Chancellor's Awards for Student Excellence
The SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence acknowledges students for outstanding achievements. While there is no minimum GPA requirement, candidates are expected to have demonstrated exceptional academic performance. We seek nominations of students who have best demonstrated the integration of SUNY excellence within many aspects of their lives, which must include three of the following areas: academics, leadership, diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, campus involvement or community service, research and development, or the arts (creative or performing).
The achievements and accomplishments listed in their nomination should reflect why they are one of the top outstanding students SUNY-wide in each of the selected three areas. Examples of achievements and accomplishments to consider may include, but are not limited to, athletics, advocacy, military service, student government, teaching and service positions, involvement in clubs and organizations, volunteer work, and research experience.
Eligibility
The Chancellor's Awards honor graduating students. To be eligible, a student must graduate between June and May of the current academic year. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. °®¶¹´«Ã½ may nominate around ten students and selects those students through a committee review; recipients are selected by SUNY Central in Albany and notified by April. All recipients of the award are invited to an in-person recognition ceremony at Albany Capital Center. (Please note: All eligibility criteria is subject to change by the Chancellor’s office. Details will be shared as they become available.)
Criteria for selection
Not all categories below are necessarily applicable to each nominee, but a record of accomplishment across three activities/areas is required. Nominators should address relevant achievements in the letter of nomination. Students will be judged on overall accomplishment, including:
- Academic excellence
- Leadership
- Diversity, equity, inclusion and justice
- Campus involvement or Community service
- Research and development
- The Arts (creative, performing)
Nomination package for undergraduate and graduate students
[Note that seniors nominated for the Chancellor's Award are automatically nominated for the President's Award. Only one nomination package is needed for both awards.]
- Letter of nomination, which opens with a brief (50-word) biography of the student and includes a clearly identified section describing each of their exemplary accomplishments in the three criteria areas you are nominating the student for.
- Student's resume and a complete list of activities or co-curricular transcript
- Three letters of reference, additional to the nomination letter, that include the writer's name, address, phone number and email address
Submission deadline
The deadline for submission is Friday, December 20, 2024. Please combine all nomination materials into one pdf document and email to Stephen Ortiz, sortiz@binghamton.edu, Director of the External Scholarships and Undergraduate Research Center.
About the President's Awards for Undergraduate Student Excellence
°®¶¹´«Ã½ will present President's Awards for Undergraduate Student Excellence at a ceremony at the end of the spring semester. Six undergraduates will receive the award – three juniors and three seniors. Honorable mentions also may be awarded. Each recipient will receive a certificate and a check for $1,000; each student receiving honorable mention will receive a certificate.
Eligibility
Current juniors or seniors at °®¶¹´«Ã½ in good academic standing are eligible. Students who received the President's Award as a junior cannot be nominated again in their senior year. Self-nominations are not allowed. Seniors who are nominated for the Chancellor's Award are automatically nominated for the President's Award.
Criteria for nomination
The student will have enriched the °®¶¹´«Ã½ community through a record of accomplishment and leadership in such areas as scholarship, student life, and community life, all of which reflect the University’s purposes and priorities. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25.
Criteria for selection
Not all categories below are necessarily applicable to each nominee, but a record of accomplishment across a range of activities/areas is expected. Nominators should address relevant achievements in the letter of nomination. Students will be judged on overall accomplishment, including:
- Academic excellence
- Scholarship (research and/or creative activity)
- Campus service/involvement in extracurricular activities
- Community service
- Incorporating an international experience/focus in their college experience
- Incorporating an experiential learning experience in their college experience
- Evidence of leadership
Nomination package
- Letter of nomination
- Student's resume and a complete list of activities or co-curricular transcript
- Three letters of reference, each including the writer's name, address, phone number and email address
Submission deadline
Nomination packages for juniors and seniors must be submitted by Monday, February 17, 2025, to Steve Ortiz at sortiz@binghamton.edu. See the information above on the Chancellor's Awards for the nomination deadline for seniors if you would like to be considered for both awards.
Electronic submission is required; no hard-copy submissions will be accepted.
Note
Students who receive the President’s Award in their junior year will automatically be considered for nomination for the Chancellor’s Award in their senior year. No additional nomination letters are required, but the student is required to provide an updated resume.
SUNY Association of Council Members and College Trustees (ACT) Awards
SUNY ACT solicits nominations from SUNY campuses for two annual awards, the Excellence and Student Initiative Scholarship Award to recognize undergraduates with extraordinary accomplishments and the Nancy L. Zimpher Award for Teacher Education to recognize an undergraduate or graduate student in a K-12 education degree program. If possible, winners and their guests should plan to attend the awards ceremony at the ACT Fall Conference in October.
About ACT Excellence and Student Initiative Scholarship Award
The Excellence and Student Initiative Scholarship Awards offer both financial support and recognition of the extraordinary accomplishments of SUNY students. These awards focus on the academic achievements and service to their campus and/or community. Two award winners are selected from nominations received from the University Centers and doctoral degree-granting institutions, two from the University Colleges and one from the Technology Colleges. Each winner of the award will receive $1,000 and an additional $250 donation to a charity of the student's choice.
Eligibility and nomination criteria
An individual applicant must have a dean’s list GPA as of the last reporting period. This student also must have played a role identifying and/or supporting specific needs on your campus or in your community and worked to provide a service or solution to address that need.
Nomination package
- Three letters of recommendation
- Student’s resume
- Submit a compelling personal statement of around 500 words based upon the following:
- Bearing in mind that the ACT for Excellence and Student Initiative Scholarship is an academic award, discuss briefly the specific circumstances and reasons why you should be given this award. Include your GPA and describe your college experience and any activities you are involved in beyond academics. Applications will also be judged by your commitment to your campus or community. Also discuss how you have played a role identifying and/or supporting specific needs on your campus or in your community. (Attach any supporting documentation such as media coverage or other recognition.)
Submission deadline
Nomination packages must be submitted by May 31, 2025, to Steve Ortiz at sortiz@binghamton.edu. Submit all documents combined as one pdf file by email.
About ACT Nancy L. Zimpher Scholarship for Teacher Education
The Nancy L. Zimpher Scholarship for Teacher Education will recognize a teacher education major who personifies the vision and mission of Chancellor Emeritus Zimpher’s commitment to excellence in the elementary and secondary teacher education profession. Each winner of the award will receive $1,500.
Eligibility and nomination criteria
An applicant must have maintained a Dean’s List GPA as of the last reporting period, be enrolled in a K-12 teacher education degree program at the undergraduate or graduate level, and display commitment to excellence in the teaching profession.
Nomination package
- Two letters of recommendation
- Student’s resume
- Submit a compelling personal statement not to exceed 500 words based upon the following:
- What traits or qualities do you believe a good teacher should possess?
- Describe a teacher or faculty member who inspired you to become a teacher.
- Drawing from your own experiences, how are you preparing yourself to become a great classroom teacher?
Submission deadline
Nomination packages must be submitted by May 31, 2025, to Steve Ortiz at sortiz@binghamton.edu. Submit all documents combined as one pdf file by email.