ALL UNIVERSITY AWARDS

Each Spring, members of the SMU community are invited to nominate students (as well as faculty and staff for the "M" Award - see below) deserving of recognition for the awards noted below. The award recipients are announced at the Awards Extravaganza, held annually on the third Monday of April, and coinciding with the Honors Day Convocation.

Upcoming Dates

  • The 2014 Awards Extravaganza will be held Monday, April 14, 2014 at 7:30 PM in the Ballroom of the Hughes-Trigg Student Center.

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Click on a link below or scroll down the page for more information about:

Criteria for Awards Presented at Awards Extravaganza

In order for an award to be presented at the Awards Extravaganza (AE), it must meet the following criteria. These criteria were established in 2010 and took effect for AE 2011. All awards presented prior to 2011 (including those listed below) are grandfathered into AE without meeting these criteria:

  • Nominations must be open to a broad audience; ideally all faculty, staff and students. At a minimum, two of those groups must be able to nominate.
  • The award must be presented to a broad recipient pool; ideally students. If faculty are included, staff should be as well.
  • Requests to include new awards at AE must be received by January 1 of the year of the ceremony so that due consideration can be given, and to allow time for appropriate planning.

We recommend that staff-only awards be presented at the Staff Recognition Ceremony produced by the Staff Association.

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Criteria for Awards Eligibility

In order for an award nominee to be eligible to be a recipient at the Awards Extravaganza (AE) or the Dorothy Amann Awards (DA), they must meet the following criteria. These criteria were established in 2012 and take effect for AE/DA 2013. All award recipients prior to 2013 are grandfathered into AE/DA without meeting these criteria:

  1. At the time of nomination and presentation of the award, recipients must currently be enrolled at (AE & DA) or employed by (DA) SMU. An SMU Retiree may be nominated if they retired in the year of the ceremony (AE).
  2. Students must graduate from SMU in the calendar year in which the award is given except in the case of the Freehafer Award.
  3. Student award recipients may be undergraduate or graduate students unless specifically proscribed in individual award criteria.

Requests to adapt these criteria must be received by January 1 of the year of the ceremony so that due consideration can be given, and to allow time for appropriate planning.

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"M" Award

The "M" Award is the highest recognition bestowed upon students, faculty, staff and administrators on the SMU Campus. The recipients' efforts have been continuous during their years at the University and are not limited to a narrow vested interest. The "M" Award honorees are an inspiration to others, giving unselfishly of their time and talents in order to make the University, and indeed the world, a better place.

Past Award Winners

Criteria:

Nominee must be a student who will graduate during Spring 2013 commencement (undergraduate or graduate) or a faculty/staff member with at least 6 years of continuous employment at SMU. The "M" Award may only be received once. Previous recipients are not eligible.

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Presidential Award of Excellence - Scholar/Leader Award

The Presidential Award of Excellence - Scholar/Leader is given to an outstanding student leader who has shown qualities of leadership which have benefited the SMU community.

Criteria:

A graduating senior with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and an outstanding record of leadership at SMU is eligible for the Presidential Award of Excellence - Scholar/Leader.

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Presidential Award of Excellence - Scholar/Volunteer Award

The Presidential Award of Excellence - Scholar/Volunteer is given to an outstanding student who has volunteered his or her services to the greater Dallas community and beyond.

Criteria:

A graduating senior with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and an outstanding record of volunteerism at SMU is eligible for the Presidential Award of Excellence - Scholar/Volunteer.

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Presidential Award of Excellence - Scholar/Athlete Award

The Presidential Award of Excellence - Scholar/Athlete is given to an outstanding student athlete who has demonstrated outstanding ability on the field and in the classroom.

Criteria:

A graduating senior with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and an outstanding record on the field of play at SMU is eligible for the Presidential Award of Excellence - Scholar/Athlete.

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Umphrey Lee Award

The Umphrey Lee Award is named for the first president of the student body at SMU, who then went on to become the University's 4th President in 1939. In the spirit of the servant-leader role that defined his life, the Umphrey Lee Award is presented annually to a graduating senior who has demonstrated outstanding involvement in and contribution to the University community while a student at SMU.

Criteria:

Nominee must be an undergraduate student who will graduate in Spring 2013. The nominee, or his/her nominator, should indicate ways in which she/he has been involved and what contributions have been made to the University community while a student at SMU.

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Avella Winn Hay Award

This award is given to a graduating senior based on scholarly excellence, exemplary character, and significant contribution to the SMU community.

Criteria:

An SMU faculty or staff member must submit nomination by written letter.

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John L. Freehafer Memorial Award

Dr. and Mrs. Lytle J. Freehafer established a memorial award in 1967 in honor of their son, John L. Freehafer, a 1965 graduate of SMU, who died October 6, 1965 in the Philippines on an around-the-world tour following graduation. In establishing the award, Dr. Freehafer, former Vice President at Purdue University, asked that a committee of student leaders and university administrators who are concerned with student personnel and student life, select the students who are to receive the awards.

Criteria:

The John L. Freehafer Memorial award is given to one or more sophomore, junior or senior students who have demonstrated an interest in people, in student life, in student activities and in student government and/or who have a special interest in how people govern themselves.

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Emmie V. Baine Legacy Award

This award is given to a student who has made outstanding contributions to gender equity on campus and is in honor of our former Dean of Women and founder of the SMU Women's Center, Emmie V. Baine.

Criteria:

Nominee must be a graduating Senior. The nominee, or his/her nominator, should indicate ways in which s/he has contributed to gender equity efforts in the University community while a student at SMU.

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Leadership in Sustainability Award

This award is given to a student, faculty or staff member who has made exceptional contributions to environmental advocacy at SMU. This award serves as an important acknowledgement of those who enhance environmental quality and participation at the university.

Criteria:

One award will be given to an outstanding full-time SMU student, faculty or staff member. The nominee, or his/her nominator, should specify how the nominee has been involved with and contributed to increasing environmental awareness and action on campus.

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Faculty-Staff Volunteer of the Year Award

SMU annually honors a faculty or staff member who has demonstrated exemplary, sustained, and consistent services to the community outside the University. Nominations are reviewed by a panel of previous recipients of the award.

Criteria:

A faculty or staff member who has contributed to the community beyond SMU.

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The Office of the Dean of Student Life is a department in the Division of Student Affairs.