Award Description and Instructions for Submitting the Annual Chapter Report
Every chapter of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN) has the opportunity to submit their Chapter Report for consideration of the IEEE-HKN Outstanding Chapter Award (OCA). All IEEE-HKN chapters are encouraged to be considered for this Award, which recognizes their achievements.
- The Award
- Method of Selection
- The Annual Chapter Report
- Preparing the Annual Chapter Report
- Submission Requirements
- Outstanding Chapter Award Criteria
- How Chapter Performance Will Be Judged
- Key Dates
An important purpose of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu is to provide recognition of excellence. The IEEE-HKN Board of Governors created the Outstanding Chapter Award to recognize excellence in Chapter administration and programs. This award is administered by the Outstanding Chapter Awards Committee, which reviews all chapter annual reports and determines the chapters most deserving of commendation for their activities. The Award has been changed recently so that all Chapters, large or small, judged to have exemplary programs, have a chance of being selected for the OCA.
The Annual Chapter Report, ideally submitted at the end of the academic year, details important chapter programs and activities during the previous academic year. This report is also used as the basis for determining the recipients of the OCA.
Though Chapters are under no obligation to contend for the award, IEEE-HKN requires all chapters to prepare and submit the Annual Chapter Report to IEEE-HKN headquarters to document their activities. Chapters should also keep a copy for their own files so that future chapter officers have a reference of previous chapter activities.
Chapters wishing to be considered for the OCA should submit a detailed chapter report that includes complete activity descriptions and photographs in a well-formatted report. Examples of the more detailed reports can be viewed on the Winning Chapter Reports page.
Annual Chapter Reports are due by June 30 for the previous academic year. The OCA Committee reviews the reports and announces the winners the first week of January.
Annual Chapter Reports should be completed electronically and emailed to: info@hkn.org
Preparation of the Annual Chapter Report need not be a burden. If a chapter's activities have been especially numerous, committee and activity chairpersons can lighten the task by writing their respective sections. Copies of Annual Chapter Reports from previous years should be available for guidance.
The Annual Chapter Report Form may be used as a brief summary report. This form provides only basic information about the Chapter, but it does contain information needed from every Chapter. If the Annual Chapter Report is to go beyond the basics, it should provide a more detailed chronicle of the Chapter's Service Activities relevant to the OCA criteria. Good, clear writing is desirable, as are visual aids such as photographs and diagrams presented in a logical, attractive format. A record of person-hours and the size of the chapter are also necessary to compare chapters that differ markedly in the size of their membership. Visit our website for samples of winning detailed Chapter Reports.
Annual Chapter Reports should adhere to the following submission requirements
- Annual Chapter Report Forms (.doc form) and/or Detailed Annual Chapter Reports (PDF) should be submitted in electronic form only to: info@hkn.org
- Reports may be of any length and may contain color if desired.
For the purposes of this award, emphasis is placed on service activities to the department, school, community, and chapter, in that order. Equally important is promoting the goals of IEEE-HKN by inducting as many eligible undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty in IEEE designated Technical Fields of Interest as possible, and by participating in IEEE-HKN Student Chapter Projects.
The Outstanding Chapter Awards Committee utilizes criteria in deciding winning Chapter Reports, such as Service Activities that
- Improve professional development
- Raise instructional and institutional standards
- Encourage scholarship and creativity
- Provide a public service
- Further the established goals of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu
Given the standard of scholarship and the qualities of leadership that characterize its members, each chapter holds great potential. Because of the excellence of the chapters that have earned an OCA in the past, the award is traditionally a mark of distinction. IEEE-HKN urges each Chapter to submit an annual report that does justice to its activities and ensures that the chapter qualifies as a candidate for the award.
- Activity Hours per Member - A useful metric for gauging activity level is the average number of activity hours per member. It is obtained by adding up the number of person-hours expended for each activity and dividing that total by the average number of members in the chapter for the year. These average activity levels can be compared to previous recipients of the OCA and judged accordingly.
- Inducting eligible students and faculty in IEEE designated Technical Fields of Interest - Not all students invited to join IEEE-HKN do so. Significant weight will be given to chapters with an above average rate of inducting undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty.
- In addition to the above, the quality of each service activity (to the department, school, community, and chapter, in that order) is taken into consideration.
- Due date for Annual Chapter Reports:
June 30 (for previous academic year) - Winners announced:
January