National Student Employment Week

National Student Employment Week (NSEW) is celebrated across the nation during the month of April.

One week in the spring is dedicated to our UMD student employees. This year it is April 9 to April 15, 2023. Departments and offices are encouraged to recognize their student employees by nominating them for the Student Worker of the Year Award. We will celebrate the recipient and runner ups of the award with an event held on April 11th at 1:00 pm in Griggs Center.

UMD Department of Human Resources encourages campus departments to take time during NSEW to celebrate the contribution that nearly 1,500 student employees make at UMD. Let your student employees know how much their hard work is appreciated.

The deadline to nominate a student is Friday, February 10, 2023.

Recipients of the UMD Student Employee award will also have the opportunity to win a national award through MASEA. UMD is a member of MASEA (Minnesota Association of Student Employment Administrators), a non-profit association involved with supporting and promoting student employment as an educational experience for students, as well as an alternative to financial aid and a way for students to prepare for a meaningful career.

How the MASEA Student Employee of the Year is Selected

The process begins at the institutional level. Supervisors may nominate an outstanding student employee for recognition as the institutions' student employee of the year.  Then, any institution who is a member of MASEA may submit their student employee of the year for State and Regional consideration.

Fourteen states make up the Midwest region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The nominations for each region are then forwarded to the National Student Employment Association (NSEA) for the nationwide competition. NSEA is comprised of four regions: WASEA (13 western states), MASEA (14 midwestern states), SASEA (12 southern states), and NEASEA (11 northeastern states plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico).

Awards:

• Each campus winner will receive a certificate and congratulatory letter from MASEA
• The state winners will receive a certificate and check for $50.00
• The MASEA regional winner will receive a plaque and a check for $100.00
• The MASEA winner will be submitted for the NSEA Student Employee of the Year Program

UMD is proud that we have had two UMD student employees who have won the nationwide competition, namely: Erik Stromstad, Kirby Student Center (2003) and Justin Hallquist, Facilities Management (1999). They won against thousands of nominations from all member institutions throughout the United States. See a list of past winners and nominees.

"Student Employee of the Year" Competition


Who Can Nominate:

  • Co-worker, supervisor, department head, director, or dean

Student Employee Eligibility:

  • The Student Employee of the Year (SEOTY) competition begins with supervisors nominating outstanding student employees at the institutional level. Nominations then move on to state, regional, and national levels to be considered.
  • Graduate and Teaching assistants are ineligible.
  • All student employees meeting the above criteria are eligible. This is not limited to those employed through the Federal Work-Study program.
  • Please review the full nomination process and scoring rubric at www.masea.org
  • Nominations will be judged on the eight NACE Core Competencies
  • The institution must be a member of MASEA to be selected as a winner for state and regional awards. If selected to move onto NSEA competition, must also be a member of NSEA.
  • Information you provide may be used in press releases and other promotional materials.

Selection Criterion (National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Core Competencies):

  • Problem Solving
  • Communications
  • Teamwork
  • Digital Technology
  • Leadership
  • Professionalism/Work Ethic
  • Career Management
  • Intercultural Fluency

Step-by-Step Instruction for Nominating a Student Employee: Deadline for Nominees is Friday, February 10, 2023.

Step 1: Review the Guidelines for Nominating Your Student for the "Student Employee of the Year" Competition above to determine the eligibility of your student employee.

Step 2: Fill out the Nomination FormPlease take note that the three winning nominations will be posted online.

Step 3: Submit the Nomination Form by the appointed due date in one of the following methods.

by mailing a paper copy to:

UMD Human Resources
NSEW (National Student Employment Week)
255 Darland Administration Building
Duluth, MN 55812

by email*: 

UMD Human Resources at [email protected]

*We encourage you to send the Nomination Form to our office electronically via email.

Number of Awards:

  • UMD Student Employee of the Year
  • First Runner-Up
  • Second Runner-Up

If you have any questions, please call UMD Human Resources at 218-726-7161 or email at [email protected].