Criteria for the Natural Resources Program
Each year the Dean of Academic Affairs requests that all programs at OSU-Cascades submit nominations for a distinguished graduating student by major of study. Faculty within each program work collaboratively to generate a list of potential students who are evaluated against pre-determined decision criteria. Although it is a requirement that all programs participate in the evaluation process faculty may choose not to submit a nomination if no single student distinguished themselves from their peers. The Distinguished Student award is intended to honor truly outstanding student performance at OSU-Cascades. Toward that end faculty of the Natural Resources Program have developed the following criteria for student nomination:
- Overall GPA, with particular emphasis on upper division OSU classes (5 pts)
- GPA trend (5 pts)
- Level of classroom interaction (5 pts)
- Commitment to professional development outside of the classroom (internships, volunteering, seasonal/part-time/full-time employment in a related field) (5 pts)
- Service (community, institution, program—committees, volunteerism, projects on campus) (5 pts)
To be nominated a student must score a minimum of 20 points when summed across the five criteria. In the event that no graduating student in the program receives a minimum score of 20 points there will be no nomination for the academic year.