Nominations had to be received by email, mail or fax by Monday 30th June 2008

Aims of the ‘Xcel Students of the Year Award’ Scheme
To recognise and celebrate the achievements of students from a multi-ethnic or minority group background, and who have demonstrated excellence.

Who was Nominated
Any student currently attending any UK college or university and undertaking a post-school qualification, diploma or degree.

Bearing in mind the aims of this Award Scheme, students from a minority group or multi-ethnic background and also included women, the disabled and those from a deprived or challenged background.

Nominations had to be from students involved in the 13 subject areas (that were deliberately drawn in a wide and inclusive manner). There were also two additional awards for 'Xcel Student of Courage' and the overall 'Xcel Student of the Year 2008'.

The 13 Topic or Subject Areas for nominations were (with five nominations maximum, per subject area)

• Humanities
  
• Business & Commerce
  
• Engineering & Technology
  
• Creative Arts & Media
  
• Performing Arts
  
• Sciences
  
• IT, Computing & the Web
  
• Social Sciences
  
• Healthcare
  
• Sports
  
• Built Environment
  
• Law
  
• Education

Award winners are titled by topic, such as the ‘Xcel Science Student of the Year’

- see below for details and advice given to nominators on ‘how to nominate’ students

'Xcel Student of Courage'
This special award is designed to recognise the achievement of students from exceptionally challenging backgrounds that may also include financial or social privation, or disability, or refugee status; amongst any that you feel worthy of acknowledgment. We wish to give nominating universities and institutions as free a hand as possible with this award.

The 'Xcel Student of the Year'
will be chosen from those chosen as award winners within the topic areas, as well as from five finalists from the 'Student of Courage' award.

How To Nominate Your Students (subject and topic awards)
You can nominate any of your current students for these awards, they have been deliberately drawn wide enough to include students studying any UK degree programme. You may include nominations of those who have recently graduated within 12 months prior to 30th June 2008.

Nomination Format
Student nominated should have been judged by you to have fulfilled two main criteria, firstly academic achievement and secondly, personal development and achievement.

Academic Achievement - 50%
We wish to leave nominating university staff relatively free to personally assess academic achievement.

Some way wish to recognise those who have achieved or are forecast to achieve, an upper second or above. Others may wish to recognise academic achievement based on a start and completion comparison, that might allow for a student projected to achieve a lower grade (such as a third) to be nominated.

Similarly, you might wish to include an assessment of the student's academic understanding of, and commitment to, the subject s/he is studying. We suggest that you award 50% of any overall marking system you use to this judgement.

Personal Achievement and Development - 50%
The Award team also wish to give university staff involved in assessing their potential nominees, a free hand in judging this area; whilst bearing in mind that 50% of any overall marking or judging system you wish to use should be devoted to this.

You may wish to assess your nominees based on their cultural, family, social or economic backgrounds, as well as their individual personality and attitudes. Similarly, you may vary as to how you judge issues such as race, gender and disability; as well as your student's non-academic activities and achievements. You may also wish to consider your student's personal (and academic) achievements prior to their attendance at your institution. (That is, what they had to achieve in order to reach you in the first place).

Once you have assessed and decided upon which students you wish to nominate, we ask you to very briefly explain your reasoning in the nomination form.

Marking and Judging
All comments and assessments were kept strictly confidential and were not revealed to any third party (other than appointed award judges) without explicit consent. Similarly, no institution was allowed to use, divulge or reveal details of any part of the nominations it made, nor of the individuals they nominated without the explicit consent of the organisers.

Once all nominations were received, an appointed outside organisation (PNCW Ltd) decided upon award winners and runners-up (who will be titled 'Commended'). The judging was done by 'blind' marking, without influence of either the nominating institutions or various award sponsors.

Winners will attend the Award Event with a possible partner and parents (maximum four including winner), as well as one individual from their nominating institution (five in total). Award winners will be publicly presented with their awards and also be invited with their attending guests, to enjoy a post-presentation celebration party.

Again all information
received was strictly confidential and not be released or revealed without explicit permission from both the nominees, award winner and the Organisers.

‘Xcel Student of the Year’ Organisers:
SR Media on behalf of ‘Xcel’ magazine and its various media partners including; The Voice, Young Voices, Pride, Kiss fm, The Times, The Times-on-line, et al.

Nominations and Contact Addresses
Email: xcelawards@srmedia.net
Post: Xcel Nominations Dept, 4th Floor,
101 Southwark Street, London SE1 0JF

Fax: 0207 401 7233 (title faxes ‘Xcel Nominations’)
Tel: 0207 401 7333