Montana State University

Diversity Awareness Office

Building Bridges ~ Creating Community

Cole-Tierney Award


The Cole-Tierney Award winner is to be chosen by a Committee of MSU Students, Faculty, and Staff. The winner will be announced during the Day of Student Recognition.

The Committee shall award the scholarship to University students of African-American heritage who merit scholarship assistance. At minimum, the selection process shall evaluate candidates on the basis of achievement, leadership, citizenship and involvement in extra-curricular activities. Other evaluative criteria may be applied in order to achieve Donors' intent to support these students toward the successful completion of educational goals. Student candidates can be nominated by any student, faculty or staff, and must be classified as an undergraduate student. Nominators are required to complete a brief application for further consideration and must be able to demonstrate ways the nominee has instilled the value of leadership and service in others. Please complete the attached form. In three paragraphs on an attached piece of paper, address the contributions of the nominee in the following areas:

•Leadership: Recognizing individuals who are leaders though influence and example, inspiring those around them and contributing to their communities and the university. Candidate utilizes his/her ability to guide and motivate a group of people to a common purpose.
•Service: Volunteering time and resources to benefit a community or its institutions.
•Citizenship: Candidate has made important contributions that benefit the entire university community. Their work has transcended organizational boundaries. They have fostered cooperation and collaboration between the University and its constituents to better serve the campus community. These individuals have committed their time and energy to working with others to improve and enhance Montana State University as a whole.

If you have questions about the Cole-Tierney Award or criteria, please contact Robin Mayer at 994-2837 or robin.mayer@montana.edu

Nomination Form

Diversity Awards

The Montana State University Diversity Awards recognize the accomplishments of students from underrepresented minority groups who contribute to diversity and inclusion through exemplary leadership, achievement, citizenship and involvement in his/her community. Recipients embody a commitment to diversity and inclusion through their work and involvement on campus, including recruitment and retention efforts, teaching, research, multi-cultural programming, cultural attunement, community outreach activities, and other initiatives.
Two kinds of awards are given:

Spirit Outstanding Student Awards – These awards are given to students who embody leadership, citizenship and involvement, and belong to underrepresented minority groups including the LGBTQ community, Native American, African American and other cultural and racial minorities and religions.

Spirit Activism Awards – These awards will be given to students embodying the characteristics highlighted by the award, who work to enrich the campus community through social justice and activism.

Criteria for Selection:

Nominees must be current students. Nominations can be submitted by individual employees (including supervisors, direct reports and peers of the nominees), students, university departments, and units. Applications will be judged on the following criteria.

  • Demonstration of emerging or sustained commitment to the values of diversity, inclusion, and multiculturalism by documented efforts that are above and beyond the routine.
  • Leadership – Recognizing individuals who are leaders though influence and example, inspiring those around them and contributing to their communities and the university. (Not solely confined to traditional definitions of leadership.)
  • Achievement – Accomplishments both in and outside of the classroom, not GPA. For example, a student could have demonstrated excellence through an outreach project or through research that illuminated an important issue within the community.
  • Citizenship – Students who have made important contributions that benefit the entire university community. Their work has transcended organizational boundaries. They have fostered cooperation and collaboration between the university and its constituents to better serve the campus community. These individuals have committed their time and energy to working with others to improve and enhance MSU as a whole.
  • Involvement in the community demonstrating investment and engagement within MSU’s community and beyond.

Award:

The Diversity Awards Selection Committee will choose a maximum of four award recipients per year. Award recipients will be honored during the University's Day of Student Recognition. Their names will be added to a plaque chronicling winners of each award. Each Diversity Award includes a monetary award. Award recipients will be recognized in MSU Today and various MSU Websites, as well as sending announcements to the hometowns.

Instructions for Submitting Nominations:

    • The nomination deadline is March 8, 2013 .
    • Use a separate Nomination Form for each nominee. Make sure that the contact information is accurate and complete.
    • Nomination form
    • A nomination statement should be attached to this form and should not exceed two pages. The nomination statement should specifically identify the individual or team's contributions and accomplishments.
    • Letters of support:
    • A minimum of one letter of support is required for the nomination. Up to three letters of support may be submitted. One of the letters of support should be from the supervisor, department chair, center director, or dean (in the case of an individual nominee) or from a supervisory individual representing the lead office or lead sponsor (in the case of a unit/organization/team nominee).

Completed nomination packets should be submitted to:

Diversity Awards Selection Committee
c/o Phenocia Bauerle Diversity Awareness Office SUB 368
Fax: 406-994-5848
E-mail: phenocia.bauerle@montana.edu

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