Distinguished Alumni Awards
Guidelines
The prestigious Distinguished Alumni Awards (Awards) have been established to recognise
outstanding professional achievements and/or community services by Murdoch University
alumni.
AWARD CATEGORIES
Murdoch will award two Awards per year; one for a graduate falling within the ‘Science’
category (noted below) and one for a graduate falling within the ‘Arts & Business’ category
(noted below).
The Alumni Relations Office reserves the right to decide which category an alumnus falls
into for the purpose of the Awards.

Distinguished Alumni Awards – SCIENCE
o School of Health Professions
o School of Veterinary and Life Sciences
o School of Engineering and Information Technology
o School of Psychology and Exercise Science

Distinguished Alumni Awards – ARTS & BUSINESS
o School of Arts
o School of Law
o School of Education
o School of Management & Governance
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
To be eligible to win an Award:

Nominees must have graduated from Murdoch University. A graduate (alumnus) of
Murdoch University is defined as an individual who has completed and been awarded
one or more certificate, degree, diploma or any other award prescribed by the
statutes of Murdoch University.

Nominees must not be:
o honorary degree recipients unless that individual has also completed and
been awarded one or more certificate, degree, diploma or any other award
prescribed by the statutes of Murdoch University;
o
o
current Murdoch academic and general staff members who are more than 0.2
full time equivalent (FTE) or spouses (including de facto spouses) of current
academic and general staff (who are more than 0.2 FTE) as per the 2010
General Staff/2010 Academic Staff agreement; or
a winner of a previous years’ Distinguished Alumni Awards.

Subject to complying with all other eligibility criteria, any alumnus holding an
honorary title (for example, Adjunct Professor) is eligible to be nominated, so long as
they do not exceed 0.2 FTE.

Finalists of the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Awards are ineligible to enter the 2014
Awards (but will be eligible for future Awards). If in doubt, clarification on whether a
previous finalist is eligible to enter the new round of Awards may be sought from the
Alumni Relations Office.
Any nominee who does not meet the criteria above is automatically ineligible. Ineligible
nominees will be informed that they do not meet the eligibility criteria by the Alumni
Relations Office.
NOMINATIONS FOR ALL AWARDS
Nominations may be made by any member of Murdoch University or the wider community,
who believes a Murdoch alumnus is deserving of this prestigious Award. Nominations may
be made by the alumnus being nominated or another individual who believes the alumnus is
deserving.
Nominees must meet the eligibility criteria (above) and selection criteria (below).
Nominations must be made:


on the official Distinguished Alumni Awards website using the nomination form, and
all supporting documentation must be included; and
by COB (5:00pm Perth time) by the closing date of the nominations period to be
considered for entry into the program.
Murdoch University accepts no responsibility for unsuccessfully uploaded entries and
incomplete entries will be disregarded.
Submission of a nomination form, or acceptance of a third party nomination, indicates
acceptance of these guidelines.
The Alumni Relations Office and judging panels reserve the right to:


determine which Award category (‘Science’ or ‘Arts & Business’) a nominee falls
within; and
determine whether an individual is eligible to enter the Awards program,
in their absolute discretion.
All nominations will be treated in confidence and will not be circulated outside of the Alumni
Relations Office, judging panels and selected members of Murdoch University staff.
SELECTION CRITERIA
To be selected as a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, nominees must have:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
made an outstanding contribution to their chosen field; and /or
given outstanding service to the community; and/or
given outstanding service to Murdoch University.
Nominations will also be assessed against the core values of Murdoch University:




Equity and Social Justice
Sustainability
Global responsibility
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
If your nomination is successful, you will be required to provide photographs and referee
reports. If you are self-nominating, the Alumni Relations Office recommends having these
documents prepared ahead of time in the event you may be selected.
JUDGING PROCESS
All nominations are put through two separate judging processes. This judging process
determines the recipients based on the selection criteria. Any individuals found to be
undermining the integrity of the Awards program and/or interfering with the judging process
will be immediately disqualified from the Awards program.
The judging panels are external to the Alumni Relations Office. The identities of the
members of the judging panels are confidential at all times to protect the integrity of the
Awards program.
AWARDS CEREMONY
Recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Awards will be announced at the annual Awards
ceremony and dinner. All recipients will be notified prior to the ceremony, however this
information must not be made public until after the conclusion of the formal ceremony.
Confidentiality must be respected by all parties throughout all stages of the Awards
program.