Donald R. Zander Award for Outstanding Student Leadership

Overview of Award

Donald R. Zander served as Associate Vice President in the Office of Student Affairs. He believed in the importance of standing up for what one believes in and working collaboratively to accomplish collective goals. When he retired, the Office for Student Affairs chose to recognize his dedication to student leadership by naming this award in his honor. Awarded annually as a $1,000 scholarship from the University of Minnesota Alumni Association (UMAA), the Zander Award has traditionally been awarded to one male and one female undergraduate student honoring their exceptional academic achievement, personal character, and outstanding leadership and service of institution-wide significance. Candidates for the Zander Award must demonstrate both compassion for others and a high degree of personal integrity. Candidates must first apply for the President's Student Leadership & Service Awards (PSLSA) in order to be considered for this award and the UMAA Student Leadership Award. Following the selection committee review of applications, candidates will be notified if they are PSLSA recipients and given further information on the subsequent Donald R. Zander Outstanding Student Leadership Award application process.

Evaluation Criteria

1. Undergraduate Student
2. 2009 President's Student Leadership and Services Award Recipient
3. 3.25 GPA (as of Dec 31, 2008)
4. Personal interview

Application Process

1. Candidates for this award must first apply for the President's Student Leadership and Service Awards
2. The PSLSA Selection Committee will forward a pool of qualified undergraduate students as candidates to the UMAA & Donald R. Zander Award Selection Committee. This committee considers candidates for both the UMAA and Donald R. Zander Awards.
3. Candidate Notification: Week of March 2nd
4. Candidate Interviews: March 24th – March 26th
5. Recipient Notification: Week of April 6th
6. Awards presented at the President’s Awards Banquet on Monday, May 4th

Please direct questions to the Student Activities Office, (612)626-6919.