Commencement Honors
Dear Senior,
In addition to the information included in the accompanying letter about Commencement, I want to inform you about activities that are just for undergraduates (seniors).
Senior Speaker
Each Commencement features a speech by a graduating senior (someone receiving a bachelor's degree) who represents ALL students who are graduating. Graduating seniors may nominate ONE (and only ONE) graduating senior or themselves for this special role. The nominee should be someone you think reflects well on Dominican, the class, and you. The person should be able to speak and articulate ideas well.
Please submit the name of your nominee no later than noon on Friday, March 7, 2008 to me in the Student Life Office in the Anne Hathaway Building on central campus or email it to me at kennedy@dominican.edu. I will reply to your email so you will know that I have received your nomination.
The nominees will be invited to deliver a five to seven minute speech, similar to the one they would deliver at Commencement, to a selection committee made up of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and trustees. This speech is given on one day about three or four weeks prior to Commencement. The committee listens to all of the speeches and selects the student who will speak at Commencement. The student selected then chooses a faculty or staff member with whom to work on the speech before delivering it on graduation day.
Outstanding Student Award
Each year at Commencement a graduating senior receives the Outstanding Student Award. Graduating seniors, faculty, and staff may nominate a student for this award. Nominations MUST include the reasons why you believe your nominee deserves the award.
Requirements
- Students must receive TWO letters of nomination from two different sources, one of whom should be a faculty member, in order to make the list of nominees.
Students should not ask faculty members to nominate them. Faculty do a very good job of coming up with nominees, and it is not appropriate to place a faculty member under pressure (even polite pressure) for a nomination. After the nominees are announced, ALL students, faculty, and staff may write letters of support for the nominee of their choosing.
- Nominees who wish to be considered for the award submit a resume and written responses to several questions.
About a week prior to graduation, a selection committee of faculty, staff, and students will read the letters of support and other information supplied by the nominees and will identify three finalists to interview. Interviews usually occur the Wednesday or Thursday before Commencement. The committee determines which finalist will receive the Outstanding Student Award.
Eligiblity
- The graduating senior must have have applied to participate in the May 2008 Commencement
- Have a grade point of at least 3.4
The Registrar’s Office must verify that the student is likely to graduate. A list of students who have applied to graduate and meet the GPA criteria accompanies this letter. That list also will be posted on the bulletin board across from Guzman 100. Additional names are likely to be posted to that list. If you believe your name should be on this list and it isn’t, please consult with the Registrar’s Office. Ask to speak with Simona.
What is an Outstanding Student?
The nominee must excel in three areas: leadership, service, and creativity. As a LEADER, the nominee must be someone who improves campus and/or community life through the inspiration of and motivation of others. The selection committee usually looks for evidence that the student has participated in a significant way in student government or in campus or community activities, clubs, or organizations. The committee may be interested in learning how the nominee sees him/herself as a leader.
The outstanding student also must be known for SERVICE. The efforts of the outstanding student should result in improved campus/community morale. The student selected will probably be "generous of self," as evidenced, perhaps, in outreach or volunteer activities. The selection committee will look for evidence of how the student has served others. The outstanding student also exhibits some degree of CREATIVITY, as evidenced in the expression of ideas in activities such as drama, music, art, writings, or in responding to the demands and issues of daily life in a "creative" manner.
Submitting Nominations
Please submit your nomination for the Outstanding Student Award to John Kennedy, in the Student Life Office in the Anne Hathaway Building by noon on Friday, March 7. You may email the nomination at kennedy@dominican.edu. Nominations and letters of support will be shared with the selection committee.
Remember to list the reasons why your nominee deserves the award and how she/he provides service to campus/community, is a leader, and is creative.
Veritas Cup
The graduating seniors award the Veritas Cup to a student who is "a friend of the class" or someone who has been very supportive of the Class of 2008 in a general way. Frequently, the seniors make the award to someone who has worked hard for the class, or who has been a community leader, or who has been inspirational. The award is difficult to define more specifically; suffice it to say that it's an award that "comes from the heart."
Voting
Seniors vote on the award online, via a zoomerang survey, after the list of nominees is made known. The award will be made at the honors program on Friday, April 25. Students nominated for the award are expected to attend that program.
Nominations
Submit nominations to John Kennedy by noon on Friday, March 7 either in the Student Development Office or by email at kennedy@dominican.edu.
That's the information about three of the special recognitions made at Commencement activities. Please participate in nominating a graduating senior for these honors.
Sincerely,
John Kennedy
Vice President for Student Life
