NASPA IV-West Award Nominations Now Open

It’s that time of year again when you get the opportunity to recognize the hard work and impact of your colleagues. Each year NASPA recognizes members who are doing outstanding work in their field with awards presented at the regional conference. The available awards are as diverse as our region, and include individual awards as well awards that recognize programmatic efforts. We recognize that in these uncertain times, you are feeling pulled in many directions and unsure of what the future may hold. But, awarding great work should never be put on hold – nominate a deserving colleague today! On average our region receives over 100 nominations for these awards, so how can you make sure your nominee stands out in the crowd? Below we have highlighted 5 tips and tricks to help you put your nominee’s best foot forward!

1. Review the nomination criteria! This should be pretty self-explanatory, but read through the nomination criteria and think about an individual, team, or group that deserves the honor and recognition.
2. Speak to the award criteria. Make sure you speak to how your nominee has met or excelled at the award criteria, just as you would tailor your cover letter to match the responsibilities of a job posting!
3. Help the reviewing committee SEE your nominee! Be detailed while being clear and concise. The reviewing committee is relying on your words to see the nominee’s attributes, contributions, and impact, so make every sentence count. Also, they may not know your nominee and their job duties, so try to avoid specific jargon or lingo.
4. Don’t just say your nominee is outstanding. Prove it! Give specific examples and avoid sweeping generalities such as: “She is a hard worker…”. Speak to the nominee’s accomplishments, their service as a mentor or role model, or how a particular project or initiative impacted their organization. What was above and beyond in your eyes? Are others willing to give testimonials?
5. Proofread! Proofread for a few reasons. Obviously for grammatical errors or typos, as these can detract from the quality of the nomination. Secondly, make sure you are touching on all parts of the criteria throughout to help make the argument that your nominee is the best choice. Have a friend or co-worker review it and provide feedback.

To see a full listing of the awards along with their descriptions and criteria, check out our Region IVW Awards webpage HERE. 

 

Nominations will be accepted through Friday, June 19, 2020, and can be submitted at this LINK. Please note as you complete the nomination form that there are two separate areas for nominations: Individual Awards and Program Awards. Be sure to review the criteria required for each section, and provide the information as needed. Only one award can be selected per submission.

 

Don’t let the hard work of your NASPA IV-W colleagues go unnoticed. Consider nominating them today!

Questions regarding the awards process can be directed to:
Abby Coffin

NASPA Region IV-West Awards Coordinator
[email protected]