National Student Employee of the Year Award (SEOTY)

What is SEOTY?

SEOTY 2023

NSEA unveiled the new Student Employee of the Year process at the annual conference in Baltimore.  A program design team (Char Burke from the University of Texas Austin, Rodrigo Mercado from San Diego State University, and Mary Young from Southern New Hampshire University) redesigned the process.  After a careful review of the membership feedback survey, we decided to honor five student employees. 

Qualifications:

• Nominating institutions must be current members of NSEA
• Students must be currently enrolled at the nominating institution
• Student must be in an undergraduate program; graduate students and teaching assistants are not eligible for this award

Process:

• NSEA member runs the Student Employee of the Year process at their institutions
• NSEA member submits their SEOTY for one of the categories listed below
• Program Design Team members will lead a committee of volunteers to choose a winner in each category
• NSEA Board Members will choose the overall SEOTY from the five winners of each category
• Each winner will receive $300, with the overall SEOTY receiving an additional $300

Categories:

• Community Service
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Leadership
• Technology & Innovation
• Critical Thinking
• Overall Student Employee of the Year

Please see the SEOTY FAQ for More Information

Submit Your School's Nomination Form

2023 Timeline

Suggestions

• Call for nominations - publicize the competition widely, put it in your campus newspaper, send flyers to all departments, and announce it on your campus homepage and any departmental listserv.
• Selection committee - be certain it's more than just faculty and administrators. Include clerical staff and one or two students (undergrad or grad). The committee should total an odd number to avoid ties when voting (five, seven, or nine members are recommended).
• Promote the nomination process -by posting pictures of nominees around campus as they are received, put articles in the campus paper, on the homepage, and listserv.
• Selection criteria - have some mechanism to consider all students equally and not give too much consideration to complex job descriptions or longevity of service.
• Award presentation - Be creative in holding virtual celebrations in 2021. Invite your campus president and additional senior leadership to speak with students, play videos of supervisors speaking about their nominees, and create a picture collage of all nominees. Have the state government issue a proclamation.
  • List of Proclamation Info by States - information on how to contact your state governor concerning a Student Employee of the Year Proclamation
  • Proclamation Letter Example
• Prizes - arrange for cash scholarship, tuition waiver, or bookstore certificate for the winner. Have trophies, plaques, or certificates for all nominees.
• Hold your recognition event during National Student Employment Week.

Mary Young, VP of Administrative Services, NSEA Board