CAS Student of the Year

CAS  will recognize and present awards to our most outstanding undergraduate and graduate students for the College of Arts and Sciences Student of the Year (CAS SoTY) to students who demonstrate outstanding collegiality and commitment to the mission and guiding principles of FGCU's College of Arts & Sciences. These awards include:

• Undergraduate Student of the Year: Awarded to an undergraduate student who is in academic good standing, has completed a minimum of 12 credits in the College of Arts & Sciences and is registered for, and successfully completing, at least nine (9) credits in both the fall and spring semesters during the academic year in which the award is given. For example, for the award given in the spring, they must have taken at least nine (9) credits during the fall, and at least nine (9) credits during the current spring term.
• Graduate Student of the Year: Awarded to a graduate student who is in academic good standing, has completed a minimum of 9 credits in the College of Arts & Sciences and is registered for, and successfully completing, at least one (1) credit in both the fall and spring semesters during the academic year in which the award is given. For example, for the award given in the spring, they must have taken at least one (1) credit during the fall, and at least one (1) credit during the current spring term.

Criteria: Nominations should be reserved for students who clearly demonstrate outstanding excellence in leadership, scholarship, and service to the FGCU College of Arts & Sciences and to the broader community.

Nominations: Nominations must be submitted through the following online form. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, care of Menaka Navaratna. Nominations should be made by individuals with direct knowledge of the nominee's qualifications and achievements. This may include students, peers, administrators, staff, or community members. Students may not solicit nominations, nor may they nominate themselves. Nominators may submit only one nomination per award. 

Nomination Form

Selection Committee: The College of Arts & Sciences Student Affairs Committee will review all CAS Student of the Year submissions and select one undergraduate and one graduate awardee.

All students who accept the nomination for the College of Arts & Sciences Student of the Year Awards must prepare and upload a brief portfolio in PDF format containing materials that demonstrate their achievements. For the Graduate Student of the Year Award, the portfolio should not include any materials or activities completed while the student was an undergraduate. Any questions may be directed to the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Menaka Navaratna. By accepting the nomination, students authorize the committee members to access their portfolio.

The PDF portfolio should contain the following:

1. A statement (no more than 2 pages in length) from the student that supports his/her nomination. This statement demonstrates the achievements of the student. The statement has to be divided into following sections.

   1. 1. 1. Leadership
         2. Scholarship
         3. Service
            1. 1. University Community
               2. Local Community
               3. Global Community

2. A minimum of one letter of reference from a faculty member in the student's major who supports and can describe to the SoTY committee how this student's efforts, projects, presentations, or other output in their major exemplifies the qualities of a student in this program.
3. A reference contact (including name, title, email address, and phone numbers) from a person who has direct evidence of the student's commitment to service.
4. Evidence (letters, articles, web pages, videos, collages, etc.) as to the achievements of the student in the categories of leadership, scholarship and service.

Upload The Portfolio

Please note that the portfolio file size must be under 10MB. If your file is larger, kindly use an online tool to compress it. If you continue to experience difficulties uploading the portfolio, please email both a completed Cover Page and the PDF portfolio to Menaka Navaratna (mnavarat@fgcu.edu) before the deadline.

Students must show evidence of achievement in the categories of leadership, scholarship and service may include (but is not limited to):

Leadership

• Evidence that the candidate upholds the standards of the university
• Evidence of initiative
• Evidence of significant participation in organizations
• Evidence of time management skills
• Evidence of honor and integrity
• Evidence of respect for peers
• Evidence of leadership within the student's program or college

Scholarship

• Academic honors
• Letters from faculty
• Evidence of the spirit of intellectual curiosity in the learning environment
• Enthusiasm for learning
• Conference participation
• Conference attendance
• Class projects
• Submissions to journals, including Aquila or others within the broader university community.
• Submissions/presentations/performances/etc. in more discipline-specific contexts

Service

• University Community
  • Student Government
  • Eagle News
  • Greek Letter Organizations
  • Participation in student organizations
  • Participation with University Services
  • Peer tutoring
  • College organizations
  • Department organizations
• Local Community
  • Fund raising opportunities
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Red Cross
  • March of Dimes
  • Walkathons
  • Homeless shelters
  • Activities at area schools (K-12)
  • Local service learning opportunities
• Global Community
  • Participation in environmental issues
  • Participation in the global learning community (i.e. web pages)
  • Study Abroad Experiences
  • International Service Learning Opportunities