Excellence Awards Banquet
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 / 6:00 PM / Mountainlair Ballrooms
Organization and Individual Excellence Awards
Due by noon (12pm) on Monday, April 6, 2026
Student Engagement and Leadership presents the annual Student Organizations Excellence Awards. This program is dedicated to recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of student organizations, student leaders, and faculty/staff advisors. The Student Organization Excellence Awards categories are:
Outstanding Student Organization (Presented by Student Government Association)
Acknowledges the organization that has had a positive impact on WVU and the community. Recognizes the student organization that demonstrated consistent flexibility, initiative, creativity, and perseverance. Made a meaningful contribution to students, WVU, and/or the surrounding community.
Outstanding Graduate Student Organization
Recognizes the graduate student organization that demonstrated consistent flexibility, initiative, creativity, and perseverance. Made a meaningful contribution to students, WVU, and/or the surrounding community.
Outstanding New Student Organization
Recognizes a newly recognized student organization that exhibited initiative in organizational development and strong potential to contribute to the quality of life as a recognized student organization at West Virginia University.
Outstanding Student Organization Program
Recognizes a student organization program that enhances the University Community.
Outstanding Teamwork/Collaboration by a Student Organization
Recognizes the
student organization that worked most effectively with other student
organizations, university departments, and/or the Greater Morgantown community.
Outstanding Student Organization Online Presence
Recognizes a student organization with the most impressive online presence; a combination of a webpage and use of social media.
Outstanding Student Organization Leader
Recognizes a student
leader that provided exemplary service, commitment, and strong leadership to a
student organization at WVU.
Quiet Influence/Unsung Hero Award
Recognizes a student that put
their heart and soul into everything they did, but often went unrecognized,
worked “behind the scenes,” and went above and beyond typical requirements of a
general (non-officer) student organization member.
Outstanding New Faculty/Staff Advisor
Recognizes an advisor in their first or second year advising a student organization who provided outstanding support.
Outstanding Faculty/Staff Advisor – Lifetime Achievement
Recognizes an advisor who has at
least three years’ experience as a student organization advisor at WVU and has
had a positive impact on a student organization and the university
community.
Richard T. Feller Outstanding Alumni Award (Presented by Student Government Association)
Recognizes an alumnus that has
made significant contributions to WVU and the surrounding community. This alumnus provides an unwavering support
of Student Government Association.
Apply/Nominate for the Organization and Individual Excellence Awards
Kenneth D. Gray Student Leadership Award
Due by noon (12pm) on Monday, April 6, 2026
Named after our past Vice President for Student Life, this award is designed to recognize exemplary leadership on behalf of our current senior and graduate students at West Virginia University.
Criteria for selection of this award are as follows:
- Demonstrates initiative in problem-solving and consensus building.
- Provides a high level of commitment to the Division of Student Life and student programs.
- Fosters collaborative and creative thinking.
- Demonstrates a strong, positive influence with other students to be motivated to accomplish goals.
- Encourages students to be visionary and positive in their leadership roles.
- Demonstrates initiative in meeting challenges.
- Inspires, through example, for others to act with integrity and high professional standards.
- Pursues and achieves high academic standards.
- Strives for excellence in communication among their peers and others.
Apply/Nominate for the Kenneth D. Gray Student Leadership Awards
Due by noon (12pm) on Monday, April 6, 2026
View a PDF of the event program