Frequently Asked Questions
What does each award recognize?
When is the deadline for nominations?
What are the conditions of nomination?
Do nominations carry over from previous years?
What is the selection process?
How are nominees notified if they win an award?
What should be included in a nomination package?
Who do I contact if I require further information?
What is the history of the Distinguished Alumni Award
Why can’t I save a nomination form I completed?
What does each award recognize?
Distinguished Alumni Award, Lifetime Achievement
Recognizes graduates who are distinguished in their career and in their contributions to society.
Nominees must demonstrate a lifetime of:
- sustained achievement in their life’s work
- outstanding contributions which have had a transformative impact within their community
Distinguished Alumni Award, Professional Achievement
Recognizes graduates who demonstrate outstanding accomplishments in their field of endeavor.
Nominees must demonstrate:
- a standard of professional excellence to which others can aspire
- leadership in his/her profession
- outstanding achievements recognized by the nominee’s professional community
Distinguished Alumni Award, Outstanding Young Alumni
Recognizes graduates who are 35 or under at the close of nominations.
Nominees must demonstrate:
- inspiring achievements in their field of endeavor
- contributions which have had a transformative impact on their community
- service to the University of Manitoba
Distinguished Alumni Award, Community Service
Recognizes graduates who have had a transformative impact on those in their community, either on the local, national or international stage.
Nominees must demonstrate:
- extraordinary efforts that have made a positive impact on their community
- community service or volunteer work that has engaged and inspired others
- community service outside of their professional discipline in a voluntary or charitable capacity
When is the deadline for nominations?
The nomination period for the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Awards is from November 18, 2019 to January 17, 2020.
To submit a nomination, please save and fill in the form electronically. Email the completed form to alumni@umanitoba.ca.
What are the conditions of nomination?
- Nominees must be graduates of the University of Manitoba in a recognized degree, diploma or certificate program
- Nominees must be in good standing in the community who have not engaged in activities that could bring to dishonour to the University of Manitoba
- Nominations must be submitted according to the guidelines presented in that year
- An individual may receive an award in more than one category during their lifetime, but may be honoured in only one category each year
- Nominations can be made by University of Manitoba alumni, staff, faculty, students or a member of the public
- Nominators must contact the individual prior to submitting their nomination package to confirm the following:
- The individual agrees to be nominated
- The nominee understands that their selection is contingent on being available to attend the Celebration of Excellence to accept the award in person
- All nominations will be treated as confidential
- Nominations received after the closing date will not be accepted
- Alumni may not nominate themselves
- Nominations can include current or past University of Manitoba staff members, but they must be recognized for work beyond their job description
- The following alumni are not eligible to receive an Alumni Award:
- Alumni who currently hold political office at a local, provincial/state, or national level
- Nominations of External Relations staff (Donor Relations, Alumni Relations, Government and Community Engagement, Marketing Communications Office)
- Members of the selection committee
- Members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors
- Members of the University of Manitoba Board of Governors
- University of Manitoba honorary degree recipients as this represents the highest honour bestowed by the University of Manitoba
Do nominations carry over from previous years?
- Nominations received in the previous year will automatically be moved forward to the next year for consideration
- The nominee is not advised of their renomination
What is the selection process?
A selection panel will invite and select nominations. Nominations will be closed on a date determined by the Alumni Relations staff and agreed upon by the Alumni Association in accordance with the date determined for the awards gala event.
The Selection Panel:
5.1 Selection panel membership
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- The Alumni Achievement Committee in collaboration with the University of Manitoba is responsible for establishing a selection panel
- The selection panel will include:
- Voting Members
- The Chair of the Selection Panel
- Four previously selected Distinguished Alumni Award or Honorary Degree recipients
- Non-Voting Members
- The Vice-President, External or designate
- Director of Alumni Relations or designate
5.2 The role of the selection panel
The selection panel will review nominations for the Alumni Awards against the established criteria. The panel will recommend to the President of the University of Manitoba the proposed recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Awards.
5.3 The role of the Vice-President, External
The Vice-President, External will serve as a non-voting member in an advisory capacity.
5.4 The role of the Director of Alumni Relations
The Director of Alumni Relations will fulfill the administrative duties of this committee but will not have a vote in the selection process. The Director will confirm recipients list with the University of Manitoba President’s Office before the decision is finalized.
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How are nominees notified if they win an award?
The Chair of the Selection Panel will be responsible for contacting the recipients and inviting them to accept their award. It is essential that selected nominees attend the awards ceremony. Once the recipients have accepted the award, the Alumni Relations Office will contact all of the nominators to share the outcome of the selection process.
What should be included in a nomination package?
Your nomination package should include the following:
- One completed nomination form
- One page biographical summary of nominee
- Two letters of reference (from other than nominator – typed, 8.5 x 11)
- Additional supporting materials if necessary (Supporting material, no more than eight pages, can include nominee’s Curriculum Vitae (CV), listing of other awards received, media clippings, etc.)
Who do I contact if I require further information?
For more information, contact:
Roslyn Dally
Lead, Alumni & Donor Relations, University of Manitoba
200-137 Innovation Drive, Winnipeg, MB R3T 6B6
Phone 204-474-8474
Toll-Free in Canada 1-800-668-4908
Fax 204-474-7531
Email: Roslyn.Dally@umanitoba.ca
What is the history of the Distinguished Alumni Award?
The Alumni Association and the University have a long history of celebrating the wonderful accomplishments of alumni.
In 1937, the Alumni Association established the Alumni Jubilee Award to commemorate the University’s 60th Anniversary and to honour a student, from any faculty, for outstanding extracurricular contributions. The Jubilee Award was redesigned and reintroduced in 1959 to honour an alumnus/alumna whose contributions to society were outstanding; it was renamed the Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA) in 1996.
In 2012, the Alumni Association, together with the University of Manitoba, recognized the importance of expanding the awards program to acknowledge more than one graduate per year. As a result, in 2014, five awards were presented, including the DAA.
Why can’t I save a nomination form I completed?
In order to fill out and save a nomination form, you must use the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.