Alumni Award Nomination Instructions

2024 Alumni Awards Nominations are now open

Submit a nomination online 

See below for mail-in option. All nominations must be submitted by May 31, 2024.

Selection process

The College of Liberal Arts solicits nominations for the Alumni Awards from all members of the CLA community. If you know of CLA alumni who excel in their field or are making an impact in others’ lives, we want to know about them!

Award recipients are chosen by a committee composed of past award recipients, CLA alumni, and members of the college community. The committee reviews the submitted materials and selects those candidates who are deemed most deserving of recognition and whose achievements most closely fit the category for which they have been nominated. Alumni who are chosen for the awards will be notified by the college and all nominators will be informed of the overall results.

Submitting your nomination

Review the awards eligibility requirements and guidelines before making your recommendations. 

The Outstanding Alumni Awards include the Alumni of Notable Achievement Award and the Emerging Alumni Award.

Learn more about the awards

Eligibility criteria

  • Nominees must be graduates of the College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus.
  • Those nominated for the CLA Alumni of Notable Achievement Award must have graduated over 15 years ago. 
  • Those nominated for the CLA Emerging Alumni Award must have graduated in the past 15 years. 
  • A person may receive each award once in their lifetime. A person who has already been honored is not eligible to receive the same award again.
  • Those nominated must be living (no posthumous nominations).
How to verify eligibility
If you are unsure if your nominee is eligible, send the following information to Megan Mehl at mmehl@umn.edu:
  • nominee’s first name, middle initial, and last name.
  • nominee’s former name (if applicable).
  • nominee’s grad year and major (if known).

Guidelines for Alumni Award nominations

  • Persons making nominations must submit a formal nomination form, either online or via mail.
  • Check the list of previous alumni award winners to make sure your candidate has not already won an award in the category you are submitting a nomination for.
  • Review the questions to be answered for each award category and suggestions about supporting letters below.
  • Fill out and submit the official nomination form online or download the form below and mail into the CLA office. You only need to submit the form once. 
  • Contact other alumni or individuals who would like to support your nominee; they can further strengthen your nomination by making their own. Ask them to submit a written letter of support for you to include in the nomination.
  • Keep all nominations confidential.

Preparing your nomination

The nomination form will ask you for the following information:
  • Award for which the nominee is being considered (Emerging Alumni or Alumni of Notable Achievement).
  • Phonetic pronunciation of nominee’s name (Example: Goldstein is pronounced “GOLD-steen”, Pelka is pronounced “PELL-kah).
  • Nominee’s job title and employer (and/or volunteer title and organization).
  • A brief one-line description of the nominee. (Example: “Internationally respected arts leader and advocate”).
  • Provide supporting materials (this is optional but strongly encouraged) Examples of supporting materials include published articles about the nominee’s actions or letters of support from colleagues, community members, beneficiaries of their service or civic endeavors, etc.
  • Biographical information that demonstrates the nominee’s achievements and describes how the nominee exemplifies at least one of the college’s four core goal areas below. Nominees are not required to exemplify all four goals.

College of Liberal Arts Core Goals

  1. “CLA alumni will be the most desirable graduates available.”
    Nominee ascended quickly in their profession. Nominee has taken on important responsibilities or serves in a prominent leadership role as a volunteer or public servant.

  2. “We will have a relentless focus on research and creative excellence.”
    Nominee created a product, service, or practice that adds value to the lives of customers, constituents, students, or colleagues.

  3. “Our CLA community will mirror the community at large.”
    Nominee broadly embraces, celebrates, or exemplifies ethnic, generational, geographic, religious, political, or other diverse characteristics in his/her professional, volunteer, or civic pursuits.

  4. “CLA will deepen a culture of engagement for our alumni, community, and state.”
    Nominee builds connections that advance the living standard and prosperity of their communities, the state of Minnesota, the United States of America, and/or the world.

Submit the nomination documents 

  • Nominations may be submitted using the online form
  • Nominations may also be submitted by hard copy using the downloadable/printable nomination form.
    • Nomination narratives and accompanying supporting documentation must not exceed 7 pages.
    • All supporting materials must be included with a nomination narrative and a completed nomination form upon submission as one mailed packet.

Download Printable Nomination Instructions and Form (not required if submitting via online form)