PURPOSE
To recognize students, staff, and faculty, as a team or individuals, for outstanding efforts to enhance diversity and inclusion in the college or university that have significantly impacted the college. The presentation of this award will highlight the importance of efforts to recognize equity, inclusion, and civil discourse as core values of the College of Agricultural Sciences and to acknowledge the importance of diversity in developing solutions that more effectively serve all of humanity.
NATURE
One cash award will be made - individuals will receive $1,000 and a team will receive $4,000. Recipients will also receive a commemorative award.
ELIGIBILITY
Nominees must be staff, faculty, or students majoring in the College of Agricultural Sciences. For this award, a team will be defined as two (2) or more people and can exist within a single administrative unit, but more frequently will cross administrative units.
The Dean, Associate Deans, Chief Operating Officer, and all other Agricultural Sciences administration personnel are not eligible to receive or contribute to the nomination for an award. Programs may be nominated for applicable awards independent of any participating Agricultural Sciences administration personnel. FSS and RSS team members whose positions primarily support a CAS unit(s) are eligible for nomination.
CRITERIA
Evaluations will be based on the following criteria:
- Leadership in inclusion efforts connected to CAS.
- Leadership in innovative approaches to inclusion and diversity enhancements.
- Signals of change or impact that may be resulting from these efforts.
- Service to the college and university related to diversity and inclusion.
- Recognition in their discipline.
- Peer recognition.
NOMINATION MATERIALS:
In addition to the base nomination materials required for all awards (one (1) paragraph bio-summary, letter of nomination, and three (3) supporting letters), nomination packets must also include:
- The nomination materials should address the criteria above.
- A professional/abbreviated resume (3 pg. max.). If submitting as a team, include one for each team member.
Complete nomination packets should be combined into one PDF document and emailed to [email protected] no later than 5:00 pm on April 9, 2026. Corrections or updates to nomination packets will not be accepted after the nomination deadline.
SPONSORS
This award is sponsored through the Dean’s Excellence Fund.