Student Organization of the Year
This award is presented to the student organization which, through activities and projects, has had the most significant positive influence on the College and the surrounding community. This award is based on the quality of campus events held, servant leadership endeavors, involvement with campus events, and/or initiative to further advance the education of Warrington students beyond the classroom.
In order to apply for this award, please review all information below. Applications open Friday, January 10th and must be submitted by 11:59PM on Sunday, February 2nd. You may showcase anything in your application that occurred between January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024.
Application
For the award application, you will need to complete the following:
- Please review the Recognition and Awards page to ensure your organization type (department-sponsored versus student organization) is eligible to apply for this particular award.
- This award entails an audio-recorded PowerPoint. You may apply to a maximum of three awards that require an audio-recorded PowerPoint, as categorized on the Recognition and Awards page. Applying for more than three of these awards will disqualify your application.
- You are not limited to the number of essay-based awards you can apply for.
- Your audio-recorded PowerPoint should follow the layout below:
- 2 minutes for the introduction of your organization
- 3 minutes to address the criteria for this award
- If you are applying to additional awards that require an audio-recorded PowerPoint, you will only present the two-minute introduction once and you will have three additional minutes to discuss each subsequent award.
- Example: If applying to two audio-recorded PowerPoint-based awards, your video would be eight minutes long as follows:
- 2 minutes Introduction
- 3 minutes Award #1
- 3 minutes Award #2
- Throughout the presentation, each time you move onto a different award, please make sure you have a transition slide that names the title of the new award. Then begin to provide your evidence for that award.
- If your organization is also applying for any of the following audio-recorded awards, you will address these in the same presentation:
- Most Improved Student Organization or New Student Organization of the Year (You may apply to one of these two, but not both.)
- Outstanding Event of the Year
- Outstanding Service Project of the Year
- Submit the Application Form (link below) where you will include the link to your recorded presentation, as well as a PDF of your slide deck.
Submission Requirements & Instructions
In addition to the requirements listed below, organizations are encouraged to follow best practices with regard to slide design and visual aids to best showcase their impact.
Presentations must include voice-only narration (cameras must be turned off) utilizing PowerPoint’s Recording Feature. Total presentation time should be within the limits stated above.
- Opening slide must include the names of each of the presentation-based awards (including this award) that you are applying for, and you should verbally announce these in your audio recording.
- Organizational fact slide that highlights program relevant statistics including size, list of events, and their type such as socials, professional, service, and other information.
- Informational slides answering the following questions regarding events and initiatives from January 2024 to December 2024:
- How did your organization’s activities impact the competency development of your members?
- What competencies does your organization focus on?
- How did the meetings, activities, and events held by your organization have a positive impact on the greater college community?
- What qualitative or quantitative evidence do you have regarding your organization’s impact?
- What efforts has your organization made this year to sustain itself in the future?
- How effectively does the executive board function as a team? Provide evidence where possible.
- How have this year’s meetings, activities, and events gone above and beyond your organization’s mission/vision/values?
- How has your organization adopted Gator Ready and encouraged participants to use it?
- What was your overall budget for the year? How much money did your organization spend this calendar year? Please provide a breakdown of the costs.
- Appendix slides at the end of your presentation detailing the following:
- A list of all past activities from January 2024 to December 2024. In the description for each event, please include the following:
- Date of the event
- Number of attendees
- Purpose of each event
- Description of each event
- Evidence of impact for each event
- Overall budget for the year, amount spent this calendar year, and a breakdown of costs.
- Membership numbers and roster with names and email addresses (both spring and fall semesters).
- Please insert link to PDF displaying all appendix information.
- A list of all past activities from January 2024 to December 2024. In the description for each event, please include the following:
Submission Instructions for Audio-Recorded PowerPoint
Once you have finalized your audio-recorded PowerPoint, please follow the instructions below to make it shareable using Microsoft Stream.
- Title your video as your organization’s name, underscore, year. For example, “Business College Council_2024.”
- Upload your original PowerPoint video using the below computer relevant instructions:
- Windows OS: Please follow the Windows audio-recorded PowerPoint upload instructions.
- Mac OS: First, Export Video – Click “File” at the top of the screen > Export > Select “MOV” in the File Format dropdown list > Make sure the check box next to “Use Recorded Timings and Narrations” is clicked > Click Export Button. Then follow the Mac audio-recorded PowerPoint upload instructions.
- Remember to share you PowerPoint slides using the PowerPoint slides upload instructions.
Selection Process & Criteria
In order to be considered, applications must be submitted by the deadline and adhere to the proper formatting requirements listed above. A selection committee of Heavener staff members will choose a winner who best exemplifies the award based on the qualitative and quantitative evidence provided in the application.
By submitting an application, applicants agree to release their academic records and discipline records to the selection committee. This year’s selection committee members are: Dalon Coleman, Danica Mandarano, Meghan Dwyer, Naomi Harrell, Satcha Sanon, and the BCC President.
Previous Award Recipients
American Marketing Association
Florida Business Leadership Society
Global Business Society
Association of Latin Professionals for America (ALPFA)
Delta Sigma Pi
Florida Business Leadership Society
Gator Student Investment Fund
Entrepreneurship Club
American Marketing Association
American Marketing Association
The American Marketing Association hosted several professional development events and participated in a number of service projects that raised money for the community. A sample of these include: Altria’s Day of Sharing where they partnered to raise a total of $15,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Alachua County, and Gators March for Babies (raising $100). They partnered with Nielsen to host Marketing Week, brought professional speakers to each meeting, and conducted their Marketing Plan Competition.
American Marketing Association
The American Marketing Association hosts many events and participates in many service projects that raise money for the community. A sample of these include: Relay for Life (raising over $450), Gators March for Babies (raising over $150), and canned food drive (gathering 40 cans). The American Marketing Association hosted AMA Networking Mixer Night, which brought professional speakers to each meeting, and they have received positive feedback about initiatives to develop members into successful business men and women.
TEDxUF
On February 26th, 2011 the CEI Ambassadors hosted TEDxUF which hosted approximately 400 UF students at an event themed “Challenging the Unknown”. Multiple speakers presented at the event, on topics such as “the future of medicine” and “the new capitalism”, and with take-away messages for students such as “material wealth does not equate to happiness, but rather giving back to mankind does”. Speakers at TED events such as this are limited to 18 minutes to give groundbreaking and engaging talks, and to inspire great ideas and innovation. This event certainly fulfilled TED’s mission of engaging audiences in the pursuit of “ideas worth spreading”.
International Business Society - Global Gathering
Global Gathering was first held in Fall 2010, and brought together students interested in study abroad and current exchange students studying at UF. The event allowed students to gain a truly unique perspective on what it would be like to go abroad from the over 70 students and faculty in attendance. The Spring 2011 Global Gathering brought together student presentations from each of the exchange schools that UF students can attend. Presentations represented schools from such locations as Madrid, Spain, Taipei, Taiwan, and Lima, Peru, among others.
International Business Society
The International Business Society (IBS) encourages members to attend meetings and conferences, participate in community service events, come to socials, and give presentations. IBS gives their younger members as many opportunities to enhance their presentation skills and take on leadership roles by offering directorship and assistant director positions. IBS hopes to develop future leaders by giving them opportunities to experience responsibility and leadership early on in their college careers. They are committed “to furthering the education of all students, both from UF and all over the world”.
The Entrepreneurship Club
The Entrepreneurship Club (TEC) hosted multiple brainstorming sessions, where students participate in hands on activities that teach them to think like an entrepreneur. They have also educated their members through the knowledge and wisdom of successful entrepreneurs by hosting a speaker series. TEC sent 40 members to Atlanta, Georgia to watch a CEO pitch his business idea to consumers. The members learned a lot about sales and marketing by watching a successful entrepreneur in one of the toughest markets possible in action. Their attendance levels have hit record levels this year and their membership retention is at an all-time high.
Student Finance Group
The BACC offers all business students the opportunity to participate in personal and professional development opportunities through such offerings as Business Bash, Gator plunge, and the BACC Convention. They have also begun a college newsletter called the Warrington Times and a golf tournament that allows students to network with corporate guests and business members of the community.
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ambassadors
The CEI Ambassadors are a group of students that are gathered to promote entrepreneurship to the university and throughout the community. They are comprised of 15 members of whom almost all hold a position and are involved with every activity they do. They have started a summer program for high school students, acted as mentors to high school students to help them work on a business plan, and they are involved with projects that promote sustainability. They have social activities as well; they initiated the Business Cup, which is a field day event that involves all the other business organizations.
Student Finance Group
The Student Finance Group offers business students networking opportunities through guest speakers at their meetings and developing relationships with corporate partners like Morgan Stanley. Additionally, the SFG offers professional development opportunities through their Career Fair Prep Extravaganza and the Business Quickie newsletter. The leadership of the SFG also provides its members a way to reach out to the local community through mentoring high school students at Buchholz High and through contributing over $1000 to the March of Dimes
Business Administration College Council
The BACC offers all business students the opportunity to participate in personal and professional development opportunities through such offerings as Business Bash, Gator plunge, and the BACC Convention. They have also begun a college newsletter called the Warrington Times and a golf tournament that allows students to network with corporate guests and business members of the community.