National Association of Campus Activities honors Mason

Scott F. Mason, assistant director of UD's student centers, was named the Patsy Morley Outstanding Programmer for 2001 by the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA) at its national convention in Nashville earlier this year.

"It was quite a shock," Mason said. In fact, he was sure he hadn't won the award since he knew that winners are always notified to make sure they attend the convention. But, when the call from NACA came, he wasn't in and his staff decided to surprise him. As a result, when his name was called, he wasn't even in the auditorium. Instead, he was engaged in negotiations with a vendor. He learned about the award minutes later from his students.

NACA is the nation's largest collegiate organization for campus activities with a membership of 1,200 colleges and universities and 600 entertainment and promotional specialty industries in the U.S. and Canada.

The Morley award honors an individual who best exemplifies outstanding achievement in the field of activities advisement. Nominees must have been recognized for their work in the development of student leadership skills and creativity; have developed activities programming as a complement to curriculum and educational activity at their institutions; displayed good managerial skills; and be viewed by colleagues as an educator who has had an extraordinary impact on students' lives, earning their respect.

This is the second time Mason has been honored by NACA. In 1997, he received the NACA Educational Foundation Multicultural Advocate Award.

In comments Mason was asked to make for NACA's magazine, Programming, he said, "It is an overwhelming honor to receive this year's award. I can't imagine a greater achievement in my career." He thanked his colleagues at NACA for supporting his nomination, his "supervisor and mentor" Marilyn Prime, student center director, and esspecially "the University of Delaware students who, over the last 12 years, have made it a joy for me to do what I love to do– my job."

Mason earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from UD and went to work for the University two months after receiving his master's in 1989. He said he has spent more than half his life at UD.

First, he was a building supervisor for the Perkins Student Center. A year later, he was promoted to assistant director for student activities. In 1995, he became assistant director for student activities and programming for Perkins and the new Trabant University Center.

Mason also writes and acts for community theater.

–Barbara Garrison

Photo by KATHY FLICKINGER