Union Awards Act

SECTION 1. OBJECTIVE

The object of these awards is to perpetuate the memory of the people whose names the awards bear, to promote intellectual, extra-curricular and athletic endeavor and to develop character among the students at StFX University All Students of the university are eligible for the award of their respective academic year.

SECTION 2. INDIVIDUAL AWARD DESCRIPTIONS

• 1. SISTER CATHERINE MACNEIL AWARD: Female students in their freshman year and first year at St.F.X. Female Students in their first year of university but as a sophomore.
• 2. MEECH: Male students in their freshman year and first year at St.F.X. Male students in their first year of University but as a sophomore.
• 3. CHARTERS: Male and female students in their sophomore year. Male and female students in their freshman year but second year at St.F.X.
• 4. BLIZZARD: Male and Female students in their junior year
• 5. POST GRADUATE AWARD: Male and Female students in post graduate studies
• 6. LARKIN: Male Students in their senior year
• 7. SISTER CARMEL LOSIER: Female students in their senior year
• 8. MARCEL LUSSIER: The Marcel Lussier Award shall consist of a permanent trophy kept at the Bloomfield Center. the Award shall commemorate Marcel Lussier, a third year Physical Education student, from Franklin Center, Huntington, Quebec who died in a car accident on December 30, 1970. He was a transfer student in 1970. Marcel played defensive half-back on the Varsity Football team. The Award shall be given to a deserving student of any year for the student’s contribution to the community as a whole, including the University and surrounding communities.
• 9. BIRKS AWARD: Shall be awarded annually to a graduating student for outstanding contribution to student government. the Student’s Council shall nominate and then elect, be secret ballot, the recipient of the Award. There shall be a permanent trophy bearing the names of all the recipients. the trophy will be kept in the University Center. 10. PETER FOLEY MEMORIAL AWARD: Peter Foley was a student of the class of 1987 at St.F.X. who died of cancer on March 24 of that year. Criteria for the Award is as follows:
  • a) Awarded to a full time student of St.F.X. who has shown perseverance in the fact of exceptional difficulty or hardship in striving for a university education. “Difficulty or hardship” is to be interpreted broadly and need not be related to illness, but should not be interpreted primarily in terms of financial need.
  • b) Beyond the primary criterion of perseverance in the face of exceptional difficulty or hardship, the other criteria for the award are to be those normally applied to Student’s Union awards.
  • c) The recipient may be either male or female and a member of any class, including postgraduate.
  • d) It is not to be given in a year when the Student’s union Committee is unable to determine that there is a deserving recipient.
• 11. THE GOLD X: The Gold X is awarded to those candidates who have given distinguished service in a number of student affairs. There shall be a maximum of ten (10) X’s awarded yearly.
• 12. THE SILVER X: The Silver X is awarded to those candidates who have served in a specified area. There shall be a maximum of ten (10) X’s awarded yearly.
• 13. THE MEDIA X: The Media X certificates shall be awarded to senior students or post-graduates for involvement in the radio, the Annual or the Weekly. There shall be a maximum of ten (10) X’s awarded yearly.
• 14. JASON SIMMONS MEMORIAL AWARD: Michael Jason Simmons ‘96 was a Business Administration student who died in a tragic car accident on February 7, 1997. He was the House President of Lane B and served two terms as Activities Commissioner of the Students’ Union. The award is to recognize a member of Council who enjoys life to the fullest both socially as well as extracurricularly. This award would not be judged on academics but rather on enthusiasm, energy, and X-spirit displayed throughout the Xaverian community. This person is a true ambassador of StFX both here and away from our university. The award will be chosen annually by the Students’ Union Representative Council by secret ballot. The award is not to be given in a year if Council does not feel there is a deserving recipient.

SECTION 3. GENERAL AWARD CRITERIA:

A symbol for each award shall be presented annually to bonafide student(s) of this University by the Saint Francis Xavier university Student’s Union.

In the event that more than one person is deserving of such an award, all persons should be presented with an award.

Before the last day of February, the Chairperson of the Student’s Union Awards Committee shall call for nominations for each award from the student body. Persons so nominated will be asked to submit a resume to the Chairperson of the Student’s Union Awards Committee.

The lists of candidates containing up to ten (10) nominations for each award shall be forwarded to the Academic Deans of the University who shall verify if the candidate has a 60% average or not. the 60% average will be taken into account over the time period in which the award pertains.

Candidates with an average of 60% or better shall remain on the final list while those below shall be dropped from the list. New candidates may be nominated to replace the dropped candidates and checked for 60% average. The Student’s Union Awards Committee and the Senior Awards Committee should base their decisions on the degree to which the candidate has fulfilled and/or exceeded the basic requirements of their respective award categories, and by the heavy consideration of the extent to which nominees possess some or all of the following criteria:

• 1. The candidates’ talent and scholastic achievement
• 2. The candidates’ participation in student affairs
• 3. The candidates’ character, integrity and sincere concern
• 4.4. The candidates’ involvement in athletics

SECTION 4. THE STUDENTS’ UNION AWARDS COMMITTEE

The Student’s Union Awards Committee is chaired by the Chair of Council. The Chair of Council does not vote.
The additional membership of the Students’ Union Awards Committee is to include:

• 1. The Senior Class President (voting)
• 2. A student appointee of the Union President (voting)
• 3. Student appointee from Student Services (voting)
• 4. The Dean of Students or one other member of Student Services as determined by the Dean of Students (voting)
• 5. An Off-Campus Councilor as appointed by the VP-Off Campus. (voting)

The mandate of the Students’ Union Awards Committee is to designate the recipients of the following awards: Catherine MacNeil; Meech; Charters; Blizzard; Post Graduate; Marcel Lussier and Peter Foley Awards. The Students’ Union awards Committee is to designate the Lussier and Foley awards only if all candidates are not Seniors. If any candidates are Seniors, then the Seniors Awards Committee will select the recipient. The committee shall present the names of the final nominees to the Chair of Council for announcement at the Students’ Union Awards Banquet.

In the event that the Chair of Council is nominated as a candidate to receive an award, then a new Chairperson shall be elected by the Students’ Union Awards Committee.