Rising Scholar Nomination Information

What are Rising Scholars:

Rising Scholars is an initiative that began last year as a means to:

• Recognize at Convocation both student achievement and student promise/potential;
• Better engage students at Convocation;
• Reinforce mentoring relationships between faculty and students.
• Create another gateway for students to consider applying for the Honor’s Program.

Nomination Process:

• Complete the Nomination Form.
• The deadline for nominations is Thursday, September 7^th. However, the sooner nominations are made the smoother the communication process with Rising Scholars will be.
• In nominating a student, please first review the list of last year’s Rising Scholars. Anyone nominated and selected last year is automatically a Rising Scholar this year, provided they are still enrolled at UMA and a student in good standing. These students do not need to be nominated again.

Nomination Criteria

• To nominate a student as a Rising Scholar, you must be either a full-time or part-time faculty member, or a member of the UMA staff. The criteria for nominating a Rising Scholar is deliberately broad, enabling you to choose up to three students who, in your opinion, have either excelled in or out of the classroom, or whom you believe shows great potential and promise as student scholars.

Rising Scholar Selection

• Nominees will be approved for selection as a Rising Scholar pending a Registrar review to ensure the nominee is a student in good standing.
• Any students nominated by you and approved by the Registrar will be formally notified by the Convocation Committee that they were selected as a Rising Scholar. These students will also be notified that they were specifically nominated by you, and that they will be attending Convocation as your special guest.

Faculty Expectations

• Faculty members are strongly encouraged to nominate up to three Rising Scholars. Do not worry that any students you nominate may also be nominated by another faculty member.
• Because Rising Scholars nominated by you will join you during the Processional, there is an expectation that you will also be attending Convocation.

Staff Expectations

• Staff, especially those who work directly with students in the areas of advising and academic support, may also nominate up to three students as Rising Scholars.
• While we recognize that students shine in many areas, it is asked that staff keep in mind the academic focus of the Rising Scholar honor as they consider nominating a student.
• Because Rising Scholars nominated by you will be notified that they will be attending Convocation as your special guest, there is an expectation that you will be attending Convocation.

How Rising Scholars Will be Recognized at Convocation:

• Rising Scholars selected last year will all be seated in a special section and will be recognized during the Convocation program.
• Rising Scholars nominated and selected this year will be seated in the same seating section and also recognized during the program. In addition, these new Rising Scholars will join the faculty during the processional, marching alongside a faculty member who nominated them.