R8 Awards Details

The purpose of this award is to identify the Student Branches that have conducted quality events, workshops, projects, etc. for the benefit of students. The Region 8 Student Branch of the Year Award is given to student branches that have maintained membership, provided student members with opportunities to volunteer, and helped in promotion of IEEE and its mission. This award will help improve the membership, membership satisfaction and retention.

Eligibility Criteria

All Region 8 Student Branches that have been applied for the IEEE Regional Exemplary Student Branch Award are eligible for this award.

Nomination Process

All eligible Student Branches are nominated automatically.

Deadline

Deadline is considered the MGA SAC Awards official deadline.

Evaluation Criteria

Awards will be presented to those Student Branches with best operations and events. Student Branches that met the most required and additional documentation of the IEEE Regional Exemplary Student Branch Award will be considered for this award. Additional verification and/or documentation should be available upon request.

Prize

A customized digital certificate.

This award is aimed to recognize those student websites that provide information about the activities, latest tech updates, learning opportunities, IEEE Benefits etc. through creative digital efforts aimed to make it easy for students of their student branch to obtain the information. Usually, a website becomes the face of an organisation and the main information provider to the  interested parties.

Eligibility Criteria

All Region 8 Student Branches and Student Branch Chapters are eligible to participate. Each Student Branch may enter at most one Website, regardless of the number of Student Branch Chapters or Affinity Groups present.

Nomination Process

Nomination can be submitted only by a Student Branch officer (i.e Student Branch Chair, Student Branch Counsellor or any other Student Branch Officer) using the IEEE Region 8 Awards platform. During the period of judging, no changes to the website will be permitted. If any changes found the submission will be disqualified. Regular updates related to Student Branch Events and Meetings & Opportunity etc. are permitted.

Deadline

Deadline follows the Region 8 Awards official deadline.

Evaluation Criteria

The goal of a website is to convey information in a manner useful to the reader, similar to the goal in writing a paper. How you convey the information can increase readers’ interest as well as their knowledge. For example, a page of text provides useful information but is not visually attractive. The same text with the appropriate colored figures, JavaScript, etc., can deliver significantly more information while motivating the reader to read further. Poorly designed websites either provide no useful content or are hard to use (takes too long, user cannot find the desired information, etc.). Thus, the hallmarks of a good website are:

• Usability
• Accessibility
• Solid content
• Presentation
• Navigability
• Originality
• Portable

Web browsers, computer processing speeds, and network bandwidth vary in every instance causing websites to download at different rates. Websites should accommodate for the least common denominator in each category. Thus the criteria of usability, accessibility, content, presentation, navigability, originality, portability, and load time are the judging categories.

Prize

• 1st Prize: $300
• 2nd Prize: $200
• 3rd Prize: $100

Τhere is a need to recognize the essential work of the sections in Region 8 regarding student membership development, but also to promote and encourage sections to work on that direction. The purpose of this award is to recognize the greatest student membership development efforts by Region 8 Sections. The following categories of Sections will be considered:

• Large Section: 451 or more total student members as of 31 December of the past year
• Medium Section: 151–450 total student members as of 31 December of the past year
• Small Section: 150 or fewer total student members as of 31 December of the past year

Eligibility Criteria

• All Region 8 Sections which have appointed and reported a SSAC (“Student Activities” officer position) and/or a SSR (“SAC-Representative (Student Representative)” officer position) are eligible for the award according to their relative size;
• Three such Awards will be presented annually; one for each category.

Nomination Process

All eligible Sections are nominated automatically. “Gold medalists” should provide information for their best practices on student membership development in September.

Deadline

The deadline of the award is considered to be prior to the Autumn Region 8 Meeting.

Evaluation Criteria

The retention and recruiting goals for student membership and the best practices in student membership development with information for student membership promotion and student activities are considered in the selection of this Award. A “silver medal” is awarded if one goal is achieved, and “gold medal” is awarded if both goals are achieved. The “gold medal” with the best practices in student membership development should be considered the winner of this Award. 

Prize

A digital medal for medalists. A digital certificate, a customized award plaque and $500 cash award for each winner for use on Student Activities purposes for winners.

Τhere is a need to recognize the essential work of the student branches in Region 8 regarding student membership growth, but also to promote and encourage student branches to work on that direction. The purpose of this award is to recognize the greatest year-to-year student membership increase by Region 8 Student Branches. The following categories of Student Branches will be considered:

• Large: 50 or more total student members as of 31 December of the past year
• Small/Medium: 49 or fewer total student members as of 31 December of the past year
• Newbie: established the past year

Eligibility Criteria

• All Region 8 Student Branches which have successfully reported their annual plan and their officers roster are eligible for the award according to their relative size;
• No Student Branch may receive two such Awards within three years;
• Three such Awards will be presented annually; one for each category.

Nomination Process

All eligible Student Branches are nominated automatically.

Deadline

Deadline follows the Region 8 Awards official deadline.

Evaluation Criteria

The selection for this award is according to the latest IEEE Annual Statistics, as follows: 

• Large: YoY student branch total membership relative increase, and in case a tie the absolute increase
• Small/Medium: YoY student branch total membership absolute increase, and in case a tie the relative increase
• Newbie: The student branch with the most members

Prize

A digital certificate, a customized award plaque and $250 cash award for each winner.

There is a need to recognize the essential work of the existing student branch SIGHT groups in Region 8, but also to promote and encourage student branches to create SIGHT groups. The purpose of this award is to recognize a SIGHT Student Branch Group who has made an outstanding contribution to IEEE SIGHT and to the local underserved community by leveraging technology to accomplish a sustainable solution.

Eligibility Criteria

• All active R8 Student Branch SIGHT Groups;
• Submitted the annual SIGHT Group report;
• Implemented a project funded by HAC or SIGHT in the last two years;
• Submitted a funded project report for their project;
• Report SIGHT activities on vTools.

Nomination Process

SIGHT Student Branch Affinity Groups submit an application ideally using the IEEE Region 8 Awards platform. There will be a form to complete requiring:

• Number of members in SIGHT Student Branch Affinity Group;
• Outstanding and sustainable achievement within their local community;
• References/Recommendations from Section or/and SIGHT or/and Student Branch Chair;
• Submission of at least one funded project report of their project;
• External and internal collaborations;
• Reporting Statistic on vTools.

Deadline

Deadline follows the Region 8 Awards official deadline.

Evaluation Criteria

The applications will be evaluated on at least the following criteria: 

• Local impact of the SIGHT Student Branch Group;
• External collaborations and partnerships;
• Number of events / project funded;
• Promotion of IEEE and SIGHT values;
• Up to date report on Vtools of SIGHT activities;
• Number of active members.

Prize

There will be a single winner of the monetary prize $300 accompanied with a certificate/plaque. The cash prize will be considered to promote SIGHT activities. If no SIGHT Student Branch Affinity Group is eligible for the award, no prize will be awarded.