Leader of the Year Award
The National Committee for the Ο∆Κ Leader of the Year award was authorized by the 1974 National Convention following a recommendation by the National Committee on Scholarship Awards. The Committee studied the desirability of creating this award and set guidelines to identify an outstanding Ο∆Κ student member of the year in each Region and to designate a National Leader of the Year from the Regional selectees. At its January 1975 meeting, the General Council approved the award and the guidelines established by the National Committee.
Each Circle should select and nominate one Ο∆Κ student member for the award and should follow all the procedures for filing with the National Headquarters by the March 15, 2010 postmark deadline. The files of the Circle nominee must be sent over the signature of the Circle’s Faculty Secretary, using the application that can be found on our web site as the official application.
Every Circle should select a Leader of the Year every year! Not only is this an opportunity to "win" a sizeable grant for your Circle and a $4,000 graduate scholarship for your Leader of the Year, it is a wonderful opportunity to honor one of your own members in the Ο∆Κ tradition. Grants are also provided to the Circles of each Regional Leader of the Year and the National Leader to enrich programming and outreach on their campuses. Regional Leaders and the National Leader will have input on how these funds are spent and will report back their plans to the National Headquarters prior to July 1 after their selection. The following criteria will be used in planning the implementation of the individual Circle grants:
Form a Committee of the Faculty/Staff members of your Circle in mid-November to serve as a Leader of the Year Nomination Committee. They should be charged with reviewing the eligible members of the Circle and bringing no less than 3 no more than 5 nominees to a meeting of the Circle for their vote before mid-December.
Obviously, the method for selecting nominees is the prerogative of your Circle and can vary from this suggestion. A number of Circles use this method and timetable because it provides an active and appropriate role for their faculty membership. In addition, it tends to keep the selection both more objective and in the realm of "leadership rather than popularity." The timetable also allows the Leader of the Year selected by your Circle to meet the national deadlines without undue hardship at an otherwise busy time of the academic year.
Each Region will establish a Selection Committee no later than March 1 each year, and the Regional Director shall notify the Ο∆Κ Executive Director of the members and their addresses by that date. The Regional Selection Committee shall include a Regional Director, a Circle President (not from the campus of either of the other Committee members), and a Faculty Secretary (not from the campus of either of the other Committee members). In no case should a student who is a Leader of the Year nominee serve on a Selection Committee. Each Regional Selection Committee, chaired by a Regional Director, will make its selection either by mail or meeting. The Committee should select the one individual they feel has the qualities required for the Ο∆Κ Leader of the Year (See Section III under Competition Levels) and who best represents his/her Region for the National Award competition. This selection must then be reported in writing by the Regional Director to the Ο∆Κ National Headquarters no later than April 15, 2010.
The National Committee will choose the General Russell E. Dougherty National Leader of the Year from the four Regional winners. The National Leader of the Year will be named in May 2010.
The National Committee feels that it is important that everyone involved with Ο∆Κ should take an active role to publicize this award. The Regional Directors, Faculty Secretaries, Faculty Advisers and Circle Presidents are urged to encourage their nominees to file their materials as early as possible and within the deadlines indicated.
NOTE: The deadlines for filing nominee files at National Headquarters (March 15 postmark deadline from individual Circles and April 15 from Regional Selection Committees) are ABSOLUTE. In addition, EACH Circle nominee must be endorsed by letter from the Faculty Secretary of the Circle. This letter must accompany the files and may not arrive separately. EACH Regional nominee must be certified in writing by the Regional Director who served as Chairperson of the Regional Selection Committee. This letter must arrive at National Headquarters no later than April 15.
I. The conditions and materials required in the nominee's files are as follows:
Each Circle should select and nominate one Ο∆Κ student member for the award and should follow all the procedures for filing with the National Headquarters by the March 15, 2010 postmark deadline. The files of the Circle nominee must be sent over the signature of the Circle’s Faculty Secretary, using the application that can be found on our web site as the official application.
Every Circle should select a Leader of the Year every year! Not only is this an opportunity to "win" a sizeable grant for your Circle and a $4,000 graduate scholarship for your Leader of the Year, it is a wonderful opportunity to honor one of your own members in the Ο∆Κ tradition. Grants are also provided to the Circles of each Regional Leader of the Year and the National Leader to enrich programming and outreach on their campuses. Regional Leaders and the National Leader will have input on how these funds are spent and will report back their plans to the National Headquarters prior to July 1 after their selection. The following criteria will be used in planning the implementation of the individual Circle grants:
- Opt to have the funds granted to their Circle to assist with travel costs not already paid by National Headquarters to attend the National Convention or Regional Conference.
- Opt to have the funds donated to the College or University Development Office on behalf of the Circle and the Regional Leader of the Year for a purpose decided upon mutually by the Regional Leader of the Year and the Development Office.
- Opt to have the funds donated to the College or University Library on behalf of the Circle and the Regional Leader of the Year for the purchase of a book or books.
- Opt to have the funds in the form of a grant to the Circle to help support expenses associated with a leadership development program (the Circle would be required to submit a plan and budget before the funds would be released).
Form a Committee of the Faculty/Staff members of your Circle in mid-November to serve as a Leader of the Year Nomination Committee. They should be charged with reviewing the eligible members of the Circle and bringing no less than 3 no more than 5 nominees to a meeting of the Circle for their vote before mid-December.
Obviously, the method for selecting nominees is the prerogative of your Circle and can vary from this suggestion. A number of Circles use this method and timetable because it provides an active and appropriate role for their faculty membership. In addition, it tends to keep the selection both more objective and in the realm of "leadership rather than popularity." The timetable also allows the Leader of the Year selected by your Circle to meet the national deadlines without undue hardship at an otherwise busy time of the academic year.
Each Region will establish a Selection Committee no later than March 1 each year, and the Regional Director shall notify the Ο∆Κ Executive Director of the members and their addresses by that date. The Regional Selection Committee shall include a Regional Director, a Circle President (not from the campus of either of the other Committee members), and a Faculty Secretary (not from the campus of either of the other Committee members). In no case should a student who is a Leader of the Year nominee serve on a Selection Committee. Each Regional Selection Committee, chaired by a Regional Director, will make its selection either by mail or meeting. The Committee should select the one individual they feel has the qualities required for the Ο∆Κ Leader of the Year (See Section III under Competition Levels) and who best represents his/her Region for the National Award competition. This selection must then be reported in writing by the Regional Director to the Ο∆Κ National Headquarters no later than April 15, 2010.
The National Committee will choose the General Russell E. Dougherty National Leader of the Year from the four Regional winners. The National Leader of the Year will be named in May 2010.
The National Committee feels that it is important that everyone involved with Ο∆Κ should take an active role to publicize this award. The Regional Directors, Faculty Secretaries, Faculty Advisers and Circle Presidents are urged to encourage their nominees to file their materials as early as possible and within the deadlines indicated.
NOTE: The deadlines for filing nominee files at National Headquarters (March 15 postmark deadline from individual Circles and April 15 from Regional Selection Committees) are ABSOLUTE. In addition, EACH Circle nominee must be endorsed by letter from the Faculty Secretary of the Circle. This letter must accompany the files and may not arrive separately. EACH Regional nominee must be certified in writing by the Regional Director who served as Chairperson of the Regional Selection Committee. This letter must arrive at National Headquarters no later than April 15.
I. The conditions and materials required in the nominee's files are as follows:
- The nominee must be an active voting student member of Omicron Delta Kappa.
- ONE formal nomination using an official Leader of the Year award form must be filed by the Circle winner. A copy of the official Leader of the Year award form can be obtained online at www.odk.org.
- ONE official transcript of his or her academic record. If the nominee has attended more than one college or university, and credit for the course was transferred to the nominee's current college or university, and if the transferred credit is listed on the nominee's current official transcript from the college or university the nominee now attends, the nominee need not send transcripts from each institution attended.
- ONE copy of brief statements in which he or she describes his or her vocational objectives.
- ONE copy of each of the two letters of recommendation are required and must accompany the file. These can be from the nominee’s major field, an administrative official of his or her institution, or an associate within or outside the campus community.
- ONE recent, formal, head & shoulders photograph. Photo will be retained at Headquarters for publicity purposes only and will not accompany the application to the selection committee. PLEASE DO NOT SEND PROOFS OR PASSPORT PHOTOS. You may send electronic or digital photos by email to odknhdq@odk.org.
- The Circle’s nominee must be endorsed in writing by the Faculty Secretary of that Circle and that letter must accompany the nominee’s files.
- Circle: Each Circle chooses the individual who will best represent the Circle and who meets the conditions of the award. The Circle files the information with the Ο∆Κ National Headquarters on or before the March 15, 2010 postmark deadline.
- Region: Each Regional Director serving as chair will establish (prior to March 1) a Regional Selection Committee and notify the National Headquarters of its membership. The Committee shall consist of the Regional Director, the Faculty Director, a Circle President (not from the campus of either of the other selections), and a Faculty Secretary (not from the campus of either of the other committee members). In no case should a student who is a Leader of the Year nominee serve on a Selection Committee. The Regional Director will coordinate the review of files by the Committee members in order to certify their selection in writing to the National Headquarters no later than April 15. Each Circle from which a Regional Leader of the Year is chosen will be given the opportunity to receive a grant for their Circle.
- National: National will circulate copies of the files of each of the four Regional winners to the appropriate committee. From these, the committee will select the Ο∆Κ National Leader of the Year on or before May 15, 2010. All nominees will be notified of the action of the committee. The National Leader of the Year will be granted a $4000 scholarship to attend graduate school. In addition, his/her Circle will be given the opportunity to receive a grant.
