Northern Illinois University
Student Involvement

This award honors students who have made a significant contribution to the university through different leadership opportunities such as research, getting involved with student organizations, community service. Student nominees must have contributed a significant amount of time to one or more of these campus or community service projects.

The Freshman Leadership Award recognizes first-year students who have taken the initiative to get involved at NIU, even while they are adjusting to their new surroundings. These students have shown their potential as leaders and their potential for future contributions to campus life at NIU.

The Sophomore Leadership Award recognizes students who have had outstanding involvement in campus life. Through their involvement, these students have contributed to the quality of life on NIU's campus. In addition, they have begun to take on positions of leadership within their organizations and have also shown potential for future achievement.

The Junior Leadership Award is given to students who have significantly enhanced NIU's campus environment through their demonstrated leadership abilities, personal growth, and community service. These students, who are more established in their college careers, have taken on the challenge of holding leadership positions in organizations.

The Senior Leadership Award recognizes the involvement and accomplishments of our outstanding senior leaders. As seniors, they have not only demonstrated their commitment to enhancing the quality of life on NIU's campus, but have also shown outstanding potential for future achievement as they prepare to enter a new phase in their lives.

The Graduate Leadership Award recognizes graduate students who are involved on campus despite graduate level coursework, professional commitments, and/or family responsibilities. The award recipients have exceeded in demonstrating their involvement and balance between work, school and life.

The Steven R. Agee II Award is awarded to a student who has demonstrated outstanding participation and leadership in student organizations, committees, and/or task forces, thereby significantly enhancing the quality of campus life.

You must be able to articulate activities you have been involved in, community service experience, and your plans for future involvement. You are evaluated on your contributions to the quality of campus life, the variety and scope of your involvement on campus, your potential for future involvement, and your academic achievement.

Kevin D. Knight was a NIU alumnus who embodied what it means to be a student leader. He was an exemplary leader, serving NIU as a catalyst for positive change and as a role model for up-and-coming student leaders to follow. Kevin used his time at NIU well, dedicating himself to the betterment of campus life for all students. He worked hard in various leadership positions while receiving numerous awards and recognition for his work. It is in the hearts of the students who knew him that his memory and his efforts carry on. The award is given to those selected as one of the class standing awards between freshman through junior leadership awards. The awardee will identified at the awards ceremony.

This is a monetary award.

The Outstanding Student Organization Award recognizes the contributions of student organizations. Organizations are evaluated on their ability to work as a team, their creativity and initiative, their ability to accomplish tasks, the range of their programming, and their overall service to both the campus and the community.

This award recognizes the dedication of a faculty or staff member who volunteers time as an advisor to student organizations. The selected individual demonstrates a high level of commitment to the organization they advise, and they play a central role in assisting our student leaders to reach their highest potential.

The Outstanding Service Award is to recognize the outstanding work our student organizations do every year. Outstanding service can be a variety of activities that provide service to the community. Not only will hours be taken into consideration but so will the impact of the service within the community too.

Student organizations are eligible to submit any programs/events they feel deserve Program of the Year. Please note that the event must have already happened by the time the application was submitted. Events that serve the great NIU Community, meet the goal of the program and have good attendance will differentiate themselves from other programs/events.