Alumni Awards

Alumni Awards Nominations Now Open!

The annual Alumni Awards program is one of CU Boulder's longest-standing traditions – and it can't happen without you! 

Each year, we recognize the accomplishments of some of our most inspirational alumni, faculty, staff and students. But first, we need you to tell us about these amazing Forever Buffs. 

Revised Submission Deadline: Due to Covid-19, we have extended our nominations deadline for the 2020 Alumni Awards to May 29, 2020. You can review award criteria and submit your nominations here.

Submit Your Nominations!

2020 Alumni Awards Selection Timeline

Nov. 11, 2019: The nomination window opens for alumni and the campus community. The 2020 Alumni Award nominations are open to all CU Boulder alumni, faculty, staff and students. 
May 29, 2020: Deadline for nominations to be submitted. Only nominees submitted by 11:59 p.m. MST on May 29, 2020 will be considered.
June 1, 2020: Nomination submissions are presented to the selection committee for review.
June 18, 2020: Committee selects 2020 Alumni Award recipients. 
Early July 2020: Alumni Award winners and nominators are notified by email that they are winners and invited to the Alumni Awards ceremony. Nominators of candidates that were not selected also will be notified, but nominees that did not win will not.
Mid-August 2020: Formal announcement will be made naming 2020 Alumni Award winners. Winners will be featured on the Alumni Association website and other platforms to share the news with the campus community. 
October 22, 2020: 91st Annual Alumni Awards Ceremony and Reception at the Glenn Miller Ballroom, CU Boulder campus

5:45 p.m. – Registration
6 p.m. – Buffet Dinner 
7 p.m. – Ceremony
8:30 p.m. – Meet and Greet with 2020 Award Winners
9 p.m. – Event Ends

Resources for Nominators

The Alumni Association thanks you for taking the time and effort to nominate an alum, student, faculty or staff member for one of our six Alumni Awards. Please read the steps below prior to making your submission to ensure your application presents your nominee at their best.

1. Review our six award descriptions and evaluation criteria to decide which award your candidate best fits.
2. Check to see if your candidate has already received the Alumni Award for which you are nominating them. Previous winners are listed on the pages linked below as well. Once a candidate receives an award they are not eligible to be nominated for the same award again.
3. Consider reaching out to your nominee to inform them that you are nominating them for an award. Enlist the help of your nominee in identifying five people who might be willing to provide a letter of support for their nomination. (You will only use three letters of recommendation, but it's always good to have more people to reach out to in case someone is unavailable.) This step is particularly helpful if you are nominating a candidate that you don’t know well but has demonstrated success in their industry, community or at CU Boulder.
   Note: This step is at the discretion of the nominator. Many other nominators in the past have elected not to share with their nominee that they are nominating them for an award. If you feel you know your candidate well and already have a list of people that you can reach out to for letters of support, then this may not be a necessary step for you.
4. Each nomination should include no more than three letters of recommendation and a total of 10 supporting documents (including the three letters of recommendation). Supporting documents can include media articles, other awards or achievements (personal and/or professional), professional accomplishments in industry or community, etc. We have found the quality of the recommendation, not the quantity is of more importance in strengthening a nomination.
5. Reach out to all contacts who you would like to write letters of recommendation and provide at least two weeks for them to write those letters and send to you for submission. Letters of recommendation should address award criteria and the ways in which your nominee meets them.
6. Write your primary nominator letter of support and ensure it clearly speaks to any items you think might not be conveyed in the letters of recommendation and supporting documentation. This is a great place to explain how your candidate has made specific contributions or has had an impact on CU Boulder in particular.
7. Gather all supporting documents and letters of recommendation prior to the submission deadline of Friday, May 29. Once the nomination is formally submitted, it is not possible to make changes. Please make sure you have clearly reviewed all submission criteria and your application has been thoroughly checked before you submit!
8. Submit your nomination. We use an online tool called Submittable to collect nominations for our Alumni Awards. This tool allows the nominator to create a username and password and log in to make updates to a nomination submission as many times as they would like before final submission. Questions on using Submittable can be sent to Brennan Jones at brennan.jones@colorado.edu. 

Submit Your Nominations!

Questions? If you have questions about the Alumni Awards or nomination process, please contact Brennan Jones at brennan.jones@colorado.edu or call 303-492-6899.