Student Employee of the Year Recognition Program

Nominate your outstanding student employees!

Welcome to Binghamton University's Student Employee of the Year Program! We are excited to celebrate the hard work and dedication of our exceptional undergraduate and graduate student employees. This program not only recognizes outstanding students but also provides an opportunity for supervisors to acknowledge and showcase the talent within their teams.

About the program

Undergraduate Student Employee Nominations:

This year, undergraduate student nominations will be evaluated in one of five categories, each highlighting a different aspect of exceptional performance:

• Community Engagement

  This category recognizes students who make significant contributions to the community.

  Criteria for nomination could include:

  • The student employee significantly enhances the community through their work.
  • The impact of the student employee’s work extends beyond the university, leaving a lasting impression.
  • The student employee actively encourages and inspires others to engage in service within the university or the broader community.

  View the Community Engagement category rubric

• Diversity and Inclusion

  This category acknowledges those who actively promote and embody diversity and inclusion.

  Criteria for nomination could include:

  • The student employee demonstrates empathy and compassion in their work.
  • Recognizing the ongoing importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, the student employee actively supports such initiatives in their work, on campus, and in the community.
  • The student employee promotes diversity in projects, discussions, and problem-solving, fostering an inclusive work environment.

  View the Diversity and Inclusion category rubric

• Leadership

  This category celebrates students who demonstrate exceptional leadership skills.

  Criteria for nomination could include:

  • The student employee motivates and inspires others, building trust through encouragement.
  • Demonstrating openness to change and new ideas, the student employee takes a proactive leadership role in workplace scenarios.
  • The student employee exhibits passion for mentoring and training fellow student employees, contributing to their professional growth.

  View the Leadership category rubric

• Innovation and Technology

  This category honors those who bring innovative ideas and technological solutions to their roles.

  Criteria for nomination could include:

  • Utilizing technology, the student employee enhances the efficiency and productivity of their work.
  • Effectively managing technology, the student employee integrates information to support relevant, timely decision-making.
  • The student employee consistently generates novel and valuable ideas, contributing to a culture of innovation.

  View the Innovation and Technology category rubric

• Critical Thinking

  This category commends students who exhibit outstanding critical thinking skills in their work.

  Criteria for nomination could include:

  • Thriving in a fast-paced environment, the student employee excels in multitasking.
  • Decision-making and problem-solving by the student employee reflect sound, inclusive reasoning and judgment.
  • The student employee thoroughly analyzes information from diverse sources, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of problems.

  View the Critical Thinking category rubric

How to Nominate:

Nominating an undergraduate student is easy! Follow these steps:

1. Select a Category and Draft your Nomination Letter: Choose the category that best aligns with the nominee’s strengths and draft your nomination letter highlighting the nominee’s accomplishments, duties and attributes. *Rubrics for each category can be found above. Please keep nomination letters two pages or less. Details to consider highlighting include:
   • Highlight the nominee’s greatest attributes related to the job.
   • Describe how the nominee has exceeded standard work expectations.
   • Discuss the quality of the nominee’s work, work style, leadership skills, initiative, and motivation.
   • Explain the impact the nominee has had on your department, campus, and community.
   • Identify the qualities that set the nominee apart from other student employees.
   • Personal anecdotes of your interactions with the student are encouraged!
2. Submit Your Undergraduate Student Employee of the Year Nomination Formand Letter Together no later than Wednesday, February 5. Please keep the letter to two pages or fewer, and be as comprehensive as possible. You may upload your nomination letter at the bottom of the nomination form. *Nominations that do not include BOTH the nomination form and an accompanying letter of nomination will not be considered. 

Graduate Student Employee Nominations:

This year, graduate student nominations will be evaluated in one of four categories, each highlighting a different aspect of exceptional performance:

• Diversity and Inclusion

  Graduate student employees can champion diversity and inclusion by:

  • Acknowledging the support and contributions of others in achieving results.
  • Demonstrating empathy and compassion for others.
  • Being flexible, open and receptive to new information, ideas and approaches.
  • Showing respect and value for the unique contributions of each associate.

  View the full Graduate Student Employee of the Year rubric

• Impact

  Graduate student employees can show impact by:

  • Suggesting and helping implement an idea that has a positive, tangible impact on the department.
  • Bringing positive recognition to the department.

  View the full Graduate Student Employee of the Year rubric

• Professionalism, Effective Communication and Interpersonal Skills

  Graduate student employees can display professionalism, effective communication and interpersonal skills by:

  • Collaborating well with peers, manager, department leadership and unit stakeholders.
  • Employing appropriate methods of persuasion when soliciting agreement.
  • Addressing problems constructively.

  View the full Graduate Student Employee of the Year rubric

• Leadership

  Graduate student employees can display leadership by:

  • Being passionate about mentorship and training fellow student employees.
  • Acting as an agent of change to support the implementation of new ideas.

  View the full Graduate Student Employee of the Year rubric

How to Nominate:

1. Draft a nomination letter and make sure to speak to the candidate’s strengths in EACH of the  following areas:
   • Diversity & Inclusion: Student Employee acknowledges the support and contributions of others in achieving results; demonstrates empathy and compassion for others; is flexible, open and receptive to new information, ideas and approaches; shows respect and value for the unique contributions of each associate.
   • Impact: Student Employee suggests and helps implement an idea that has a positive, tangible impact on the department or brings positive recognition to the department.
   • Professionalism, Effective Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Student Employee collaborates well with peers, manager, department leadership and unit stakeholders; Employs appropriate methods of persuasion when soliciting agreement; addresses problems constructively.
   • Leadership: Student Employee is passionate about mentorship, training fellow student employees, and acts as an agent of change to support the implementation of new ideas
2. Submit Your Graduate Student Employee of the Year Nomination Form and Letter Together no later than Wednesday, February 5. Please keep the letter to two pages or fewer, and be as comprehensive as possible. You may upload your nomination letter at the bottom of the nomination form. *Nominations that do not include BOTH the nomination form and an accompanying letter of nomination will not be considered. 

Important dates

• Nomination Deadline: February 5, 2024
• Winners Announced: February 17, 2024
• Annual Student Affairs Awards Gala: Recognition and Awards Ceremony in late April/Early May. Category and overall SEOTY/SOTY winners and their nominators invited to attend. More information to come!

Recognition and awards

The students chosen as the Undergraduate and Graduate Student Employees of the Year, along with all nominated students and their supervisors, will be highlighted during National Student Employment Week activities in April on campus.

Individual category winners and our overall Undergraduate and Graduate Student Employee of the Year winners will also be put forward for consideration in the Northeast and National Student Employment Associations for their respective award programs.

Help us celebrate another successful year of the Student Employee of the Year Program by submitting your nominations! Your participation ensures that our outstanding student employees receive the recognition they deserve.

Thank you for being a part of this exciting initiative!