Recognition Programs
Why host a recognition initiative
Part of the Mortar Board Experience is visibility through recognition. Most of our chapters host some type of recognition program or initiative. These programs are typically branded with Mortar Board and serve as a great way to further chapter visibility to faculty, staff, and students (i.e.: future Mortar Boards).
Recognition programs vary in complexity. Some are formal awards ceremonies, banquets, or scholarships. Others are “Professor/Student of the Month” recognition with certificates and a small gift or a thank you note campaign done during meetings to help brighten someone’s day. Recognition can take many forms, but all recognition initiatives help gain Mortar Board visibility to others on campus.
Recognizing Faculty/Staff
Mortar Board has a long history of recognizing outstanding faculty and staff members for their contributions to scholarship, leadership, and service. This can be done through recognition programs, honorary membership, or Last Lecture Series.
Most chapters choose to host some type of faculty/staff recognition or appreciation event. Sometimes, they recognize departments for their hard work, and other times they recognize individuals. Some chapters have members each select a faculty/staff member they want to recognize while others votes on just a few. Initiatives can be as formal as awards banquet, as casual as a thank you note campaign, or somewhere in the middle with a certificate and kind words.
However faculty and staff are recognized, it increases Mortar Board’s visibility on campus to a new group of people. This is important as chapters try to create campus partnership, or even tap in classrooms and sport team practices.
Recognizing Students
One great way to recruit future Mortar Boards is to recognize underclassmen. This allows Mortar Board to get its name out to students who are not yet eligible but will be in a year or two. Some chapters are able to offer scholarships, while others do top-ten lists, have awards for those who uphold Mortar Board’s tenets, or write thank you notes to students for their contributions. Recognizing freshman and sophomores for their scholarship, leadership, and service is a great way to start recruiting them to be a future Mortar Board.
Recognition Program Ideas
Need fresh ideas for your chapter? We’ve compiled a list of recognition program options you can consider. If you have ideas to add to the list, email chapters@mortarboard.org.
Click here to see what recognition programs other chapters are doing.
Last Lecture Series
Many chapters host a Last Lecture Series, which is a great way to recognize faculty for their outstanding contributions to campus and/or support of Mortar Board and its members. Mortar Board students invite (sometimes vote) faculty members to give a lecture on something that deeply matters to them, giving a hypothetical final talk. Most Last Lecture events are open to the campus community and give Mortar Board a great opportunity for visibility. They also allow students to recognize these amazing faculty in front of a larger audience for their contributions to the campus and community.