·     All DSU recognized student organizations are eligible to receive recognition through the Certificate of Merit program. (COM)

·     The COM program strives to recognize clubs who sponsor social, recreational, community service and educational programs throughout the academic year.

·     A club representative fills out the required information per activity for COM consideration and submits it to the Student Services Center by March 27 (you can send them electronically to Amanda.Parpart@dsu.edu).  Forms should include all events through May of the current school year.  Club leaders need to anticipate and plan ahead to meet this requirement.

·     The Director of Student Activities will review all submitted forms and provide the club representative with a summary of approved and disapproved activity.

·     The COM is a recognition program for organizations that are active and sponsor various programs/projects throughout the school year.  The minimum number of programs/projects required is based on the size of your organization;

Clubs with 10 people or under:

                  Minimum approved programs required:           11 projects

Clubs with 11 to 19 people:

                  Minimum approved programs required:           14 projects

Clubs with 20 people or more:

                  Minimum approved programs required:           17 projects

·          COM ceremonies are held during the latter half of the spring semester.  Clubs are recognized at a reception for club members provided by the University, and the Presidents of these organizations are invited to the Honors Banquet in the Spring.

·          The Student Services Center has copies of past COM forms for each club available for review by existing club members.

CERTIFICATE OF MERIT

GENERAL POLICY STATEMENTS

07-26-96 

Projects or activities will be considered for the COM if group members are actively involved in the design, management and implementation of the event.

Student organizations submitting COM applications must have a current roster on file with the Office of Student Activities and be able to prove that there is viable functioning group structure in place.

Projects which result in repetitious outcomes that are not distinguished by a separate planning process will be considered as one project per semester.  Example:  weekly IVCF Bible studies are considered one event per semester

The annual Activities Fair is not considered an eligible activity toward the COM because it is coordinated by the University.  No group controls the design or management of the fair.

Monitory donations and scholarships will not be considered for the COM unless specific fund raisers were established to generate the income.  Groups using vending money for such purposes will not receive COM credit.

Examples of “Approved Programs”:  KSI campus challenge, Computer Club world wide web presentations, HIM movie ticket sales, PBL attending their Spring Conference, Math & Science Club Bake Sale, etc.

INSTITUTIONAL ORGANIZATIONS  

Institutional organizations are those groups which are funded by the General Activity Fee and are constitutionally bound to a distinct mission.  The committee recognizes the unique purpose of each of these groups and believes that their traditional activity deserves to be recognized but each of these groups are encouraged to broaden their focus to provide unique programs and service the University and Madison region.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES BOARD events will be grouped under the following categories per semester and each grouping will be considered one event; recreation, lecture, spring classic, social, club, movies.  Approved events which do not fall into these categories may be considered as individual projects counting toward the various levels of the COM.

STUDENT AMBASSADORS events will be grouped under the following categories per semester and each grouping will be considered one event; discover DSU, ushering, prospective student calling, tours.  Approved events which do not fall into these categories may be considered as individual projects counting toward the various levels of the COM.

STUDENT SENATE:  All issue based topics resulting in programs will be grouped per semester and considered as one project.  Projects which are routinely coordinated by the Senate will receive COM consideration.  Examples include; vending process, SHED days, book barter, voter registration.

CERTIFICATE OF MERIT

APPLICATION FORM

(PLEASE TYPE)

SPONSORING ORGANIZATION:

NUMBER OF MEMBERS IN ORGANIZATION:

DATE SUBMITTED:

SUBMITTED BY: 

**Please fill out the following information for EACH event, program, and/or project**

EVENT:

DATE/TIME OF EVENT:

LOCATION OF EVENT:

GENERAL PURPOSE OF EVENT:

NUMBER OF ORGANIZATION MEMBERS PARTICIPATING:

AUDIENCE COUNT:

SOUTH DAKOTA BOARD OF REGENTS
STUDENT ORGANIZATION AWARDS

Each year the South Dakota Board of Regents recognizes three student organizations from each campus.  One group will receive the Award for Academic Excellence, another group will receive the Award for Organizational Leadership and another will receive the Community Service Award.

Application materials for these awards will be sent to the organizations’ leaders in January.  Examples of past applications may also be obtained from the Student Services Center.  They serve as an excellent guide in preparing application documentation.

Award for Academic Excellence

The purpose of this award would be to recognize student organizations for outstanding contributions to the University’s academic environment or to student academic achievement.  The award should center on recognizing activities/programs that the group performed complimenting the academic mission of the institution.  

Groups should list specific programs or activities that contributed in enhancing the academic environment of the University.  “Academic environment” would be defined as any program that relates to strengthening undergraduate research activities, providing dollars for scholarships to other students or assisting students in the individual accomplishment of student academic achievement.  

Award for Organizational Leadership

The purpose of this award is to recognize student organizations for outstanding contributions to the personal development of students.  The award should center on recognizing a group’s activities/programs that compliment the University’s mission of service to its members through their personal development and thereby increasing service to the University community.  

Groups would be asked to list specific activities that have helped promote a strong organization and the personal development of its members.  “Personal development “ would be defined as promoting the development of student leadership skills, involvement in University activities/programs or assisting the institutional community in the accomplishment of its goals in its programming efforts.

Award for Community Service

The purpose of this award is to recognize student organizations for community service external to the campus. When student groups engage in community service, they help to establish good relationships between the institution and the community, they provide necessary help to non-profit organizations, they develop the leadership skills of their members and they instill an appreciation for service in our students.

Groups would be asked to explain the ways the organization's activities have provided effective student or community leadership in the past year. Discuss specific activities, presentations, performances, publications, etc.

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