Pillars of the Forty Acres
About the Pillars of the Forty Acres
Pillars of the Forty Acres is a recognition program for student organizations whose activities embody the University's six Core Values. The purpose of the program is to create a culture of accountability and recognize organizations for their creative ways of incorporating the Core Values. It's possible your student organization has already met several of the program criteria so why not take a chance to be awarded for your outstanding efforts?
There are two levels of recognition status: Distinguished and Exemplary. Organizations that complete the program are eligible for monetary prizes awarded at the Evening of the Stars ceremony held in April.
To achieve Distinguished Status, an organization must complete at least (1) activity, event or program that aligns with your organization's mission and/or helps your organization reach one of its goals for three (3) of the six (6) Core Values.
To achieve Exemplary Status, an organization must complete at least one (1) activity, event or program that aligns with your organization's missions and/or helps your organization reach one of its goals for each of the six (6) Core Values.
Why should your organization participate in the Pillars of the Forty Acres program?
- Enhance your organization and connect with resources
- Be entered to win monetary prize drawings
- Get public recognition on the Student Organizations website
- Be honored during the Evening of the Stars award in the spring
To participate in the Pillars of the Forty Acres program, each organization must complete all of the following steps:
- Be in good standing with the Office of the Dean of Students. If your organization is not listed in HornsLink, then it is frozen. Contact Student Organizations at 512-471-3065 to speak with a staff member and learn how to resolve the issue.
- Select one member of your organization to be the Pillars contact and submitter. Member must be listed on the organization's HornsLink roster.
- Selected Pillars contact and submitter must attend a Discover Pillars Workshop during the fall to begin enrollment and receive this year's Pillars Challenge. Visit the Student Organizations Hornslink page to RSVP for future workshop dates and times.
- Complete the Pillars of the Forty Acres Outline on HornsLink by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, November 24, 2024.
- Complete the Pillars of the Forty Acres Essay on HornsLink by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 9, 2025.
If you have questions about the Pillars of the Forty Acres recognition program, please schedule a Pillars consultation with a staff member or email awards@austin.utexas.edu.
FAQs
How do I register my organization for the Pillars of the Forty Acres?
Contact Student Organizations at awards@austin.utexas.edu.
Is there a deadline to register for the Pillars of the Forty Acres?
Yes. Student organizations are only permitted to register in the fall.
How long does the Pillars of the Forty Acres program last?
The Pillars of the Forty Acres starts each fall semester and ends the following spring semester.
Can my organization backlog completed criteria?
Yes. Student organizations can count all criteria completed starting the day after the previous year's program ends.
Can my student organization use the same activity, event, or program for more than one core value?
No. Student organizations must complete a different activity, event or program for each core value.
Pillars of the Forty Acres Past Recipients
2023 Recipients
Pillars of the Forty Acres Distinguished Status
To achieve Distinguished Status, an organization must complete an activity, event or program for three of the six core values.
- American Marketing Association (Learning, Freedom, Individual Opportunity)
- *Apricity Magazine (Learning, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Friends of MSF at UT Austin (Learning, Discovery, Leadership)
- Latin Economics and Business Association (Learning, Discovery, Individual Opportunity)
- Longhorn Powerlifting (Discovery, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- SCORE Athletics (Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity)
- *Sigma Delta Lambda Sorority, Inc. (Discovery, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Student Academy of Audiology chapter at the University of Texas at Austin (Learning, Discovery, Individual Opportunity)
- *Texas Taekwondo (Discovery, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
*Indicates organization won a monetary drawing based on their accomplishments
Pillars of the Forty Acres Exemplary Status
To achieve Exemplary Status, an organization must complete an activity, event or program for six of the six core values.
- Alpha Phi Sigma - Pre Health Honors Society (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- American Medical Student Association - Pre-med (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Beekeeping Society (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Campus Environmental Center (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Hindu Students Association (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Hindu YUVA (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Ismaili Muslim Students Association (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Latinx Health Professions Organization (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) On Campus at University of Texas at Austin (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Phi Kappa Tau (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *School of Human Ecology Ambassadors (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Society of Women Engineers (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Student Engineering Council (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Terry Scholar Student Association (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Texas Ballroom (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Texas Lassos (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Texas Latin Dance (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Texas Public Health (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Texas Robotics Graduate Students (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Texas THON (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Texas Undergraduate Research Journal (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Texas Wranglers (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- TX Votes (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- United Mission for Relief & Development Texas Chapter (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Women in Mechanical Engineering (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Women\'s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute Student Advisory Board (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Uplift Austin at the University of Texas at Austin (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
*Indicates organization won a monetary prize based on their accomplishments
2022 Recipients
Pillars of the Forty Acres Distinguished Status
To achieve Distinguished Status, an organization had to complete 6 points in one Core Value category.
- *Alpha Epsilon Delta (Learning, Discovery)
- American Medical Student Association (Discovery, Responsibility)
- Bridging Texas (Individual Opportunity)
- *Campus Environmental Center (Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Friends of MSF at UT Austin (Responsibility)
- Future Doctors of America (Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Hispanic Business Student Association (Individual Opportunity)
- *Hook \'Em Arts (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity)
- *Ismaili Muslim Students Association (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Latin Economics and Business Association (Discovery, Individual Opportunity)
- Longhorn Gaming (Individual Opportunity)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness On Campus at University of Texas at Austin (Leadership)
- *School of Human Ecology Ambassadors (Learning, Discovery)
- SCORE Athletics (Leadership)
- Socks for the Sole (Learning)
- *Student Engineering Council (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Terry Scholar Student Association (Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Texas Ballroom (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Texas Blazers (Leadership)
- *Texas Lassos (Learning)
- Texas Pre-Dental Society (Freedom)
- Texas Public Health (Learning)
- TEDxUTAustin (Responsibility)
- *Women in Mechanical Engineering (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
*Indicates organization won a drawing for $300 based on their accomplishments
Pillars of the Forty Acres Exemplary Status
To achieve Exemplary Status, an organization had to achieve Distinguished Status in five of the six Core Value categories.
- Campus Environmental Center (Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Future Doctors of America (Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Hook \'Em Arts (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity)
- Ismaili Muslim Students Association (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Student Engineering Council (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Texas Ballroom (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Women in Mechanical Engineering (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
*Indicates organization won a drawing for $100 based on their accomplishments
2021 Recipients
Pillars of the Forty Acres Distinguished Status
To achieve Distinguished Status, an organization had to complete 6 points in one Core Value category.
- *Alpha Epsilon Delta – Pre-Health Honor Society (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- American Medical Student Association – Pre-med (Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity)
- Apricity Magazine (Leadership)
- Asian Business Students Association (Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Austin Conservation Project at the University of Texas (Leadership)
- *Black Graduate Student Association (Individual Opportunity)
- Camp Kesem at the University of Texas at Austin (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Campus Environmental Center (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Friends of MSF at UT Austin (Leadership)
- *Future Doctors of America (Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Hindu Students Association (Discovery)
- Hispanic Business Student Association (Individual Opportunity)
- *Humanity First (Leadership)
- *Ismaili Muslim Students Association (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Lang Stuttering Institute Student Leadership Organization (Leadership)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) On Campus at University of Texas at Austin (Leadership)
- SCORE Athletics (Leadership)
- Sigma Delta Lambda Sorority, Inc. (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Texas Ballroom (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Texas Blazers (Leadership)
- *Texas Pre-Dental Society (Leadership)
- Texas Public Health (Responsibility)
- Texas Wranglers (Leadership)
- The Greek and Cypriot Society (Responsibility)
- *The Project (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity)
*Indicates organization won a drawing for $200 based on their accomplishments
Pillars of the Forty Acres Exemplary Status
To achieve Exemplary Status, an organization had to achieve Distinguished Status in five of the six Core Value categories.
- Alpha Epsilon Delta – Pre-Health Honor Society (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Camp Kesem at the University of Texas at Austin (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Campus Environmental Center (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Future Doctors of America (Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- *Ismaili Muslim Students Association (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Sigma Delta Lambda Sorority, Inc. (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
- Texas Ballroom (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Individual Opportunity, Responsibility)
*Indicates organization won $1,000 in the Exemplary monetary drawing for their accomplishments.
2020 Recipients
Pillars of the Forty Acres Distinguished Status
To achieve Distinguished Status, an organization had to complete 8 points in one Core Value category.
- *Alpha Epsilon Delta (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- Alpha Kappa Delta Phi (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- American Medical Student Association (Leadership and Individual Opportunity)
- Austin Conservation Project (Leadership)
- Black Student Alliance (Individual Opportunity)
- Campus Environmental Center (Leadership)
- Campus Events + Entertainment (Leadership and Individual Opportunity)
- **Camp Kesem (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- *Disability Advocacy Student Coalition (Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- *Hindu Students Association (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- Hispanic Business Student Association (Individual Opportunity)
- Humanity First (Leadership)
- Ismaili Muslim Students Association (Leadership)
- Lang Stuttering Institute Student Leadership Organization (Leadership)
- Latinx Health Professions Organization (Leadership)
- Longhorn Gaming (Leadership)
- Longhorn Singers (Leadership)
- *Longhorn Stream Team (Leadership)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) On Campus (Discovery)
- Natural Sciences Council (Individual Opportunity)
- Pi Lambda Chi Latina Sorority, Inc. (Responsibility)
- Planet Longhorn (Leadership)
- Punjabbawockeez (Leadership)
- School of Human Ecology Ambassadors (Learning and Leadership)
- SCORE Athletics (Leadership)
- Sigma Delta Tau (Leadership)
- Silver Spurs (Leadership)
- Socks for the Sole (Leadership)
- Student Engineering Council (Leadership)
- *Terry Scholar Student Association (Leadership)
- *Texas Ballroom (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- *Texas Bluebonnets (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- Texas Iron Spikes (Leadership)
- Texas Ladybirds (Individual Opportunity)
- Texas Public Health (Learning)
- Texas Spirits (Leadership)
- Texas Sweethearts (Learning)
- Texas Wranglers (Leadership and Responsibility)
- *The Project (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- UT Archery (Individual Opportunity)
*Indicates organization won a drawing for $200 based on their accomplishments
**Indicates organization won two drawings for $200 based on their accomplishments
Pillars of the Forty Acres Exemplary Status
To achieve Exemplary Status, an organization had to achieve Distinguished Status in five of the six Core Value categories.
- Alpha Epsilon Delta (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- Alpha Kappa Delta Phi (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- *Camp Kesem (Learning, Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- Disability Advocacy Student Coalition (Discovery, Freedom, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- Hindu Students Association (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- Texas Ballroom (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- Texas Bluebonnets (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
- *The Project (Learning, Discovery, Leadership, Responsibility and Individual Opportunity)
*Indicates organization won $1,000 in the Exemplary monetary drawing for their accomplishments.