Two awards have been established at Elon to expand experiential learning opportunities for students and to recognize outstanding mentoring by a faculty or staff member. Application and nomination deadlines for both awards are approaching soon. Read this note for details…
The awards were made possible following a generous gift from the Ward family of Baltimore, including Tom and Beth Ward, their sons, A.T. ’05, Christopher ’08 and Chase, and Tom Ward’s mother, Dorothy Mears Ward.
The Ward Family Learning in Action Award
This award will be presented annually to a rising sophomore, junior or senior to support an experiential learning project.
The projects may include, but are not limited to, international study, undergraduate research, internships, service or leadership experiences. Student recipients must be in good academic and social standing. Demonstrated financial need is not a requirement but may be taken into account.
To Apply
Proposals will be judged on the following factors: creativity; originality; potential for academic or personal development or positive impact on others; relevance to course of study or career goals; overall presentation of proposal; and financial need.
Students must submit an essay to the Vice President for Student Life by March 15. The essay should describe the proposed project, explain its relevance to the student’s goals and make a compelling case for funding. Applications should include two letters of support from Elon faculty or staff members.
The Vice President for Student Life will appoint a selection committee composed of representatives from the faculty, Student Life, Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, Office of Financial Planning and a member of the Ward family.
The award will be presented each year at the spring Omicron Delta Kappa awards ceremony.
The Ward Family Learning in Action Award consists of a cash prize of $3,000 to support the student’s project. Each year, the previous year’s recipient will be invited to the ceremony to discuss how the award enhanced his or her education and preparation for life, and to announce the next recipient.
The Ward Family Excellence in Mentoring Award
This award will recognize one faculty or staff member who has served as a valuable mentor and trusted advisor to students in and out of the classroom.
The recipient must have demonstrated a sustained commitment to the intellectual and holistic development of students; provided information or opportunities to help students reach their academic or career goals; monitored student progress toward those goals and offered advice when needed; encouraged students to pursue meaningful academic internships, fellowships and post-graduate opportunities; and advised student programs, projects, clubs or organizations.
Application and Selection Process
Nominations should be submitted to the Office of the Provost by April 1. Nominations must include one letter that addresses the award criteria and is no longer than three pages, as well as two testimonials from students who can provide evidence of outstanding mentoring by the nominee. Student testimonials must be no longer than three pages each.
The Provost will appoint a committee composed of faculty, staff, administrators and students to review all nominations. A committee member may not be nominated for the award. To be eligible for this award, an individual cannot have received the award previously and must be a full-time employee at Elon for at least five years.
The committee will recommend the top candidate for the award to the Provost. The recipient will be announced at the spring faculty-staff celebration luncheon. The Ward Family Excellence in Mentoring Award consists of a $3,500 cash prize as well as an additional $3,500 available for three years to support faculty-student mentoring activities.