Nominations for the next cycle will open after 2022 for Gerald L. Bepko Community Medallion award.
The award, created by the Senior Academy in 2003, honors a person who has made a significant and ongoing commitment to civic engagement. The person must have an established history of strengthening the bonds between IU Indianapolis and the larger community (local, regional/state, national, global). According to the New England Resource Center for Higher Education (2017), the purposes of civic engagement are to:
- "enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens;
- strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility;
- address critical societal issues; and
- contribute to the public good."
The 3-inch Bepko medallion bears the image of former IU Indianapolis Chancellor Gerald L. Bepko on one side, and the recipient’s name, date and citation on the other side. Recipients also are listed on a plaque in Campus Center 266, a room supported by donations from Senior Academy members.
The Bepko Medallion Award program is a primary activity of the IU Indianapolis Senior Academy with support from the IU Indianapolis Executive Vice Chancellor's Office and the Indiana University Foundation. There is no specific timeline for the award.
The award recipient is selected from nominees by a committee, formed by the Senior Academy Board of Directors, that includes Academy members and IU Indianapolis administration. The committee considers individuals from both inside and outside of IU Indianapolis and pays attention to those that represent campus aspirations to increase diversity.
The awardee shall receive the Gerald L. Bepko IU Indianapolis/Community Medallion in June during the annual meeting of the IU Indianapolis Senior Academy.