Old Rhodian Awards

Closing date for the 2012 nominations was 25 June 2012 and the Award selection meeting will take place on Tuesday 17 July. The Nomination Form may either be faxed to 046 603 8744 (international +27 46 603 8744), emailed with the subject heading "Old Rhodian Award" to alumni@ru.ac.za or posted to "Old Rhodian Award", Alumni Relations Office, Development and Alumni Relations Division, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.

2012 OR Award Nomination Form (PDF Version)

2011 saw the introduction of the Emerging Old Rhodian Award which recognises the achievements of Old Rhodians under 40 years of age.

2012 Awards

The Awards will be presented at the Founders' Day luncheon on Saturday 25 August.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Prospective awardees must be nominated for the Award. The Universitys Alumni Relations office will call for nominations during the second quarter of each year. Nominations may be made by anyone. Individuals may not nominate her/his self for the award. If possible, nomination’s should be made without the nominee being informed and must be accompanied by a full motivation as to how the nominee meets the required criteria.

The University honours Old Rhodians who through their individual actions and achievements have enhanced the reputation of the University. The Award is specifically intended to acknowledge Old Rhodians as role models and in essence is the greater family of Rhodes rewarding one of their own.

In 2010 it was agreed that an award should also be given to younger (under 40) Old Rhodians in recognition of their achievements to date. 2011 saw the introduction of the Emerging Old Rhodian Award which recognises the achievements of Old Rhodians under 40 years of age - consequently there are now two categories for these awards:

Emerging Old Rhodian Award (under 40)

Distinguished Old Rhodian Award

The Nomination Form may either be faxed to 046 603 8744 (international +27 46 603 8744), emailed with the subject heading "Old Rhodian Award" to alumni@ru.ac.za or posted to "Old Rhodian Award", Alumni Relations Office, Development and Alumni Relations Division, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa.

AWARD GIFT:

The Distinguished Old Rhodian Award will comprise two parts:

A parchment which will give the details of the Award (award date, signature of Vice-Chancellor etc);
A suitably inscribed replica statuette of the "Figure of Energy". The Old Rhodian Award statuette is based on George Frederick Watts' Physical Energy statue.

Why the statue of Physical Energy?

George Fredrick Watt's statue of Physical Energy was incorporated into the original coat of arms for Rhodes College and was kept when Rhodes became a university.

George Fredrick Watts 1817 - 1904

George Fredrick Watts was born in London, the son of a piano maker and tuner. He came to the public eye with a drawing entitled Caractacus, which was entered for a competition to design murals for the new Houses of Parliament at Westminster in 1843. Watts won a first prize in the competition. During his last years Watts also turned to sculpture. The bronze statue Physical Energy, depicts a naked man on horseback shielding his eyes from the sun as he looks ahead of him. It was originally intended to be dedicated to Muhammad, Attila, Tamerlane and Genghis Khan, thought by Watts to epitomise the raw energetic will to power. Two casts were made one was placed at Rhodes Memorial in Cape Town and the other stands in London's Kensington Gardens, overlooking the north-west side of the Serpentine.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Frederick_Watts

The Emerging Old Rhodian Award will comprise:

A parchment which will give the details of the Award (award date, signature of Vice-Chancellor etc) and photograph of Rhodes University suitably mounted and elegantly framed.

GENERAL AWARD CRITERIA:

In general terms Candidates should be Old Rhodians who have achieved excellence in their careers and who personify the attributes of social consciousness and leadership expected of an Old Rhodian. Meet most, but not necessarily all, of the following award criteria for the individual awards.

Award Committee:

Recipients of the Award will be determined by the Old Rhodian Award Committee. The Committee is composed of 8 members: The Vice-Chancellor (Chair), Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic & Student Affairs, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research & Development, Two Senate representatives, The Chairman of Convocation, Two members of the Old Rhodian Union and the Chairman of Council or his/her nominee.

Ceremony:

The Award is presented by the Vice-Chancellor at the Founders' Day Luncheon in August of each year.

EMERGING OLD RHODIAN AWARD - CRITERIA

One award may be given annually. The candidate may only receive this award once, but this does not preclude him/her from receiving the Distinguished Old Rhodian Award at a later stage.
This new award is specifically aimed at honouring younger Old Rhodians who have excelled early in their career and shown potential for continued success. Candidates should be 40 years of age or younger at the time of nomination.
Suitable candidates should be benchmarked against the following:

Professional Achievement: The award aims to recognize professional accomplishment and significant contribution to the recipient’s profession; shown characteristics that indicate future success and significant contributions in their field.
Personal Achievement: The award aims to recognise personal achievement and success. He/she should personify the attributes that Rhodes seeks to cultivate i.e. is identifiable as an emerging leader. Have succeeded despite hurdles which they may have encountered in their lives.
Community (local, state, or national) Service: The award aims to recognise significant contributions, involvement and impact of the candidate’s actions that have real benefit to the community.
University Service: The award acknowledges any support for University initiatives through:

• Involvement in University programs, guest lecturing or student mentorship etc
• Actively promoted the University among students, parents, alumni, general public and prospective donors
• Have demonstrated their support for the institution by way of financial contributions.

DISTINGUISHED OLD RHODIAN AWARD - CRITERIA

Up to three awards may be given annually. The candidate may only receive this award once.
This award is specifically aimed at honouring Old Rhodians who have reached exceptional heights in their chosen career over an extended period of time. The Award should not be given in recognition of a single remarkable achievement but for those alumni who have attained and maintained excellence in their chosen fields of endeavour and in their service to society.
Suitable candidates should be benchmarked against the following:

Professional Achievement: The award aims to recognize distinguished and notable professional accomplishments that have made outstanding contributions to the recipient’s profession.
Personal Achievement: The award aims to recognise exceptional personal achievement and success. He/she should personify the attributes that Rhodes seeks to cultivate i.e. Living up to the motto “Where Leaders Learn”. Have succeeded despite hurdles which they may have encountered in their lives.
Community (local, state, or national) Service: The award aims to recognise outstanding contributions, involvement and impact of the candidate’s actions that have real and significant benefits to the community.
University Service: The award acknowledges long-term support that has reflected positively on the University through:

• Involvement in University programs, guest lecturing or student mentorship etc
• Actively promoted the University among students, parents, alumni and the general public
• Actively promoted the University to prospective corporate and other donors.
• Have demonstrated their support for the institution by way of financial contributions.

Click on individual years to see a full listing and citations of previous award winners.