Student Group Excellence Awards
These awards are made possible by a generous gift from William D. Rutherford (UO class of 1961) in collaboration with the EMU and ASUO. They recognize and reward student groups that best inspire and engage others, promote inclusion and diversity, and create a fun and positive environment.
Student groups can receive cash awards in the following categories:
- $1,000 Rutherford Outstanding Student Organization
- $500 Excellence in Creative Co-Sponsorship
- $250 Excellence in Community Impact
- $250 New Student Organization of the Year
Any student group with at least five current student members that has been verified through the university's online student organization platform is eligible to apply.
Apply
Deadline: TBD for 2024
For more information, contact Sidney Noble, EMU Outreach Coordinator.
2023 AWARD RECIPIENTS
2023 Rutherford Outstanding Student Organization
We the Ensemble
We the Ensemble is a newly formed student organization that is dedicated to advocating for music education, amongst people with disabilities and underserved communities. They provide a space where all, regardless of ability, are welcomed and encouraged to explore their musical talents and aim to spread awareness of the use of music in special education and in community settings.
In the first year of We the Ensemble’s establishment, the group has successfully collaborated with campus and community organizations to bring music education to deaf, intellectual, and developmental disability communities both on campus and in the surrounding Eugene area.
We the Ensemble has received a $1,000 award that may be used to strengthen, expand, and celebrate the group’s mission and work.
2023 Excellence in Creative Co-Sponsorship
South Asian Cultural Alliance
The South Asian Cultural Alliance (SACA), founded in 1999 at a predominantly white institution, provides a safe space and cultural hub for South Asian students. Covering a wide range of ethnicities and cultures, SACA brings together students and community members from many different backgrounds, providing opportunities to learn about the diversity and richness of South Asian cultures.
The group focuses on celebrating aspects of South Asian culture and actively promotes inter-club collaborations, working successfully with a wide range of diverse groups on campus to create events that honor many different cultures and intersections of identity.
The South Asian Cultural Alliance has received a $500 award that may be used to strengthen, expand, and celebrate the group’s mission and work.
2023 Excellence in Community Impact
Helping Out People Everywhere
Helping Out People Everywhere (HOPE) is a student organization dedicated to aiding the homeless community in the Eugene/Springfield area. Through campus and community collaborations, HOPE has worked successfully to redistribute food to those in need that would have otherwise been wasted.
The group has inspired UO students to help serve populations in need, and get involved with the surrounding community. In the past three years, HOPE’s efforts have amounted in the donation of more than $60,000 worth of food.
Helping Out People Everywhere has received a $250 award that may be used to strengthen, expand, and celebrate the group’s mission and work.
2023 New Student Organization of the Year
We the Ensemble
As a student organization created in the 2022–2023 academic year, We the Ensemble has achieved significant accomplishments. In the first year of the group’s establishment, We the Ensemble has developed collaborations with community organizations in the Eugene/Springfield area to bring music education to people with disabilities and underserved communities. Their efforts to advocate for accessible music education among underserved populations and their achievements within the past year are truly outstanding!
We the Ensemble has received an additional $250 award that may be used to strengthen, expand, and celebrate the group’s mission and work.
