Winter 2025 Nomination Form for Graduate School Citations for Academic Excellence

The Graduate School Citations for Academic Excellence

The Graduate School Citations for Academic Excellence were created to recognize outstanding academic achievement of graduate students. Awards are given to students who have completed their program or are graduating in the current semester. Graduate students are nominated for these awards by their major advisors, the graduate program director, the departmental chair or school director, and/or other faculty and staff engaged in graduate education that are familiar with the individual student's accomplishments in the specific areas noted. Each recipient is granted a certificate of recognition and a graduate honors cord.

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Nomination Form

  • For each nominee, the nomination should be comprised of at least one letter of support (at least 150 words) from a faculty member in the program and a letter of support from the graduate program director or coordinator. Nominations for Outstanding Thesis, Dissertation, Final Project, and Publication Awards must also include a copy of the student’s abstract.
  • Students may be nominated for more than one award, if eligible. However, multiple students cannot be nominated in the same category. For example, Mary Jones can be nominated for Outstanding Thesis AND Service to GVSU, but Mary Jones, Jane Doe, and John Smith cannot all be nominated for the same award (e.g., Excellence in the Degree Program). Awards will be made to nominees who rise to the level of excellence by which GVSU wishes to be known.

NOMINATIONS DUE MARCH 24, 2025

Eligibility:

Students graduating in Winter 2025 or Spring/Summer 2025 are eligible for nomination. 

Please visit The Graduate School website or below for the nomination guidelines for each recognition area.

Graduate Student Contact Information


Is this nomination for a group of students *

Faculty Nominator Contact Information

Graduate Program Director Contact Information

Recognition Areas

 

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN A DEGREE PROGRAM AWARD

Nominees must demonstrate academic excellence in all regards of graduate study (grade point average, outstanding performance in coursework, academic skills that exceed the average in terms of written assignments, projects, service, or leadership). Faculty should only nominate a student whom all agree is outstanding.

OUTSTANDING DOCTORAL DISSERTATION AWARD

Nominees must have successfully completed the defense of their dissertation. Student work must be of publishable quality, or of research on a topic of exceptional significance to the profession or discipline. Final manuscripts are expected to demonstrate excellence in design, analysis, and discussion, and should stand above the work of all other students in the given semester.

OUTSTANDING MASTER'S THESIS AWARD

Nominees must have successfully completed the defense of their thesis. Student work must be of publishable quality, or of research on a topic of exceptional significance to the profession or discipline. Final manuscripts are expected to demonstrate excellence in design, analysis, and discussion, and should stand above the work of all other students in the given semester.

OUTSTANDING FINAL PROJECT AWARD

Nominees must have completed a project that has demonstrated excellence in its conception, merit, significance, and in its presentation (written or otherwise).

OUTSTANDING PUBLICATION AWARD

Nominees work have been published or accepted for publication in a professional journal. The student shall serve as a primary author. The publication may be an article or other product appropriate to the profession or discipline (e.g., case study, protocol, literature review, technical report, etc.).

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY OR PROFESSION

Nominees should have demonstrated outstanding service and leadership to the community and profession (beyond the GVSU campus). Any faculty or staff member who has observed this student's performance may lend their support to the nomination. Letters should address the ways in which the student's service has benefited the community and/or the profession.

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE TO GVSU

Nominees should have displayed active leadership and service at GVSU. Nominations may be supported by any faculty or staff member who has had the opportunity to observe and evaluate the student's leadership. Letters should address ways in which the student's leadership and service have impacted the university.

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PROMOTING INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY AT GVSU

Nominees should have displayed active promotion of inclusion and diversity at Grand Valley State University, as well as embodied the spirit of inclusion within the campus community. Nominations may be supported by any faculty or staff member who has observed the student's promotion of inclusion and diversity at GVSU. Letters should address ways in which the student's actions have impacted the university in terms of inclusion and diversity.

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABILITY

Nominees should have demonstrated outstanding leadership and innovative thinking in the community by implementing sustainable best practices. Any faculty or staff member who has observed this student's performance may lend their support to the nomination. Letters should address the ways in which the student has given life to a sustainability initiative in one or more aspects of the triple bottom line in sustainability (economic, social, or environmental).

 

Please contact Trista Shumway at shumwayt@gvsu.edu or 616-331-2675 for any questions.

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