Award for Outstanding First-Generation Student Advocacy

Description

The Award for Outstanding First-Generation Student Advocacy honors one faculty member and one staff member or administrator who supports first-generation students’ success and serves as an exemplary advocate for first-generation students at the University of Iowa. Recipients of the award will be honored in March during the annual 1stGen@Iowa Awards and Recognition Ceremony. 

Nomination Instructions

Eligibility for Award:

  • Current UI administrators, staff, and faculty are eligible for this award
  • Two awards will be given -- one to a UI faculty member and one to a UI staff member or administrator
  • It is not required that nominees have identified as first-generation students themselves

Who May Nominate:

  • Any current UI student, faculty, or staff member may make a nomination.
  • Note on Self-Nominations: While self-nominations are permitted, they are generally discouraged. Nominations submitted by others carry greater weight in the selection process. Nominees should not solicit more than one nomination to be submitted on their behalf.  

Deadline:

  • Nominations will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, January 16, 2026. 

Nomination Materials:

To nominate a faculty or staff member for this award, please submit the following materials. Note that each nomination requires two participants:

  • Primary Nominator - responsible for completing and submitting the nomination form
  • Secondary Nominator - provides the required letter of support.
  1. The Nomination Form: The primary nominator completes the online nomination form (available 11/3/25), responding to the following four questions (limit: 2,000 characters per question):
    • Advocacy & Support: How has the nominee demonstrated exemplary commitment to advocating for and supporting first-generation students?
    • Impact: What evidence is there that the nominee's efforts on campus have positively affected either a large number of first-generation students or a smaller number in a deeply meaningful way?
    • Institutional Contributions: How have the nominee’s efforts contributed to advancing long-term or permanent institutional strategies that support first-generation students in progressing towards a degree?
    • Recognition: In what other ways, if any, has the nominee been recognized for their advocacy and support of first-generation students at the University of Iowa?
  2. One Letter of Support:  Include one letter of support, provided by a secondary nominator (a current UI student, faculty, or staff member) that also directly addresses each of the four questions listed above. The letter of support is limited to two pages; no more than one letter will be accepted. The letter of support must be uploaded to the online nomination form at the time of submission by the primary nominator.

You will also need to include the nominee’s Departmental Executive Officer (for faculty) or direct supervisor (for staff). This person will provide endorsement of the nomination via approval of the nomination form in workflow.

Nominate

Selection Process:

A committee of four people composed of 1stGen@Iowa Faculty & Staff Collaborative members and 1stGen@Iowa Student Advisory Board members will review the nominations according to the criteria outlined in the above nomination materials. 

Timeline:

  • Nomination Form Opens: Monday, November 3, 2025
  • Nomination Submission Deadline: Friday, January 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
  • Nomination Endorsement Deadline (supervisor or DEO endorsement in workflow): Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
  • Recipients notified in February 2026 and awards presented in March 2026.
     

Contact:

Please contact Angie Lamb (angela-lamb@uiowa.edu) with questions.