Nomination Criteria & Prompt

These awards honor individuals and organizations who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, justice, nonviolence, and social change. Please describe how the nominee exemplifies the principles and values of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by highlighting their contributions, achievements, and impact in the following areas:

• Leadership – The ability to inspire, guide, and mobilize others toward justice, equity, and collective progress.
• Advocacy – The act of speaking up, taking action, and working to change unjust systems in pursuit of fairness and inclusion.
• Social Justice – A demonstrated commitment to dismantling inequities and creating a society where everyone is treated with dignity and equity.
• Community Service – Meaningful contributions made to support and uplift communities through acts of care, volunteerism, and civic engagement.
• Education – The sharing and pursuit of knowledge that empowers individuals, challenges injustice, and fosters social change.

Strong nominations provide meaningful examples that address the award criteria most relevant to the nominee’s contributions. Whenever possible, nominators are encouraged to address multiple areas to provide a comprehensive picture of the nominee’s impact.

For self-nominations, we strongly encourage including at least one letter of support that provides an external perspective on the nominee’s contributions and addresses one or more of the award criteria.

Nomination Process

There are two pathways for submitting a nomination.

Nominations Submitted by Another Person

Once a nomination is submitted, the nominee will receive an invitation to accept or decline the nomination.

If the nominee accepts, they will have the opportunity to:

• Review the nomination submitted on their behalf.
• Provide additional information that highlights contributions or accomplishments not reflected in the original nomination.
• Submit optional letters of support or other materials that help the selection committee better understand the breadth and impact of their work.

Self-Nominations

Individuals who nominate themselves should use the nomination form to provide a comprehensive overview of their contributions.

Supporting letters are encouraged to provide additional perspectives that validate and enrich the nominee’s accomplishments and impact.

All nominations, regardless of how they are submitted, are reviewed using the same award criteria: Leadership, Advocacy, Social Justice, Community Service, and Education.

Note: Nominations can be started and saved until they are ready for submission. Only complete nominations submitted by the deadline will be considered. Draft or incomplete nominations will not be reviewed. Please contact civilrights@uconn.edu with any questions.

Important Dates

• October 2 – Nomination Form opens
• November 20 – Nomination Form closes
• December 1 – Nominee Acceptance deadline
• January 28 – MLK Convocation and Award Ceremony at the Jorgensen Center

Recipient Categories

• Undergraduate Student
• Graduate Student
• Faculty
• Staff
• Community Member
• Alum
• Team or Organization (teams can be a mix of categories and organization can be student-led or community-led)