At a glance

• Three awards

• The awards initiative is open to all CUBS undergraduate and taught/research postgraduate students
• research students please note your research project cannot be used as the basis for your submission
• one self-nominated application per year across all categories for all applicants, but you can have additional peer-nominated applications
• students can submit an application every year they are a registered as a CUBS student, however, the application must be on a different initiative or activity.
• Recurring applications on the same activity are not allowed
• Questions about this award can be directed to t.nagle@ucc.ie 

• To enter, complete the following two steps:

  Step one: Complete the submission template (located at this link

  https://uccireland.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/DeansList/Eb03hAm2mD5JlOzyTLO4HrABKT71UTODyb7xdN7RK76QrA?e=OqlqDN )

  Step two: Upload the submission using this link: https://forms.office.com/r/QJnTL1nwVn

  To gain access to the template and submission form you must log in with your UCC email address.

Detail:  

The award programme aims to recognise the positive (non-academic related) impact and performance of CUBS students as they complete their university degree. Students enrolled in a taught CUBS programme (undergraduate and postgraduate) can submit to the awards scheme with the possibility of attaining a Recognition Certificate, Outstanding Achievement, and Sustained Impact award. The initiative will provide opportunities for students to showcase their many capabilities and levels of impact across six categories (see summary Table 1). These categories are further described below and detail activities that highlight performance beyond academic grades but linked to UCC core values as set out in the Graduate Attributes Programme. For further details on the application process please see Table 2 below.

Table 1: Award Categories with associated attributes and values

Whilst the Assessment Rubric (see below) is the basis on which awards are assessed, the following information may assist in formulating submissions. The following guides are illustrative but not exhaustive in formulating your submission.

Global Citizen

• Recognition of exceptional efforts to make the world a better place.
• Steps taken to promote sustainability in our society
• Impact on society/environment/university
• Range from being on the committee of a board/society to active leadership in making a positive change.
• Activities can be global with local impact.
• Example impact metrics that can be used to describe the impact (see assessment rubric for further details):
• People helped
• Money raised
• Activities organised and attendances
• Practices improved or stopped

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

• Recognition of new ideas and inventions for business and society
• Demonstration of creativity and drive to bring an idea to fruition
• Use of technology is welcome but the primary aim is not to solely demonstrate technology.
• Ideas can cut across all domains but given the focus on learning and society in the other categories the focus should be outside of these
• Activities can range from individual college projects that have real impact to activities in which a student has played a leading role in an innovation or external business.
• Example impact metrics that can be used to describe the impact (see assessment rubric for further details):
  • Revenue generated or money saved
  • Customer base or orders fulfilled
  • Efficiency of the innovation over past solutions
  • Level of validation by independent assessors

Learning Transformation

• Recognition of significant impact on teaching and learning.
• Focus of initiative on teaching and learning within or outside of CUBS/UCC.
• Can range from implementing a new teaching technique as a tutor to designing a new course and running it.
• Focus can be on any topic from sport to business to academic.
• Example impact metrics that can be used to describe the impact (see assessment rubric for further details):
  • Number of people on the course
  • Number of times it ran or was implemented
  • Measure of their skill/knowledge improvement
  • Impact that the learners created after the transformation

Exceptional Journey

• Recognition of exceptional efforts by students to overcome challenges
• Demonstration of resilience in the face of adversity
• This can be very personal, but entry should be encouraged/facilitated by peer or staff nomination
• Example impact metrics that can be used to describe the impact (see assessment rubric for further details):
• Input focused
• Determination of the size of the challenge or adversity
• Measure of the effort expended overcoming the challenge
• Personal impact for overcoming the challenge

Student Choice

• Peer-nominated award which focuses on recognising impact on the lives of other students.
• Nominated by two or more students (maximum of five)
• Demonstration of respect and compassion for others
• Description of impact that a student has had on others
• Example impact metrics that can be used to describe the impact (see assessment rubric for further details):
• No. of students that benefited from the student’s support
• Size of impact (for individual cases)
• Length of time the student has been providing support

 Dean’s Leadership

• Nominated directly by the Dean of CUBS.
• Recognition of leadership by a student.

Application Process

Table 2: Application process

Students can apply for a Recognition Certificate by submitting a 800-word (max) impact story (except for the Dean’s Leadership category which is awarded at the discretion of the Dean). Students must detail the category they are applying for and utilise the submission template provided. The submission is assessed using the assessment rubric (see Table 3) and submissions which are deemed to highlight an outstanding impact are shortlisted. Shortlisted candidates may be invited to further detail their impact by request of the judging panel. Submissions are to be signed by the nominee (and nominator in the case of peer-nominated submissions) and also by a CUBS staff member.

Students can also self-nominate (for Global Citizen, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Learning Transformation), be nominated by their peers (for Exceptional Journey and Student’s Choice) or be nominated by the Dean (for Dean’s Leadership). Students can only self-nominate for one award once a year under a category that aligns most with their impact. However, this does not restrict a student from inclusion in a peer-nominated award. A student can also submit multiple peer-nominated submissions once they are for different peers (you cannot nominate the same person twice). If during their eligible time in CUBS a student attains three awards, they will be given a Sustained Impact award. There is no submission required for this award.  

Assessment Rubric

 Table 3: Rubric

 *The metrics provided in the category descriptions are not exhaustive and only provide a guide for students. The selection committee will exercise its judgement as to the size and significance of the impact as detailed by the metrics provided and the nature of the submission.

Closing date for applications:  31^st  of January 2025.