The ASSU has finally found something it can agree on: over the weekend, a special ASSU commission selected Political Science Prof. and Hoover Institution Senior Fellow Larry Diamond as the Teacher of the Year. The Black Student Union (BSU) was also chosen as the Voluntary Student Organization (VSO) of the Year.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Prof. Jeff Koseff M.S. ‘78 received the Honorable Mention for the Teacher of the Year Award.

Diamond, Koseff and the BSU were chosen by a panel of nine students — including current and former senators, executives and members of the Executive Cabinet — according to ASSU VSO/Teacher of the Year Awards Commission co-Chair Eugene Nho ‘10.

Nho said that students on the commission found Diamond and Koseff to be committed to the general student body.

“Two big principles of selection were consistency and scale of candidates’ involvement and impact,” Nho said. “While we recognized the great impact that a single event can make, we thought the effort to consistently help the student body through various programs or, in the case of the Teacher of the Year award, guidance and teachings, was more important.”

Commission co-Chair Sarah Golabek-Goldman ‘10 said she was “awed by the quality of the recommendations” the commission received. She commended Diamond for his ability to reach out to students with diverse perspectives on Middle Eastern politics.

“Students at opposite ends of the Middle East dialogue came together in order to commend Diamond for his incredible contributions to student life,” Golabek-Goldman said. “His teaching transcends political and ideological barriers.”

Koseff was chosen for his willingness to help students tackle sustainability efforts.

“Professor Koseff’s dedication in helping and guiding student leaders who organized the Energy Crossroads Conference greatly impressed us,” Nho said.

Both Nho and Golabek-Goldman also praised the BSU for the “far-reaching impact” its various events have had on the Stanford community.

“This year, the BSU has organized events such as the State of the Black Union, Battle of the Bay, Kwanzaa Dinner, Black Love and the Graduate/Faculty Diversity Panel that have improved dialogue between Stanford’s diverse student populations,” Golabek-Goldman said.

The BSU will receive a $500 cash prize for winning the VSO of the Year award.

The ASSU Teacher of the Year and VSO of the Year awards will be presented in a May 31 ceremony at Tresidder Union.