• Section 1 - Introduction/Background
• Section 2 - Scope/Purpose
• Section 3 - Award Categories
• Section 4 - Selection Criteria
• Alumni Award for Professional Excellence
• Young Alumni Award
• Alumni Award for Arts and Culture
• Alumni Award for Social Impact
• Alumni Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Alumni Award for Research and Scholarship
• Section 5 - Conditions of Nomination
• Section 6 - Nomination Process
• Section 7 - Selection Committee
• Section 8 - Presentation of Awards
• Section 9 - Roles and Responsibilities
• Section 10 - Definitions

Section 1 - Introduction/Background

(1) The UOW Alumni Awards have been established to:

1. recognise the many achievements of UOW alumni, both professionally and personally.
2. engage alumni with the University;
3. allow the Alumni Engagement Team to learn more about the achievements of alumni and to share these achievements with the University and its communities.

Section 2 - Scope/Purpose

(2) Alumni Awards allow the University to recognise the professional and personal contribution that UOW alumni make to the enrichment of their profession, their community and to the advancement of society.

Section 3 - Award Categories

(3) Alumni Awards are made up of six (6) categories. All categories are open to UOW alumni, which is defined as above.

1. Category A: University of Wollongong Alumni Award for Professional Excellence;
2. Category B: University of Wollongong Young Alumni Award;
3. Category C: University of Wollongong Alumni Award for Arts and Culture;
4. Category D: University of Wollongong Alumni Award for Social Impact;
5. Category E: University of Wollongong Alumni Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (individual and/or group award);
6. Category F: University of Wollongong Alumni Award for Research and Scholarship.

(4) Each Award will be in the form of a trophy and citation. The Awards will be presented at the Alumni Awards Gala Event.

Section 4 - Selection Criteria

Alumni Award for Professional Excellence

(5) The Alumni Award for Professional Excellence will be awarded to an outstanding graduate:

1. who has achieved sustained success throughout their career that is noteworthy and exceptional;
2. who demonstrates sustained contribution to their profession at local, national and/or international levels;
3. whose accomplishment(s) raise their profile and standing within their community, country or internationally and/or bring greater recognition to their profession.

Young Alumni Award

(6) The Young Alumni Award will be awarded to an outstanding graduate:     

1. who is 35 years or younger in the year of the award;
2. who demonstrates exceptional success in their chosen industry/profession;
3. who demonstrates significant contribution to their profession and/or community at local, national and/or international levels.

Alumni Award for Arts and Culture

(7) The Alumni Award for Arts and Culture will be awarded to an outstanding graduate:

1. who demonstrates excellence and innovation in the arts, culture and creative sectors and / or whose efforts promote the understanding and value of cultural diversity;
2. who has made significant contributions to society through creative and cultural disciplines.

Alumni Award for Social Impact

(8) The Alumni Award for Social Impact will be awarded to an outstanding graduate:

1. who demonstrates the positive impact they have had on a/the community through their work in social innovation, volunteerism, or community impact within the profit, non-profit or public sector;
2. who demonstrates significant, long-term impact of their contribution to the Community and/or the University.

Alumni Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

(9) The Alumni Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship will be awarded to an outstanding individual graduate and/or group of alumni:

1. who demonstrates a strong entrepreneurial mindset and creative approach in their industry, profession, field of research or area of expertise;
2. who has achieved recognition as an outstanding innovator within their industry, profession, field of research or area of expertise;
3. who demonstrates a positive impact and enhanced the lives of others.

(10) Please Note: The Alumni Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Group Award) may be awarded to a group of two or more UOW alumni (corporate/not for profit entities as a whole are not eligible to be nominated). All group members must be UOW alumni.

Alumni Award for Research and Scholarship

(11) The Alumni Award for Research and Scholarship will be awarded to an outstanding graduate:

1. who demonstrates sustained contribution to their field of research at local, national and/or international levels; or
2. whose scholarly contributions and associated outreach efforts have measurably and significantly improved the lives of people through engagement with industry or other elements of the private sector;
3. who has achieved recognition at national and/or international levels;
4. whose accomplishment(s) raise their profile and standing within their community, country or internationally and/or bring greater recognition to their field.

Section 5 - Conditions of Nomination

(12) Nominations must be submitted via the online form at www.uow.edu.au/alumni/nominate

(13) Nominations in all categories can be made by a University of Wollongong graduate, staff member or member of the public.

(14) Alumni may nominate themselves. At least one referee, who is not the nominator, is required to complete a statement to support the official nomination for the Award.

(15) Advancement and Communications Division staff and members of the selection committee may not be nominated

(16) Alumni are only eligible to win an award from one UOW Global Campus

(17) University Council members or members of the Senior Executive of the University of Wollongong may not be nominated.

(18) Committee members who have any involvement in a nomination may not participate in the Committee’s deliberations and decisions regarding that nomination.

(19) The decision of the committee is final and no correspondence will be entered in to.

Section 6 - Nomination Process

(20) In accordance with the Alumni Awards Local Protocol, the nominator must ensure the following supporting documentation is included:

1. Completed Alumni Awards Nomination Form including;
   1. contact details of nominee and nominator (compulsory):
   2. statement(s) from at least one referee, who is not the nominator, to support the nomination (compulsory);
   3. nominee’s most recent CV (compulsory) (4 pages maximum). Please note that a print out of a LinkedIn profile will be accepted;
   4. other documents to support the nomination (optional) – e.g. media articles, statement of awards, etc. (5 pages maximum).

(21) Nominations must be submitted by the closing date, as indicated on the Alumni Awards website.

(22) Nominator’s will receive written advice of the outcome of their nomination by 31 August of the year of the Award.

(23) Finalists of Alumni Awards will be advised in writing of the outcome of their nomination prior to receiving an invitation to attend the Alumni Awards Gala Event.

(24) A nominee who is not an award recipient but is selected as a finalist will have their nomination automatically carried over for reconsideration the following year (for up to two years).

(25) Nominees who are not selected as a finalist or recipient of an Alumni Award will not be notified by the Advancement and Communications Division. It is at the discretion of the Nominator as to whether or not they would like to advise the nominee of the outcome of the nomination (as many nominations are made in confidence). Nominees who self-nominate will be notified directly.

(26) Recipients will be announced at the Alumni Awards Gala. All finalists will be invited to attend the event, with the recipients being announced on the night.

Section 7 - Selection Committee

(27) The Alumni Awards Selection Committee considers nominations and determines successful candidates for each Alumni Award category. This is then noted as part of the Honorary Awards Committee process.

(28) The Alumni Awards Selection Committee is chaired by the Deputy Chancellor of the University and includes two senior academic staff members, four University of Wollongong alumni and the Chief Advancement and Communications Officer.

Section 8 - Presentation of Awards

(29) The Alumni Awards will be presented at the Alumni Awards Gala.

Section 9 - Roles and Responsibilities

(30) The Alumni Awards are administered by the Advancement and Communications Division.

(31) Location: Building 39, University of Wollongong NSW 2522.
Email: alumni@uow.edu.au  
Telephone: +61 2 4221 5131 or +61 2 4221 3169.

(32) This information is collected for the purposes of considering nominations for the UOW Alumni Awards. The University is committed to protecting your privacy. The University’s privacy policy can be found at www.uow.edu.au/about/privacy.

Section 10 - Definitions