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Leadership and Ethics Institute (LEI) Programs and Initiatives

The University of Texas Leadership and Ethics Institute

Swing Out Awards

Become Part of the Swing Out Award Tradition!

The Swing Out Awards are given by the University of Texas Leadership and Ethics Institute (LEI) to student organizations that have demonstrated excellence in leadership on campus. Organizations can apply to different categories that best fit their student group. Award winners will be recognized at the Evening of the Stars ceremony on Tuesday, April 24, 2012, in the Student Activity Center (SAC) Ballroom.

2011-2012 Swing Out Award Winners

All categories receive $300
Most Outstanding receives $1000

  • Best Academic/Departmental Organization: Undergraduate Business Council
  • Best Artistic Organization: Collegium Musicum
  • Best Cultural Organization: Indian Cultural Association
  • Best Political/Activist Organization: University Leadership Initiative
  • Best Professional Organization: Asian Business Students Association (ABSA)
  • Best Recreational Organization: Punjabbawockeez
  • Best Service Organization: Texas 4000 for Cancer
  • Best Social Organization: Honors Business Association
  • Best Spirit Organization: Orange Jackets
  • Best Graduate Organization: Domestic Violence Survivor Support Network
  • Best New Organization: GlobeMed at the University of Texas at Austin
  • Best Organizational Ethics: Amnesty International
  • Best Safety Program: Texas Lassos
  • Most Improved Organization: Undergraduate Business Council
  • Outstanding Advisor: Best Buddies
  • Most Outstanding Organization: Punjabbawockeez

2010-2011 Swing Out Award Winners

All categories receive $300
Most Outstanding receives $1000

  • Best Academic/Departmental Organization: Communication Council
  • Best Artistic Organization: University Fashion Group
  • Best Cultural Organization: Hindu Students Association
  • Best Political/Activist Organization: University Leadership Initiative
  • Best Professional Organization: Student Consulting International Organization
  • Best Recreational Organization: Texas Ballroom
  • Best Service Organization: Best Buddies
  • Best Social Organization: Texas Sweethearts
  • Best Spirit Organization: Texas Spirits
  • Best Graduate Organization: Consortium for Research in Teacher Education
  • Best New Organization: One Note Stand
  • Best Risk Management Program: Undergraduate Business Council
  • Most Improved Organization: Indian Students Association
  • Outstanding Advisor: Stephanie Hinojosa-Galvan with Undergraduate Business Council
  • Most Outstanding Organization: Best Buddies

The past winners of Swing Out Awards are prominently displayed on plaques in the Student Services Building, near the Student Organization Center (SSB 4.102A).

Categories

Each organization must apply for one of the 9 primary categories:

  • Academic/Departmental
  • Artistic
  • Cultural
  • Political/Activist
  • Professional
  • Recreational
  • Service
  • Social and
  • Spirit

In addition, there are 7 Special Categories:

  • Best New
  • Best Risk Management Program
  • Best Graduate Organization
  • Best Organizational Ethics
  • Most Improved
  • Outstanding Advisor and
  • Most Outstanding

Student organizations must apply for one primary category, and may choose to apply for as many of the Special Category Awards as they would like, aside from the Most Outstanding Award, which is selected from the winners of the Primary Categories. The category for which an organization applies should reflect the strengths and accomplishments the organization has demonstrated in that year. Referring to the separate category questions in the application may help determine how to best present an organization.

Choosing the Swing Out Winners

The University of Texas Leadership and Ethics Institute considers the manner in which organizations use the resources available to them. We consider aspects such as the dedication of an organization's membership, the scope and success of the events and activities in which an organization participates, how the organization enriches the experiences of its members and others, and how organizations exceed the scope of their normal activities and categories. Through an application and interview process, LEI members familiarize themselves with student organization activities to select Swing Out Award winners.

Each member of LEI signs a pledge to remain objective and ethical throughout the Swing Out process. LEI members represent diverse campus involvement. However, if organizations in which LEI members are involved apply for Swing Out Awards, they agree to refrain from participation in the application preparation and process. Additionally, LEI members will not review the category(ies) in which the organization applied.

History

The Swing Out tradition began in 1922 as a ceremony to honor outstanding women students on campus and to pass on UT Austin traditions from one generation to the next. Cap and Gown, a senior women's organization, originally sponsored the Swing Out Awards, which became an annual tradition as part of the University Senior Week. The ceremony was extended to honor men's and coed organizations in 1955. Swing Out remained a campus tradition for recognizing student leaders and a symbolic gesture of transferring leadership from one class to the next until 1963.

In 1991, the University of Texas Leadership Board (UTLB), a student organization sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Students, revitalized the tradition, broadening the scope of the Swing Out Awards to include all student organizations on campus.

Building on the success of UTLB, the University of Texas Leadership and Ethics Institute (LEI) was created in the fall of 2008 as an initiative through the Office of the Dean of Students, to serve as a comprehensive leadership development program serving all undergraduate and graduate students. LEI incorporated the leadership opportunities previously offered through UTLB, including the annual Swing Out Awards.

LEI continues to support the tradition of the Swing Out Awards to honor outstanding student organizations and the students who drive them, for their commitment, leadership, and excellence at The University of Texas at Austin.