Student Leader Prize Policy
Student Union, in conjunction with the Department of Student Engagement and Dean of Students Office, established a pilot program during the 2021-2022 academic year to provide student leaders affiliated with certain student organizations a monetary prize. These prizes are funds awarded for a student’s involvement and leadership on campus. The pilot program was originally established in 2021 to address barriers to involvement in student leadership roles, and it has continued to provide prizes annually to the following organizations:
- Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps
- Campus Activities Board
- Student Sexuality Information Service
- Student Union
- Waltham Group
The initial pilot program was reviewed in 2022 to promote consistency and equity across various roles and organizations. Long-term, there is also a need to ensure the sustainability of funding to support this program.
Changes to which student organizations are included in the Student Leader Prize program, the number or types of positions included, and/or prize amounts cannot be made without prior written approval from the Assistant Dean of Students, Director of Student Engagement, Budget Analyst, and Student Union President and Vice President. The Dean of Students Office, Student Engagement, and Student Union President and Vice President may jointly agree to adjustments to positions included or prize amounts in advance of the academic year; these changes will be communicated to organizations prior to the start of the academic year. Changes to the organizations included in the prize program typically will not change year-to-year; the organizations included will be reviewed in 2025, in conjunction with a larger review of the Student Leader Prize Program.
Student Leader Prizes will be awarded following each semester (fall and spring). Students must complete a full semester in their respective role in order to be eligible to receive the prize for that semester. No prizes will be awarded for unfilled roles. Students may not receive multiple prizes for service in multiple roles. No prizes will be awarded for general member roles.
If individuals have questions, they can reach out to the Department of Student Engagement or Student Union.
Secured Club:Per Student Union’s constitution, a Secured Club is hereinafter defined as an organization recognized by students as sufficiently important to necessitate annual funding, eligibility to office space in the Shapiro Campus Center, and an administrative advisor, and thus attain secured status through the Student Union Constitution. A Secured Club must:
- have been established for at least 5 consecutive years;
- have a specific purpose of serving the entire Brandeis student body, whether in the form of community service, physical/mental health, elected representation or another widely received benefit to the Brandeis student body; and
- demonstrate the impacts of said service by developing a bi-yearly impact assessment report to be submitted to the Department of Student Engagement and to the Student Union Senate.
Eligibility for Student Leader Prizes:
A student organization that may be determined by the above parties to be eligible to receive Student Leader Prizes is hereinafter defined as a Secured Club which:
- is made up of elected and/or appointed student leaders;
- is integral to every Brandeis student with respect to one or more of the following priorities: physical/mental health, traditions and spirit, and advocating for student needs; and
- sufficiently demonstrates an equity issue for students who wish to dedicate their time but would otherwise be unable to certain integral student leadership positions within said Secured Club.