Highlander Awards
Each spring the Office of Studen Life recognizes outstanding students, organizations and faculty/staff that have made an impact on our NJIT Community.
The 27th Annual Highlander Awards will be hosted May 4, 2023.
All nominations are due no later than April 3, 2023, to submit your nomination please visit our 2023 Highlander Awards Nomination page.
Program Awards Descriptions
Advocacy Program of the Year
This award recognizes a student organization initiative that has displayed strong leadership in generating awareness about existing social issues, such as sustainability or human rights. Nominations should demonstrate how its members advocated for a cause, what was gained as a result of their advocacy, and the impact they had on the University or larger community.
Community Service Program of the Year
This award recognizes a student organization whose program saw a need and initiated positive change outside the NJIT community through service and action. Nominations should demonstrate how its members provided direct service to individuals or the community, such as assisting youth with homework, how they made a significant contribution to the community, and explain what was gained as a result of participation in the service event. Monetary or academic credit should not have been received from involvement.
Diversity Program of the Year
This award recognizes a student organization program that provides information and raises awareness about diversity or multicultural topics, such as race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender, sex, ability, cultural identity, and/or cross-cultural communication. Nominations should describe how their program sought to provide students with opportunities to explore how they can become better leaders in a diverse world.
Professional Development Program of the Year
This award recognizes a student organization program which provided an impactful professional development opportunity for students. Nominations should describe the elements of the event that allowed students to develop professionally, such as with speakers, alumni engagement, etc, and what students gained from attending the program.
Social Program of the Year
This award recognizes a high-quality student organization program that complemented NJIT’s academic environment and became a cherished part of the Highlander experience. Nominations should describe how student participation and school spirit were promoted from the program as well as how students were provided with the opportunity to interact with new people.
Outstanding Social Media Award
This award recognizes a student organization that has demonstrated a standout social media presence by displaying creativity, innovation, and regularity in order to inform, attract, and/or capture an audience during our mostly virtual status. Nominations should explain how their social media connection benefitted the student body and the organization.
Collaborative Spirit Award
This award recognizes the collaborative efforts made in a program or initiative between two or more student organizations. Nominations should explain how the elements of teamwork, collaboration, negotiation, effective listening skills, and membership development have been embodied through the collaborative effort as well as what students gained from the experience.
Student Organizations Awards
New Student Organization of the Year
This award recognizes a student organization that has been established at NJIT within the past 2 years and has sustained active engagement throughout. Nominated organizations should have demonstrated involvement in the NJIT community by providing creative programs, a new opportunity for students that had not been met before in other areas, leadership positions, has worked to ensure the organization is successful in years to come, and must show how they have made a positive impact within their first year or two.
Student Organization of the Year
This award recognizes an established student organization which exemplifies commitment to the betterment and strengthening of the organization’s chosen community. Nominated organizations should have strong leaders who consistently work together toward the group’s common goals as well as serve as a role model for other student organizations in these areas: excelling in fulfilling the organization mission and goals, maintaining and retaining members, engaging in teamwork and collaboration with other student organizations, providing a variety of programs that reflect the mission and purpose of their organization, providing opportunities for members to develop their leadership skills, and creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for diverse membership.
Individual Student Awards Descriptions
Excellence in Advocacy
This award recognizes a student who has demonstrated leadership in generating awareness about existing social issues and advocating for change in the NJIT or larger community. These students serve as a role model for social change. Nominations should express how the NJIT or larger community has improved as a result of this student’s efforts and how they have grown as an advocate.
Excellence in Multiculturalism
This award recognizes a student who has displayed leadership and advocacy on diversity topics and has devoted time and effort to improvement within the NJIT or larger community. These students serve as a role model for diversity education, inclusion, and social justice. Nominations should express how the NJIT or larger community has improved as a result of this student’s efforts and how they have grown from helping expand multiculturalism.
Excellence in Service
This award recognizes a student who has made significant contributions to the community through their time, action, talent, and dedication. These students serve as a role model for service, are invested in helping others in the community, and increase awareness of community issues through volunteer projects. Monetary or academic credit should not have been received from involvement. Nominations should express the student’s direct service to the community, such as assisting youth with homework, and how they have grown from being of service.
Excellence in Spirit
This award recognizes a student who has displayed extraordinary Highlander spirit and NJIT pride. Whether working on campus, attending sporting events, or working to increase student engagement at NJIT, these students serve as formal and informal ambassadors of NJIT and exude pride in their institution no matter where they are. Nominations for this award should express how the student has represented NJIT and their school spirit, why it is important, and the impact it has made.
Student Staff Member of the Year
This award recognizes a student employee who has made valuable contributions to NJIT, gone above and beyond their required work responsibilities, and shown a commitment to balancing work, academics, and student involvement. Nominations should demonstrate the student’s growth of competency in three or more of the following areas: Reliability, Initiative, Adaptability, Professionalism, Positive Attitude, Quality of Work, and Uniqueness of Contribution. Please include the department in which the nominee works and the supervisor's name.
Rising Star
This award recognizes a first year or sophomore student who exemplifies the next generation of student leaders at NJIT. These students have already shown to have a positive impact at NJIT by serving in a student organization, attending events and meetings, taking initiative to assist with events, advocating for student causes, and/or dedicating oneself to student life in other ways. Only students in First Year or Sophomore standing are eligible to receive this award.
Lisa A. Pierce Student Leader of the Year Award
This award is in honor of Lisa Ann Pierce (1968-2004) who worked in Higher Education for over 10 years. Lisa was committed to challenging students to pursue their dreams. This award recognizes a student who best exemplifies the leadership qualities within a student organization or team, such as consistently motivating other members, providing vision for the group, and leading by example in accomplishing organizational goals. Nominations should express how the student is a positive role model for peers, shows commitment to their organization(s), is reliable, and affects positive change in the student community through campus involvement. Only students in Junior, Senior, or Graduate standing are eligible to recieve this award.
Presidential Leadership Award
This award is the most prestigious NJIT can bestow upon a student and is presented by the University President. It recognizes two students per year, one undergraduate and one graduate, who embody the mission and values of NJIT through their campus leadership, community service, and academics. Nominations should express how the student exemplifies high ideals and actively impacts NJIT positively while being involved in both student life and excelling academically.
Individual Faculty/Staff Awards
Advisor of the Year
This award recognizes a faculty or staff member who consistently contributes their time, energy, mentorship, compassion, and commitment to the student development of the student organization they advise. This advisor helps motivate the organization by realizing their potential and achieving their goals, assisting with conflict resolution strategies, while mentoring individual members and leading by example. This advisor pushes the organization to distinguish itself, as well as challenges the members to develop and enhance leadership skills. This person has gone above and beyond to aid a student organization, is very active in the campus community beyond their formal role at NJIT, and exemplifies NJIT pride.
Campus Impact Award
This award recognizes a person employed by NJIT, who is not a member of the faculty or a student organization advisor, and has had a profound positive impact on the student experience. This individual has gone above and beyond to support and empower NJIT students.
Specific Award Criteria
Organization & Program Award Criteria
- Good standings with governing council
- Attend all required meetings and trainings hosted by the Office of Student Life and governing council
- Organizations or Program should not have received the award within the past 2 years
Individual Student Awards
- 2.5 cumulative GPA for all individual awards, 3.0 cumulative GPA for Presidential Leadership Awards
- Enrolled in Fall 2021/Spring 2022 courses
- Must be a First-Year or Sophomore to be nominated for Rising Star Awards
- Must be a Junior, Seniors, or Graduate student for the Lisa A. Pierce Student Leader Award