POLICY AND PRECEDENT #95-09 (as amended 3 October 2001)
MEMORANDUM FOR FACULTY AND STAFF
SUBJECT: Establishment of Student Awards Program
The Graduate School of Nursing (GSN)Student Awards Program is established as defined below.
A. Purpose
The student awards program recognizes the academic achievement of graduate nursing students. The policy provides definitions, establishes responsibilities, and set timelines.
B. Applicability
This Policy applies to all GSN students and academic departments, staff and faculty members, as well as administrators responsible for conducting annual graduation and related awards ceremonies.
C. Definitions
1. Academic Awards Colloquium. A ceremony at which academic awards covered by this policy will be presented. Colloquiums will be scheduled by the Dean in coordination with the program directors, for an appropriate time, prior to the Graduation Ceremony (usually the Thursday before graduation). Preceptors are also recognized at this ceremony.
2. Graduation Ceremony. The annual ceremony during May (usually on Armed Forces Day) for conferring University degrees and for presenting graduation awards. The Office of the Brigade Commander is the Office of primary responsibility for this ceremony.
3. Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Student Award.. An award given to the student demonstrating high levels of academic performance while simultaneously demonstrating outstanding leadership qualities. The Outstanding Nurse Practitioner Student Award is the highest honor graduating nurse practitioner students can receive and is presented at the Graduation Ceremony.
4. The Agatha Cobourg Hodgens Award. An award given to the Nurse Anesthesia graduating student who is both clinically and academically outstanding.
5. Dean's Award for Research Excellence. An award given to the graduating students whose scholarly projects have been determined to exhibit the best research methodology and writing skills. There will be one award given for each GSN program.
6. Distinguished Academic Performance Award. An award given to the graduating Nurse Practitioner student having the most outstanding academic performance in a nursing program.
7. Distinguished Clinical Performance Award. An award given to the graduating Nurse Practitioner student demonstrating the most outstanding clinical proficiency in a nursing program.
8. Esprit de Corps Award. An award given to the graduating students who have done the most to promote the Esprit de Corps of the graduating class. There will be one award given for each GSN program.
9. First Year Outstanding Student Award. An award given to first year students demonstrating outstanding performance in a nursing program. There will be one award given for each GSN program.
D. Student Awards Committee
1. The Commandant will act as the Student Awards coordinator. The committee is composed of the GSN department chairs as ex-officio members.
2. Nominations must be forwarded to the Dean no later than 15 March to ensure that the process is completed in time for graduation.
E. Responsibilities
1. Dean. The Dean shall have overall responsibility for the Awards program and shall be the approval authority for all award nominations. The Dean shall ensure that proper liaison is maintained with the Office of the Brigade Commander for the Graduation Ceremony, set the date for the Academic Awards Colloquium and ensure that all details for the program are completed.
2. The Commandant will ensure that the awards process functions smoothly and that awardees are recommended to the Dean at the appropriate time. The faculty of the respective departments will select the awardees for their program with the Chair of the Department of Nursing Research selecting the recipients of the Dean's Award for Research Excellence.
Contacts
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
4301 Jones Bridge Road
Bethesda, MD 20814