2026 GW “Steps Away” Contest

Official Rules
 

1. Description. The George Washington University (“University”) offers the 2026 “Steps Away” Contest (the “Contest”) as an opportunity for University community members to share their stories related to the University’s “Steps Away” rebrand.
    

2. Eligibility. The Contest is open to (i) University faculty, staff, students, and alumni (ii) who are at least eighteen (18) years old as of the date of entry and (iii) who are legal residents of the United States of America (“Participants”). Participants are eligible for the Contest as both individuals and on behalf of any University student organizations who are officially registered with the University’s Division for Student Affairs (“Student Organization”).

   The Contest is void where prohibited or otherwise restricted by law, rule, or regulation. There is no Contest entry fee necessary to enter or win a Prize. All applicable United States federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply to this Contest and any Prize disbursement, including without limitation federal immigration or sanctions laws.
    

3. Agreement to Participate.  By submitting an Entry, Participants represent and warrant that they meet the Eligibility requirements and to otherwise agree to be bound by these Official Rules. In addition, Participants agree to accept the University’s decisions regarding the Contest as final.
    

4. How to Enter and Qualify. To enter and qualify for the Prize, Participants must complete and submit (i) an online Contest entry form and (ii) produce an original submission that explains how the  Participants’ experience at GW demonstrates their connection to the University’s brand promise of “proximity and progress” (the “Submission”).

   All Submissions must be original works produced by the Participants that do not infringe the ownership rights of any other person or entity or use generative AI large language models other than for research purposes. All Submissions that rely upon third party sources should clearly identify such sources in the Submission.  All data, facts, and claims must be cited through reliable sources in order to be eligible for the Prize.

   Any Participants who are University Office of Communications and Marketing (“OCM”) staff will be ineligible for Prize consideration. Judges for the Contest will be ineligible for Prize consideration and will recuse themselves for any Submission from an employee of their Division or Unit.

   Participants are allowed a maximum of one unique Submission. The period to provide a Submission for the Prize begins on August 28, at 12:00 AM EDT and ends on December 8, at 11:59 PM EDT (“Submission Period”). Only Submissions made during the Submission Period will be considered for the Prize.
    

5. Submission Requirements. The Submission should meet the following minimum video and written requirements to be considered for the Prize:
   1. Video submissions
      All video submissions should be less than one minute in length with HD-quality audio and visual. 
       
   2. Written Submissions 
      All written submissions should be a maximum of 500 words and be a first person, factual account.
       
6. Selection of Winners. Winners will be selected among individual Participants and Student Organizations.
    

   1. Individual Participants. 
      
      A University panel that consists of OCM and other University staff (the “Selectors”) will award the Prize to select Participants (“Winners”). The Selectors will utilize the following criteria to determine which Participants receive the Prize: 

      1. Connection of participants’ story with the University brand promise of “Proximity and Progress”
      2. Overall potential impact of the storytelling.
      3. Creativity, effectiveness, and demonstration of excellent communication skill in chosen format/s;
      4. Variety and credibility of documentation and human sources;
      5. Factual accuracy, including attribution of facts, data and quotes

      There will be ten (10) Winners from among the Participants who compete for the Prize. Specifically, there will be two (2) Winners selected from each of the following categories: Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, University Staff, University Faculty, and University Alumni. 
       

   2. Student Organizations.

      Participants can self-identify on their Submissions whether they are a member within a Student Organization. Participants can select only one (1) Student Organization to represent with their Submission. Participants are prohibited from making the same Submission for multiple Student Organizations. 

      The Student Organization that is represented by the most unique Participant Submissions will be determined the Student Organization Winner. 

      Participants that make substantially the same Submission, in the University’s sole discretion, will be treated as one (1) Submission for purposes of determining Participant support for each Student Organization. In the event two (2) or more Student Organizations are represented by the same total Participants, then a random drawing by OCM will determine the Student Organization Winner. 
       

7. Prize. The Prize for individual Participant Winners is a pair of custom-designed University-branded sneakers. The Prize for the Student Organization Winner is one thousand dollars ($1,000) that will be contributed to the Student Organization’s University funding allocation for the 2026-2027 University academic year. 

   For individual Winners, all federal, state, and local taxes (including income and withholding taxes) arising from or relating to acceptance or use of the Prize are the sole responsibility of the Winner. The University makes no representation regarding tax obligations and will not provide reimbursement or additional compensation for any tax liability incurred. Individual Winners are advised to consult with their own tax professional about any potential impact on accepting the Prize. 

   There are no Prize substitutions or options available. The Winners shall not be permitted to replace the Prize with another item or cash equivalent. The Prize is non-transferable. If the Prize becomes unavailable, the University reserves the right, exercisable at any time and in its sole discretion, to either substitute a prize of comparable value or not award any prize to the Winners. All Prize awards are at the University’s sole discretion.
    

8. Winner Notification. The Winners will be notified via email by no later than January 22nd, 2027. Additionally, if a potential Winner is found to be ineligible or if the potential Winner does not comply with these Official Rules, such potential Winner will be disqualified and, at the University’s sole discretion, an applicable runner-up will be notified. All Participants agree to comply fully with each provision in these Official Rules. Any Participants attempting to defraud or in any way tamper with this Contest, and any Participants who do not comply with these Official Rules, will be ineligible for the Prize. If during the Submission Period, for reasons beyond the University’s control, the Contest is not capable of running as originally planned, the University, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to cancel or modify the Prize without liability, and to the extent feasible, will determine the Winners and award the Prize among Submissions received prior to cancellation or modification.
    
9. License. All Participants, and specifically each Winner as a condition of receiving the Prize, hereby grants the University a transferable, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, fully paid-up, and royalty-free license to copy, distribute, publish, and display their individual Submissions  in University marketing materials including, but not limited to, its website, social media channels, print materials, and merchandise.
    
10. Use of Name and Likeness. The Winners agree to allow the University to use their names and images on future promotional materials including, but not limited to, University digital and print marketing campaigns related to admissions, recruitment, alumni engagement, athletics, and other advertising materials.
     
11. Release of Liability and Issues of Law. By participating, all Participants release the University and its respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (collectively, “Released Parties”) from any and all liability with respect to and in any way arising from participating in the Contest and/or acceptance or use of the Prize. Released Parties are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, inconsistent, damaged, inaccurate, stolen, delayed, undelivered, or garbled Submissions; or for lost, interrupted, or unavailable network, server, internet service provider, website; or for other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Contest, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Contest, the Submission, or the announcement of the Winners. Released Parties also are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by other Participants, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in a Submission. Released Parties are not responsible for injury or damage to any Participants' computer or tracking device related to or resulting from participating in a Submission. Participants who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Contest submission process, who act in an unprofessional or disruptive manner or who are in violation of these Official Rules, as solely determined by the University, will be disqualified. Should any portion of a Submission be, in the University’s sole opinion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the University, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness, or proper play, the University reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend, modify, or terminate the Contest selection process and, if terminated, at its discretion and to the extent possible, determine Winners from all eligible Submissions received prior to action.
     
12. Governing Law; Parties in Interest. These Official Rules are governed by all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The local and federal courts of the District of Columbia shall have sole jurisdiction of any controversies regarding the Official Rules and laws of the District of Columbia shall govern the Official Rules. All Participants waive any and all objections to jurisdiction and venue in those courts and hereby submit to the jurisdiction of those courts.
     
13. Communications. Any Participants with questions or comments regarding the Official Rules should contact stepsawaygwu [dot] edu (stepsaway[at]gwu[dot]edu).