JVS Medallion Search Criteria

A tribute to a great University of the Philippines nurse, the Julita V. Sotejo Medallion of Honor was established by UPNAAI as its highest and most coveted award to recognize nursing alumni who embody ideals espoused by Julita V. Sotejo, principal, UP-PGHSN, founder and first dean, U.P. College of Nursing.

The Julita V. Sotejo Medallion of Honor Award recognizes UP nursing alumni who demonstrate excellence in the 3 nomination criteria set forth below.

The Nomination Criteria

1. Must have attained a significant and innovative contribution to the nursing profession including achievements of the nominee within the past decade. (20%)
2. Must have attained national and possibly international prestige which has brought honor and distinction to the nursing profession, university, and country. (30%)
3. Must have rendered a unique and selfless service to the country and humanity. (50%)

Requirements

1. The nominee must be a UP nursing alumna/alumnus and a member of UPNAAI
2. The recipient must be able to accept the award in person during the UPNAAI annual convention and be prepared to speak about the convention theme with a focus on her/his expertise and experiences relevant to the theme.
3. The nominator must be a UP nursing alumna/alumnus and a member of UPNAAI.
4. Current officers, members of the board, and members of the Medallion of Honor Selection Committee, shall not be eligible to be nominated nor eligible to be nominator and/or endorser of a particular nominee.
5. Documents must be authenticated with supporting papers.

Other Considerations

1. A nominee may be nominated every year but may only be an award recipient once.
2. The nominator must be an individual, and not a group or class.
3. Only one nominator is allowed for each nominee.
4. The committee shall accept endorsements from other individuals to support the nomination.
5. All documents must be submitted electronically.

Procedure:

1. The Nomination Process
   1. A request for nomination and all required documents must be e-mailed to the Chairman of the Awards and Citation Committee.
   2. The nomination letter (pdf) in essay format must include the following information:
      1. A brief introduction about the nominee
      2. Highlights of the nominee’s achievements
      3. How the nominee contributes to UPNAAI’s mission
      4. Why the nominee should be considered for the J.V. Sotejo Medallion of Honor Award.
   3. The nominee shall submit the following:
      1. Personal statement of justification of the 3 criteria preferably in itemized format listing highlights pertinent to each criterion (pdf). Form attached with this request.
      2. Recent colored photo in jpg format (camera ready)
      3. Curriculum vitae (pdf) with home address, telephone contact number, and preferred e-mail address.
   4. Deadline: All required documents must be submitted electronically to the e-mail address of the Chairman, Awards and Citation Committee starting October 1 and no later than March 1 at midnight. In addition to the electronic copy, the nominator shall mail to the Chairman, one set of hard copies of all documents, except the photo.
      
      
2. The Selection Process
   1. The Chairman shall convene the Committee at a scheduled date two weeks before the April board meeting. Copies of the nomination papers and supporting documents are distributed to each member of the committee for their own perusal prior to the scheduled meeting. During the meeting, the documents are again read for everyone to hear and for the record. Members may ask questions and clarifications if any. Depending on the number of nominees, the members may take turns on the oral reading after which the Chairman distributes rating sheets with percentages assigned to each criterion totaling 100% as ballot.
   2. To maintain the independence and integrity of the vote, the grading process is done individually, personally, and secretly - in effect giving the members their own personal assessment of the qualification of the nominees. When they reconvene, the Chairman calls the meeting to order and asks for the members’ individual votes which are meticulously tallied by the Chairman and a designated member, with all the criteria being accounted for. The tally sheet is signed by the Chairman and the member who assisted in the tally. It is important to note that no formal deliberations take place prior to the final tally to avoid one member influencing the opinion of another, and certainly their ratings. A member who is unable to attend the selection meeting must notify the Chairman of such, and may have the option to submit his/her ballot by e-mail, text, or telephone.
   3. The results are in, and it is at this juncture that the Chairman opens the table for discussion which is mostly with the members expressing the rationale for their individual votes. In the event of a tie, and/or all things being equal, the committee reviews the nomination documents and look for items in the resume that can make the difference, one that can be considered as significant breakthrough by the nominee in the field of nursing and more importantly the service rendered to country and humanity - Servitium patriae et humanitate, service to country and humanity as clearly inscribed on the medallion itself.
   4. The medallion is ordered by the designated member who endorses the medal to the President on the award day.
      
      
3. The Awarding Process
   1. In announcing the result, the Chairman asks for a motion to endorse the awardee to the UPNAAI Board of Directors. This motion is seconded and accordingly voted upon in favor of the final result thereby making the awardee a unanimous choice.
   2. At the March UPNAAI Board meeting, the committee Chairman presents the awardee and the reason why the nominee is chosen over the others and recommends the same to be the year’s recipient. The President calls for a vote of the directors present to approve the recommendation of the committee. Once the awardee is determined but short of unanimity, the President calls for a second ballot for a unanimous endorsement of the awardee. Upon approval, the UPNAAI President makes the announcement and officially sends a letter to the awardee. The year’s recipient of the Julita V. Sotejo Medallion of Honor is thereby invited to come for the awards ceremony and be the Keynote Speaker at UPNAAI’s annual convention in August. The Chairman of the Education and Research Committee will then contact the awardee for details regarding the speaker requirements.
      
      
4. Publication and Archiving of the JVS recipients
   1. A two-page article about the awardee is published in the Yearbook.
   2. Recipients of the Julita V. Sotejo Medallion of Honor are specially recorded in UPNAAI’s official archives. UPNAAI will continue to honor these awardees by publishing their names and accomplishments in the organization’s Yearbook every year. They will be part of UPNAAI’s history and clearly the pride of their alma mater.
   3. At the prerogative of the Editorial Board, the Yearbook may, from time to time, also publish the nominees, acknowledging that the nomination itself is an honor within the purview of the award.