Dear Nomination Coordinator,

Thank you for nominating students to the 2008 All-USA Community College Academic Team. Because each school is limited to nominating only two students per campus, your work is critical. There have been slight revisions to the eligibility and nomination form this year, so please read the following carefully even if you have nominated students in the past.

To be eligible, a nominee:

  • Must be enrolled at your community college through December 2007.

  • Must be on track to earn an Associate or a Bachelor degree. Students need to have a minimum of 45 semester (or 60 quarter) college-level credits completed at or accepted for transfer to a community college by December 31, 2007, with the intent to have a minimum of 53 semester (or 79.5 quarter) college-level credits at community college by August 31, 2008. Students must have a minimum of 30 semester (or 45 quarter) college-level credit hours completed at a community college in the last five years.

  • Must not have previously been nominated for the All-USA Community College Academic Team.

  • Must hold a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 out of a possible 4.0 in all college credit coursework completed in the last five years.

  • Must have a community college record free of suspension, probation or other serious disciplinary action. The applicant's record must also be 1) free from any criminal conduct or 2) if a convicted felon, has completed all conditions of sentencing, including probation.

Some factors to consider when selecting nominees:

  • Nominees must realize anything they submit in the nomination form could be made public through the media. Students must consider carefully the possibility that should they win, publicity about their accomplishments - work with support groups or advocacy, for example - could carry implications about their personal lives or immigration status. In fairness to all nominees, and because winners' forms are used as the basis for news coverage of the team, contents are subject to rigorous fact-checking.

  • All nominees must send official transcripts reflecting fall 2007 grades and credits by February 1, 2008. Failure to submit these transcripts may result in disqualification.

  • The program seeks to honor outstanding students who also represent the range of students found on American community college campuses. Traditional, non-traditional, early start and international students all have been named to the First Team. Those seeking Associate degrees as well as those intending to earn a Bachelor degree are eligible.

  • Judging criteria include academic excellence and intellectual rigor; leadership and service; and how students have extended their education beyond the classroom to benefit society. It is a merit award based on what students have done while attending community college, rather than a need-based scholarship.

  • The centerpiece of the nomination is the 500-word essay describing the nominee's most significant endeavor while attending community college in which the student extended his or her community college education to benefit the school, community or society. Students who have demonstrated leadership and initiative in service learning, who contributed to scholarly research, or who have made lasting contributions to your campus or community may make excellent candidates. If endeavors are not yet complete, they must be far enough along so that the nominee and advisor can discuss the specifics of work done thus far.

  • The program is an "Academic" team, so the student's academic record is important. Judges look at the overall academic record and how well students' courses match their career goals. The form allows students to explain circumstances that may have affected the student transcript, so students with several withdrawals or a temporary drop in grades should not necessarily be ruled out. However, carefully consider those students with several withdrawals as statistically they do not achieve high academic rigor. As a result, a nominee with more than a couple of unexplained withdrawals will not typically advance in competition. To ensure a quality applicant, it is wise to review a nominee's transcript in advance for both breadth and depth.

  • The discussion questions are meant to give judges a sense of the nominee's background and time commitments outside of school. The program is open to part-time as well as full-time students, so the answers help the judges place the nominee's accomplishments into context. The questions should not be interpreted to mean students must have overcome obstacles or be somehow disadvantaged in order to be named to the First Team.

  • Please note that USA TODAY, as funding sponsor, has been granted exclusive press coverage of the All-USA Academic Team competition. Students named to the All-USA Academic Team are not allowed to be announced publicly until they are featured in USA TODAY on April 7, 2008.

  • Please note that finalists will be required to go through a verification process. As a nominator, you are requested to notify Phi Theta Kappa if a nominee faces any type of disciplinary action between the time of nomination through the time the student is publicly awarded at the AACC Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  • Nominees need not be members of Phi Theta Kappa.

  • The nominees you select may be considered role models on your campus. Consider which students you would be proud to have represent your community college.