Nominations accepted for Stone Soup luncheon awards program Faculty and administrators are invited to nominate community partners and UND students, departments, and faculty for well-deserved recognition at a special Center for Community Engagement 2008 Civic Engagement Awards luncheon Nov. 5. Nominees and award winners will be recognized at a special "Stone Soup" luncheon served with the help of President Robert Kelley and Grand Forks Mayor Mike Brown at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5 in the Memorial Union Ballroom. Information about luncheon reservations will be posted soon. Awards nominations are being accepted until Oct. 3 for the following six awards: • The 2008 Public Scholar Award will be given to a full-time UND faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary public scholarship, involving community members in the design and implementation of research or creative activity and producing scholarship that has been made available and accessible to the public. • The 2008 Engaged Department Award will be given to a UND academic department that has displayed an exemplary commitment to engagement of faculty and students in scholarship and learning in community contexts, addressing community needs. • The 2008 Faculty Service-Learning Award will be given to a full-time UND faculty member who has demonstrated exemplary effectiveness in using service learning as a pedagogy to meet the designated service-learning course goals of a) civic skills, civic knowledge, or civic professionalism, and b) civic impact. UND service-learning course criteria are available at www.communityengagement.und.edu. • The 2008 Undergraduate Civic Engagement Award will be given to a UND undergraduate junior (class standing in the fall of 2008) who has demonstrated exemplary civic engagement through dedication and innovation in academic-based service and outstanding civic leadership potential. • The 2008 Graduate Civic Engagement Award will be given to a UND graduate student who has advanced civic engagement through public scholarship, service-learning pedagogy, or scholarship about civic engagement, with outstanding academic or disciplinary civic engagement leadership potential. In addition to these awards, three undergraduate students will be selected to receive $1,000 grants from applications for service learning projects submitted to the Carter Academic Service Entrepreneurship (CASE) program, supported by the Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter Foundation. CASE applications are completed online by the student applicant, with a letter of support from a faculty advisor required. The awards process is intended to be as streamlined as possible. Most nominations require only a two-page letter of nomination, two letters of support, and two pieces of supporting evidence. Details about all nominations are available at www.communityengagement.und.edu. A campus-community committee makes award determinations. Please let me know if you have any questions. -- Lana Rakow, Director, Center for Community Engagement, lanarakow@mail.und.nodak.edu, 777-2287