Each year, the Center for Student Engagement (CSE) strives to honor student organizations and student leaders who have made a significant impact on the Volunteer community over the last academic year. CSE works to honor students and student organizations who embody the Volunteer spirit and make Rocky Top home sweet home for so many.
2024-2025 Student Engagement Awards Ceremony:
Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 4:30 p.m.
Location: Student Union Ballroom
RSVP Information:
Individuals and organizations can RSVP on Vol Connect.
Faculty, Staff, or Community Nominators can RSVP via events.
RSVP Deadline: Please RSVP by April 17, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
Nomination Form Link
Submit your nominations easily by clicking the Nomination Form.
Student Engagement Award Categories and Descriptions
Awards for Student Organizations
All registered student organizations with the Center for Student Engagement are eligible for each award listed below, unless indicated in the award description.
Eligibility: Registered student organization
Description: The award honors student organization excellence in creating communities in which all students feel like they matter and belong with the university community and beyond. The award will be given to a registered student organization dedicated to providing a variety of programming and efforts for students to have the opportunity to find belonging on campus.
Eligibility: Registered student organization
Description: The award honors excellence in the development and implementation of an original program. Programs will be evaluated on their contributions to campus life and student development. Programs may also demonstrate new ideas, methods or programs that resulted in improved educational activities or services for the campus community. Both new and revamped programs are eligible for this award.
Both new and revamped programs are eligible for this award.
Eligibility: Registered student organization newly registered with the CSE during current academic year
Description: The new student organization will have demonstrated promise in recruitment, retention, creativity, and teamwork. The organization has made a positive impact on the campus and community in their first year on campus and fulfilled its mission. This honors an organization for developing and implementing improvements in the quality of student life.
Eligibility: Registered student organization with a focus or connection to an academic department; includes honor societies for a specific academic discipline.
Description: The award honors a registered student organization whose primary purpose is to provide an opportunity for engagement of students within an academic discipline, major, or career focus.
The award honors excellence in creating engagement opportunities within an academic discipline, major, or focus. Engagement opportunities may include, but are not limited to, mentoring programs, professional development, or research. Honor societies for a specific academic discipline are eligible for the award.
Eligibility: Staff or faculty advisor to a registered student organization
Description: The award is designed to honor and recognize a faculty or staff member who serves as an advisor to a registered student organization. The award will recognize an individual for their service, dedication, mentorship, compassion, consistency, and wisdom. Priority is given to nominees who serve as an advisor in a voluntary role and not as part of their role within the university.
Eligibility: Registered student organization
Description: This award recognizes a large organization, small organization, and a student organization serving graduate/professional students. Each organization recognized by this award has fulfilled its mission, involved the campus in its purpose, maintains a leadership role on campus, is involved in the campus community, is intentionally inclusive, has the ability to accept and overcome challenges, and sustain itself in creative ways.
- Large Organization (50+ Members)
- Eligibility: Registered student organizations with 50 or more active members
- Small Organization (Less than 49 Members)
- Eligibility: Registered student organizations with 49 or fewer active members
- Graduate Student Organization
- Eligibility: Registered student organization predominantly serving graduate students
Eligibility: Registered student organization
Description: Recognizes a large, small, new, or graduate/professional student organization that has not only fulfilled its mission and involved the campus and community in its purpose, but has additionally gone above and beyond to develop and implement improvements in the quality of student life.
- Large Organization (50+ Members)
- Eligibility: Registered student organizations with 50 or more active members
- Small Organization (Less than 49 Members)
- Eligibility: Registered student organizations with 49 or fewer active members
- New Organization
- Eligibility: Registered student organization newly registered with the CSE during the current academic year
- Graduate Student Organization
- Eligibility: Registered student organization predominantly serving graduate students
This award honors an organization that understands and showcases campus partnership, student organization collaboration, and resource utilization to not only enhance the organization, but champion the Volunteer experience.
Awards for Students and Student Organization Leaders
All current students (undergraduate or graduate) and student organization leaders at the University of Tennessee are eligible for each award listed below, unless indicated in the award description. Nominated student organizations leaders should be in good academic and conduct standing with the university.
Description: The award recognizes a current student organization leader for their service, commitment, and contributions to their student organization and the University of Tennessee community. Emphasis should be placed on how well the organization leader has grown and developed as a result of being involved with the student organization.
Eligibility: Undergraduate student in their first or second year at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (can include a transfer student who is in their first or second year at UTK)
Description: The award recognizes a student leaders who has shown tremendous dedication, involvement, and has begun making noteworthy contributions to a student organization or the university community during their short time at the institution. Nominees should be respected by their peers and should demonstrate strong leadership potential.
Eligibility: Graduate or professional student organization leader
Description: The award recognizes graduate and/or professional students for their service, commitment, outstanding contributions to student life at the University of Tennessee. Additionally, the award recognizes the graduate/professional student who has combined academic achievement and commitment combined with leadership and engagement in the university community. Preference is given to nominated graduate/professional students who are involved in a registered student organization.
Description: The award honors a member of an executive board of a registered student organization who has gone above and beyond to enhance the purpose of their organization. Whether through acquiring new skills, membership engagement, leadership development, cross-campus collaboration, and relationship building; the executive board member should have a strong commitment to the student organization.
Description: The award recognizes a student who has positively influenced a student organization from behind the scenes and with a positive attitude, a willingness to help, and a commitment to excellence.
Description: The award honors a student who takes pride in the work they do and spends time encouraging and caring for others. Leaders encourage the heart by infusing hope, care, and determination into hard work and recognize their peers with high praise.