Outstanding community engagement is formally recognized through the following awards:

Ivory Community Leadership Award Presidential Awards for Community Engagement

IVORY COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP AWARD

The Ivory Community Leadership Award encourages and recognizes the extraordinary efforts of Weber State University students who positively impact student success and/or provide leadership in community engagement. Each year, the recipient of the Ivory Award will receive a cash prize of $2,000 (less taxes, etc.) along with up to a $10,000 donation towards the recipient's cause, initiative, and/or team.

To qualify for the Ivory Community Leadership Award, applicants must be a currently enrolled student at Weber State University or an alum who has graduated within the past five years. Nominees are not eligible if they are serving as a Trustee of Weber State University at the time of nomination or award.

• Award Criteria

  Prize recipients will have demonstrated positive influence on student success and/or provided leadership in community engagement, for example:

  • A student leader who marshaled support over several years to meet a particular student need, such as a new program or center;
  • A student whose work with the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL) developed a program that impacts an economically underserved population in a meaningful way;
  • A student who led a legislative initiative that changed the way higher education is funded or organized and affects institutions around the state;
  • A student whose leadership turned around a struggling organization, or developed a new program on campus that met a critical need.
• Eligibility Criteria
  • Award nominees must be currently enrolled, or recently graduated (within the last five years) from Weber State University.
  • Nominees can be undergraduate or graduate students, or recent baccalaureate or graduate degree recipients.
  • Nominees cannot be serving as a Trustee at the time of nomination.
  • Nominees (those who are current students) must be in good academic standing at the time of consideration and award.
• Awards Process & Timeline

  Announcement & award criteria sent to university community	week of January 12, 2026
  Application due	February 15, 2026
  Ivory Award Committee begins review process	February 16, 2026
  Selection of recipient	week of March 2,2025
  Announce award recipient(s)	week of March 9, 2026
  CCEL Recognition Event	April 9, 2026

• Recognition
  • Announcement of the Ivory Award recipient will be made public just before the end of the school year. The recipient will be recognized at CCEL’s annual celebration in the spring.
  • The recipient of the Ivory Award will be highlighted on the University website.
  • Each year, the Ivory Award recipient will be memorialized in a prominently placed display in the Shepherd Union.

PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Each year, WSU recognizes the work of outstanding faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners. Awardees will be selected for each of the categories below and recognized at the annual CCELebration.  

You can submit your nomination on GivePulse using the 'Submit Presidential Award Nominations' link below. If you have not already claimed your GivePulse account, you will need to do so before filling out the nomination form. If you have already claimed your account, use the purple "Log In Via Weber State" link to login via the eWeber Portal.

Award Categories

• Awards (Faculty, Staff, Student/Student Group, Community Partner, & Alumnus)

  COMMUNITY ENGAGED FACULTY MEMBER

  The Presidential Award for Community Engaged Faculty encourages and recognizes WSU faculty who meaningfully incorporate community-engaged learning and/or research into classroom instruction. To qualify, nominees must be current faculty or adjunct faculty who demonstrate significant community-engaged learning and/or research that: 

  • Creates sustainable and positive social change in the community
  • Creates significant learning opportunities for WSU students
  • Demonstrates collaborative, mutually beneficial, and sustainable partnerships with community members and/or organizations

   

  COMMUNITY ENGAGED STAFF MEMBER

  The Presidential Award for Community Engaged Staff recognizes a staff member who demonstrates leadership in advancing community engagement as a critical component at Weber State. To qualify, nominees must be current staff who:

  • Shows leadership in advancing community engagement as a critical component within Weber State
  • Forms collaborative, mutually beneficial and sustainable partnerships with community members and/or organizations
  • Creates opportunities for students to learn and grow from engagement and/or community-engaged learning experiences.

   

  COMMUNITY ENGAGED STUDENT OR STUDENT GROUP

  The Presidential Award for Community Engaged Student recognizes students or student groups who take action in pursuit of long-term, positive social change, inspire and engage others, and demonstrate efforts to sustain their work. To qualify, nominees must be a currently enrolled student or active student group at Weber State University and must:

  • Take action in pursuit of sustainable positive social change
  • Collaborate with, inspire, and engage others in a context of sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship
  • Demonstrate applied learning experience from a class or community engagement experience

  
  ENGAGED COMMUNITY PARTNER

  The Presidential Award for Engaged Community Partner recognizes an individual or organization that strengthens community engagement at Weber State, provides meaningful service and learning opportunities for students, and enhances their organization's mission, programs and goals through their partnership with Weber State. To qualify, nominees must be an individual or community organization that:

  • Strengthens community engagement at Weber State
  • Provides meaningful community engagement and learning opportunities for students
  • Enhances their agency's mission, programs, and/or goals through their partnering with Weber State

  
  COMMUNITY ENGAGED ALUMNUS

  The Presidential Award for Community Engaged Alum recognizes an alum of Weber State University who demonstrates an ongoing and deep commitment to community engagement. To qualify, nominees must:

  • Take action that has resulted in sustainable, positive social change
  • Form collaborative, mutually beneficial, and sustainable partnerships with community members and/or organizations in a context of mutually beneficial relationship
  • Demonstrate applied learning from their education at Weber State
• Awards Process & Timeline

  Nominations Open	week of January 12, 2026
  Nominations Due	February 27, 2026
  Recipients Announced	week of March 16, 2026
  Public Recognition at CCELebration (Annual CCEL Recognition Event)	April 9, 2026