Make a nomination

The K-State Alumni Association wants to help you recognize students, faculty and staff. The ultimate thank you to a K-Stater who has dedicated their time and knowledge to your organization’s goal is through recognition.

Five Tips
1. Decide if your department/organization will nominate an individual.

2. Determine how your department/organization is going to select who they will nominate.

• Everyone who is graduating
• Paid members who are graduating only
• Graduating students who have served on an executive board or commmittee in your department/organization
• An official election process within your department/organization
• Nomination box

3. Decide who will write the nomination

• A volunteer
• Faculty member
• Peer advisor or other mentor
• Committee
• Job responsibility written in an officer’s description

4. Make sure to proofread and edit your nominations

• Utilize your advisor, colleagues, or other editors
• Utilize the writing center
• Have another member of your department/organization proofread
• Continue reading below for examples of strong and weak nominations

5. Create a timeline and submit your nomination(s) before the deadline. 

Nomination Examples
This information is intended to help guide nominators in when writing the nominations for candidates for the Alumni Association Awards.

Satisfactory Nomination
What is helpful to the committee:
Point to specific examples of what the student/faculty/staff has done, such as "...worked with specific groups to bring awareness of a particular topic that resulted in…"Look for results.

Be specific. If the nominee worked on or led a team of people on a wonderful event, mention the activities or topic of the event and why it stood out.

Make the case for why this person would be a strong candidate for the award you are nominating them. The nomination should avoid the redundant information about GPA, class standing, etc. Knowing what's distinctive about the nominee (in areas relevant to the nomination) is really critical.

Give the award judges some context of how the nominator knows the nominee--school, member of organization, work, mentor, etc.--and how long the nominator has known the nominee.

Give serious indication that you know the nominee personally (when possible). For example, incidents or actions that are unique to your relationship are more credible, than writing about things that are obviously on the resume and can be repeated without verification. Comments about character from personal knowledge are also quite credible.

What is not helpful to the committee:
Do not write stats about the university ranking or generic aspects of your college, or go into depth about who you are.  The committee does not particularly care where U.S. News ranked the school or if the department/organization is award winning (unless the nominee had a hand in it). The nomination should be about the student/faculty/staff. Include information about your college, deparment or organization only when it helps the reader interprets the nominee's activities or academic record, i.e. provide relevant context.

Be honest, but cautious about criticism. Committees take it seriously. Be fair to both the nominee and to the reader.

Do not include general platitudes i.e.  the nominee is a great person and is a role model for others.

It is challenging for the committee to consider the nominee if the person writing the nomination mentions that they only briefly met the nominee but others have said nice things.

Leadership Abilities and Potential
The nominator need not have witnessed example of leadership first hand, but he or she should be able to discuss the example and how it fits within the context of the student/faculty/staff leadership.

Commitment
The nominator need not have witnessed the commitment first hand, but he or she should be able to discuss the example and how it fits within the context the student/faculty/staff commitment to  Kansas State University

Examples of Strong Nomination Answers
Please describe this nominee's leadership qualities that have contributed to making the campus and/or community better.
Willie champions diversity issues at K-State and lives by the high ideals of appreciation and inclusion each and every day.  He continually challenges others to think outside their own perspectives and to view the world through multiple lenses.  I have seen him challenge his peers to explore topics that are tough, uncomfortable, but extremely important and to carry on civic discourse while discussing these difficult subjects.  As a regular contributor to the opinions page in the Collegian, Willie's articles created opportunities for others to join in the dialogue.  What impresses me about Willie is the way he approaches these challenging topics - he has the ability to hear the voices of all the people. He is very thoughtful of others’ perspectives and is a good listener. He also understands that change is sometimes difficult, but with intentional, intellectual dialogue and attention to other people’s ways of thinking and feeling, positive results can happen.

(This answer describes characteristics this nominee has from a person who has witnessed Willie’s leadership abilities.)

Please describe any major contributions this nominee has made to K-State.
As president of Purple and White Sorority, Wilemania has spearheaded the first year of Purple and White young mentors academy for young girls.  She has enhanced the communication skills of these young women and have help them create a plan of their goals on how to prepare for college. Wilemania has been very instrumental in the lives of these young girls through consistent interaction and building meaningful relationships. 

(A specific example was shared and discussed what the nominee’s role was and the impact that they had on the participants.)

Please explain why this nominee is deserving of this award.
We have a lot of strong leaders on campus, so it is hard to decide who should be spotlighted in any given year.  Willie has accomplished a lot while here, but Willie did not walk in the door ready to lead others!  He was shy and a little uncertain of this place, but he connected himself to campus leaders and achievers and was mentored by some of our strongest Latino leaders before him.  I think that Willie would be a good choice because his leadership grew out of effort and discipline, not natural extroversion. Willie comes from a humble background and genuinely believes in helping to raise the community.  For this reason, I would like to see him awarded.  He is a shy and humble leader who believes that everyone deserves a chance at a better life.  This is his driving force, and he works to make it happen every day.  Further, I have no doubt he will continue to give back in his community beyond his college years.

Examples of Weak Nomination Answers
Please describe this nominee's leadership qualities that have contributed to making the campus and/or community better.
Willie has been an invaluable connection between international students and student government.  He has consistently and effectively worked in his role since the time of his appointment.  I believe it was through his efforts that SGA truly began listening to the international population.

(This answer was very vague and did not provide any context for the committee.  No specific example was provided to prove to the committee Willie was an invaluable connection.)

Please describe any major contributions this nominee has made to K-State.
Wilemenia has made a significant impact on not only the K-State campus community but also in the Manhattan community. She enjoys being able to share her culture and promote the understanding of cultures from all around the world.

(This answer includes very vague statements with no specific examples about how Wilemenia shared her culture and how that made an impact.)

Please explain why this nominee is deserving of this award.
Willie is a student of our College of the K-State Way majoring in providing school spirit and management. He has definitely made an impact as a student. Two of my roles in the college relate to recruitment and retention of students, and it is students like Willie that make my job more enjoyable! I am excited to share that since my time in the College our recruitment and retention of students reflect that of the overall college’s student body as shown in the chart on the following page.

I do not intend to take credit for those numbers, however, I am very pleased with the data, which reflects the commitment of students like Willie who work hard to enroll and stay at a large university such as Kansas State. There are no words to describe the feeling of seeing these (and all) students walk across the stage on the day of commencement! Willie is a student who has made himself known in our college. He has introduced himself to many individuals in our college and has invited them to support his many activities, and we have. Professors, department heads and the dean know him by name as he is a very hard worker and we all feel very proud to claim him as one of our students.

(This was a lengthy answer that was not specific about the student.)