Introducing the 2021 URSU Awards
You can vote for your favourite person in a number of categories, including Teaching Excellence Awards, Student Society of the Year Award, and University Department Award. Award winners will receive gift cards and prizes worth $200 from local businesses and university organizations.
By submitting a nomination, you’re entered to win a $50 prize also. 10 total nominator prizes will be awarded. Nominators can not be the same person as their respective nominations.
This has been a school year like no other: you’ve self-isolated, attended classes remotely, and continued your educational journey during a pandemic. You’ve also overcome the challenges of living in COVID times; you’ve adapted academically, expanded emotionally, and connected across the social distance. We know the effort you’ve been giving and the successes you’ve achieved. Now is the time to celebrate the hard work done throughout the year from professors, support staff, students, alumni, or your BFF!
Tell that special someone you appreciate the way they make student life better. By nominating them in the 2021 URSU Awards. Tell them they’re a star in your eyes and give some recognition to a friend, a faculty member, or Fred, the guy who helped dig out your car the other day. Please note Fred, like all other nominees, must be registered as a U of R student, current faculty member; or an employee of the University or a certified tenant.
We see the storms of stress you’ve weathered, and we want to highlight the extraordinary efforts from the entire University of Regina community so nominate someone today!
Winners will be announced on Social Media & this webpage from April 26 – 30th.
2 Nominators will be drawn daily on April 26 – 30.
Award Winners
Community Service Award
This award will be presented to an individual or group that has given back to the community and has created a positive legacy at the University of Regina.
Tayef Ahmed
Whether it is teaching a new crop of volunteers in the RPIRG Green Patch or finding ways to deliver an unbelievable bounty with You Should Garden, he has been planting the seeds that can grow into food security for generations to come. Gardening is about patience and Tayef has it in spades and the community reaps the rewards of his hard work.
Engaged Student Award
This award will be presented to 5 students who have participated, engaged and demonstrated a helping attitude for other students the most within the current year.
Student Association of the Year Award
This award will be presented to the student association that has participated and engaged with other students the most within the current year.
Psychology Student Association
The PSA has become a vital organization for not only psychology students but for students from a variety of different backgrounds who are committed to forging a supportive, engaged, inclusive association with a focus on professional development, campus involvement, and academic and personal growth. The students in this society have worked to achieve the most dedicated student organization I have ever seen.
Student Club of the Year Award
This award will be presented to the student club that has participated and engaged with other students the most within the current year.
International Friendship Regina
IFR helped students of the University of Regina and its Federated Colleges “survive” the end of the semester by delivering Exam Survival Kits to students off campus. The kits contained items (including snacks) that helped comfort students as they pressed on with their studies.
Student Society of the Year Award
This award will be presented to the student society that has participated and engaged with other students the most within the current year.
Campion College Students’ Union
Education Student Society
Engineering Students’ Society
Teaching Excellence Awards
This award will be presented to 1 undergraduate professor and 1 graduate course professor who have been lecturing in the Fall and Winter semesters of the current year.
Corey Hadden
“I think that Dr. Hadden deserves recognition because he is one of the most attentive professors that I have had the pleasure of coming across during my time at the U of R. I think every professor at the University should strive to be as engaging as he is. He tries his best to create a welcoming environment where students feel safe to voice their thoughts freely (which is how I feel a masters or phD level class should be in order to get new ideas flowing). “”
Dr. Alex MacDonald
Dr. Alex MacDonald! An Associate Professor from Campion College’s English Department. Unassuming initially, unabashedly entertaining, and undoubtedly engaging, MacDonald, as his students can attest, always does his best to make the course material accessible, enjoyable, and, most importantly, memorable!
“His classes, while not always on the most exciting topic, are always entertaining and he finds connections between the studied work and his students to help them connect and truly understand. He adapts to his students and makes the class work for them.”
By making class work for students and having the class to make it work this long, shows that MacDonald is more than deserving of one of our Teaching Excellence Awards, which is presented to professors who have done laudable lecturing in the Fall and Winter semesters of the current year.
Dr. Mel Hart
Dr. Hart has repeatedly proven to be an exceptional human being in her determination to provide her students with the best lab experiences possible. She is always organized and prompt with assignments and feedback, but beyond that, she makes the labs a desirable and fun place to be. This unspoken talent makes the labs that much more enjoyable and improves learning. Considering that this past year has seen the global pandemic, Dr. Hart’s determination to continue her habits of excellence were extremely appreciated by her students and helped many of us maintain our sanity and mental health in the pandemic.
Ian MacAusland-Berg
A psychologist, student counselor, and sessional instructor with nearly 30 years of experience, MacAusland-Berg exemplifies teaching excellence by helping students with problems in and out of the classroom. His pupils have praised his valuable insight, his caring nature, and, of course, his sense of humour.
“He wants to see his students succeed and does what he can to get them there. He is also a hilarious person and is able to make me smile every single class.”
University Service / Department Award
This award will be presented to 5 members of the Univserity Service or Department. Their efforts and commitments to their job provide the University of Regina students with valuable and personable experience offered at the U of R.
Examples:
– ta-tawâw Student Centre
– Campus Security
– Custodial Services
– UR International
Genevy Narzoles
“Genevy in her position has been a consistent boon for the University of Regina by providing much-needed support and working hard to fulfill her job and more during this difficult pandemic. She always has a smile on her face (albeit behind a mask), shows friendliness to staff, colleagues, students and visitors on campus, which brings a bit of normality back to the environment, and makes sure that the campus is clean and sanitized to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We applaud her for her hard work and beyond.”
Kelsey Garner
“I want to appreciate her help and kindness and responsibility. I planned to come to Canada some days ago; therefore, I should have sent my immigration documents to the international and after they confirm my documents I should book a room for 11 days quarantine. Due to different time-zone it took a long time, and I had a lot of stress that maybe I miss my flight, but Kelsey Garner helped me a lot and some hours before my flight she booked a quarantine room for me.”
Nominations close on April 22, 11:59 pm. Valid UniVerse login required to submit a nomination. Nominators can not be the same person as their respective nominations. This contest is open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec. Winners may be featured on the University of Regina Students’ Union social media platforms, email newsletters, or associated websites. Award winner prizes will be valued at $200 CDN. Nominator prizes will be valued at $50 CDN. Ten Nominator prizes will be awarded. Nominator prizes will be drawn at random. Nominators will only be entered to win one prize no matter the number of entries submitted. All entries that comply with contest rules will be evaluated by a panel of judges, which may include URSU board members, staff members, and external professionals. Winners will be determined at the sole discretion of the judging panel and there will be no appeal, reconsideration or reasons provided in relation to any decision, including a decision as to whether an entry complies with contest rules. Winners will be contacted using the contact information provided with the entry, with an announcement being made online at www.ursu.ca and on URSU social media channels following notification of the winners. If a winner cannot be contacted in a reasonable period of time, the judges may, at their discretion, name an alternative winner, and the originally named winner will cease to have any entitlement to the prize(s) awarded.