Cal Lutheran Leadership Awards

Leadership Awards 2024

The Cal Lutheran Leadership Awards is an annual initiative focused on recognizing students, clubs, faculty, and staff for their outstanding leadership, commitment, and contributions to California Lutheran University. Student Life's Civic Engagement & Leadership is a proud sponsor of a program that highlights the work of campus leaders who leave a legacy at CLU. Award winners are selected based on nomination submissions and the Leadership Awards committee, which are composed of faculty, staff and students from various campus departments and communities.

Nominations for 2024 Leadership Awards

Nominations open on February 20th
Nominations form closes March 20th at 11:59 PM

To nominate an individual or group, please use the link below. For questions, please contact us at cel@CalLutheran.edu.

Nomination form

Award Categories

Download the CLU Leadership Awards descriptions (PDF) to learn about all the awards you can nominate an individual or club for.

Spirit of Gumby

This award recognizes a student that exhibits leadership in their involvement on and off campus. This student serves as a strong role model to their peers and exhibits noteworthy contributions throughout the CLU community, including but not limited to encouraging student involvement, providing students with knowledge of CLU’s heritage, traditions, and history, and influencing positive change in the university community.

Rising Leader Award 

This award goes to a student who has shown tremendous growth in the area of leadership over the past year. The intent of this recognition is to honor an outstanding student who has made a significant impact through their involvement and engagement on campus.

Living Your Purpose Awards

This award recognizes a student who has achieved academic success and demonstrated outstanding leadership, motivation and creativity in university and community activities. This student has participated in a variety of campus activities and community-wide service. This student has demonstrated character and integrity in their role as a CLU student leader, and intentionally demonstrated passion for their life purpose while at CLU and is entering a field where they can live their purpose.

Changemaker Award

This award recognizes a student who is active within the Cal Lutheran community, the surrounding area, and/or globally. The individual’s actions and activities exemplify and support the mission of the university to be committed to civic engagement and justice by routinely engaging in different ways to serving the common good described by the Pathways to Public Service & Civic Engagement, including direct service, philanthropy, community organizing & activism, and policy & governance.

Clubs Civic Engagement Project Award 

The Clubs Civic Engagement Project Award recognizes a student club who’s Civic Engagement Project demonstrates innovation, commitment to social justice and impact to the community, population, and/or cause the club serves.

Social Justice Advocate Award (2)

This award goes to a student and faculty/staff who have demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice through academic scholarship and/or active involvement in efforts toward promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice on campus.

Outstanding Student Club Award

This award is given to a student club that has exceeded the expectations inherent in their stated purpose and function. This club contributes their time and talent by way of service to the CLU community. (Qualifications: Must be a registered student club in good standing.)

Outstanding Club Advisor Award 

This award recognizes an outstanding club advisor who positively impacts Cal Lutheran students. This person puts students first, and is an advocate for the student voice. The advisor of the year is noticeably enthusiastic, supportive and dedicated towards the students of California Lutheran University.

Outstanding Peer Mentor Award 

This award recognizes a CLU student peer mentor (i.e. Residential Assistants, Peer Advisors, International Peer Mentor, Presidential Host, academic peer mentors) based on their commitment and devotion to mentoring and caring for fellow students. This individual takes time to assist their peers while maintaining academic excellence and lives out the California Lutheran University mission statement of accompanying and supporting people at the intersection of faith, life purpose, and service to others in their role as a peer mentor.

Global Leader Award

This award recognizes a student who embodies what it means to be a leader for a global society. This student encompasses the mission of the university to educate leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment, confident in identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice.

Academic & Experiential Learning Award

This award is given to a student who successfully participated in a learning experience that best exemplifies the experiential learning goals at CLU. This learning experience may include, but is not limited to, internships, discipline-related service learning projects, research projects that result in professional journal publications, and/or presentations at professional conferences.

Graduate/ Professionals Student Award

This award recognizes a graduate student or a Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals student who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in the areas of leadership and involvement in student and professional activities.

Stellar Staff Award (2)

This award recognizes two outstanding staff members. These staff members have gone above and beyond to support students and/or have given exceptional contributions in upholding CLU’s mission, vision, and values. Additionally they provide and encourage a welcoming atmosphere in their work, whether by working directly with students and assisting them in finding and pursuing their passion or behind the scenes supporting their department, office, colleagues, and CLU community. 

Outstanding Faculty Support Award 

This award recognizes a faculty member who goes above and beyond to enrich the lives of students. They have made significant contributions to Cal Lutheran in and out of the classroom.

William Rosser Leadership Award 

This award recognizes a student whose contributions have significantly improved the student experience and will be sustained beyond this student's graduation. This student has outstanding scholarship and has demonstrated service to the campus community. The impact of this student’s involvement should be broad. Finally, this student has demonstrated characteristics similar to past University Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, William Rosser.

Bill Rosser would say the best part of his job was when he was working closely with students. As the Vice President for Student Affairs for many years, he made sure to always attend the weekly ASCLUG Senate meetings as this was a great way to spend time with students and understand what was on their minds. Bill showed us the importance of holding onto these opportunities as tight as you can. Bill was a fierce advocate for his team – gave them wide space to lead, but was always ready to tackle barriers on their behalf when needed. Bill always made sure you knew how much he appreciated you and valued your contribution to the greater good. Bill always made sure to really know and invest in the people around him.

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