Awards
Jo Rae Wright Award
The Jo Rae Wright Student Advocacy Award is given annually to a student, faculty, or staff member in recognition of outstanding support of Duke University’s Graduate and Professional Student community. Members of the Council can submit nominees for the Jo Rae Wright Student Advocacy award to the President. The Executive Committee selects the awardee(s) and presents this recommendation to the General Assembly for approval prior to the GPSG Banquet, and the upon approval, the award(s) are presented at the GPSG Banquet in April.
Inclusivity Award
The GPSG Inclusivity Award is given annually to a member of the Duke faculty in recognition of outstanding commitment to fostering an inclusive environment within their department or program and/or promoting inclusiveness across Duke University’s Graduate and Professional Student community and the academic community at large. By the third GA meeting in the spring, the Inclusivity Award Presidential Advisory Committee will put out a call for nominations and develop a rubric for evaluation of nominations. Members of the Council can submit nominees for the GPSG Inclusivity Award to the Inclusivity Award Presidential Advisory Committee. Review of nominations shall proceed through the course of the spring semester and recommendations for which faculty member should receive the award will be given to the president at least 2 weeks in advance of the GPSG Banquet. The President then recommends a selection for the awardee(s) and presents this recommendation to the General Assembly for approval prior to the GPSG Banquet. The award(s) are presented at the GPSG Banquet in April. A cash prize of an amount to be determined by the Inclusivity Award Presidential Advisory Committee will be awarded to (or split among) recipients and may be used for any activity which further promotes inclusivity as defined below.
Definition of terminology
Promoting inclusivity, for the purpose of this award, is defined as fostering of attitudes and behaviors which support the perspectives of each member of the Duke University’s Graduate and Professional Student community, with particular focus given to individuals whose demographics are traditionally underrepresented in their field. This can be achieved through both active engagement with the culture and ideas of minority groups and active disciplining of intolerance and exclusionary behavior.
Examples of actions which embody the spirit of inclusivity include but are not limited to the following:
- Participating actively in minority student groups,
- Serving on panels or attending conferences which aim to engage the needs of underrepresented groups in graduate education,
- Recruiting speakers or organizing programs to support underrepresented students,
- Recruiting, retaining and graduating students currently or historically underrepresented in their field,
- Advocating changes in University or Departmental culture in order to prioritize inclusiveness,
- Working with companies to encourage hiring or otherwise improving post-graduation prospects for underrepresented groups,
- Forging collaborations or partnerships with organizations that promote diversity,
- Participating in national consortia or other entities outside of the university dedicated to increasing the success of underrepresented groups in graduate education.
