their contributions to service in the community. The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, Feb. 27. Information about the application process, the selection process and criteria for each of the awards is listed below.
Service-Learning Student Award
OSLCE recognizes one student annually for development in critical awareness of the causes of and solutions to social problems. Such awareness could be demonstrated in meaningful course reflection or in a significant leadership initiative in relation to his or her work in the community. Nominations must include a supporting letter by a faculty member with whom the student studied.
The Service-Learning Student Award will be granted according to the following criteria:
- High-quality service-learning engagement
- Evidence of impact of engagement on the student and/or community partner and the clients they serve
- Dedication to social responsibility and the common good
Service-Learning Faculty Award
This award is for a faculty member for exemplary implementation of service learning. The award acknowledges the courage and commitment necessary to integrate service-learning and community engagement successfully into credit-bearing course work. By offering this award, OSLCE expresses its appreciation for faculty who foster student reflection and critical awareness of social problems that confront us. Self-nominations are accepted. Only faculty members who have designated their course(s) through the university’s service-learning designation process are eligible to receive the award.
The Service-Learning Faculty Award will be granted according to the following criteria:
- High-quality design and implementation of credit-bearing or requirement-based service learning
- Evidence of impact on students and/or community partners
- Dedication to social responsibility and the common good
Service-Learning Community Partner Award
This award recognizes one community partner for welcoming our faculty and students in its organization, and for collaborating with us to engage in meaningful civic engagement as we strive to foster greater social responsibility.
The Service-Learning Community Partner Award will be granted according to the following criteria:
- High-quality service-learning engagement
- Evidence of impact on students and/or community partners
- Dedication to social responsibility and the common good
Selection
Nominations must include a supporting letter of no more than 500 words and the nomination letter should address how the nominee has participated in the university’s service-learning program(s) within the criteria.
Members of the Service Learning Advisory Board reserve the right to determine the award recipients. The award will be presented at the community engagement recognition reception from 4-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 12. Recipients will be informed of the award prior to the meeting and are expected to be present at the reception. The Presidents’ Awards celebration will be held April 16 at St. Catherine University. Honorees from around the state are invited to attend a special awards ceremony and luncheon.
Consistent with the university’s mission statement, the awards are open to students, faculty and community partners who have embraced the university’s mission by becoming “morally responsible leaders, who think critically, act wisely and work skillfully to advance the common good.”
Deadline
To be considered for the annual award, nominations must be made by Feb. 27. Please email your nomination to servicelearn@stthomas.edu.
