The ACPA Collaborative Excellence award recognizes a program (institution or department) that has demonstrated an exemplary partnership or an innovative, collaborative initiative among academic and student affairs professionals/departments for a sustained period of at least two years. This award recognizes achievements that support and foster college student learning by generating and disseminating knowledge. These achievements should also inform policies, practices, and programs at a college or university. Nominations may be received from any individual, regardless of institutional or individual membership affiliation with ACPA.

Award Criteria

• Evidence of exemplary partnership or collaboration for at least 2 years
• Evidence that the program fosters student learning and has contributed positively to the university
• Documented assessment of the program learning outcomes and results
• Demonstrated commitment to ACPA

Required Documentation

• A brief abstract of the program
• A nomination letter that articulates (a)  The program’s benefits to students; (b)  How the collaborative relationship (including the expression of values/ethics, roles/responsibilities, communication, and teams/teamwork) is critical to the achievement of the program’s goals and outcomes; (c)  Evidence that demonstrates excellence and effectiveness of the program; and, (d) the name, email address, and telephone number for the collaborative program’s point person
• Copies of marketing materials, articles, or other publications related to the program, if appropriate
• Two supporting letters from leaders in the field or a letter from the college/university president expressing why the collaborative program is so critically important to the institution in place of two supporting letters
• Acknowledgement by senior leaders in the collaborating departments/institutions offering their support for the partnership and program (these may serve in the place of the two supporting letters or they may be simple brief statements of support in addition to the two letters)

Started in 1979, the Annuit Coeptis Award honors five early career professionals at a dinner with the Annuit Coeptis Senior Professionals, where there can be wide-ranging discussions and exchanges about professional issues. These awards were created by ACPA (College Student Educators International) to celebrate the lives of Philip A. Tripp, Ursula Delworth, and Cynthia Johnson, who dearly loved to challenge their contemporary and junior colleagues in a spirit of personal and professional sharing, good humor, and intellectual debate. The Latin phrase “annuit coeptis” reflects Professor Tripp’s optimism for the future by suggesting, “He has smiled upon that which we have begun.” 

This award is intended to be a generative and cross-generational experience. The dinner models the importance of being both teachers and learners. It invites awardees to practice the synergy that can be created when we come together with cross-generational wisdom.

Criteria for Emerging Professionals

1. No more than five years of full-time professional experience since completion of a master’s degree.
2. Evidence of the potential for significant contribution to the field of student affairs in at least one of the following areas: (a) administrative service or teaching; (b) presentations (to include conference presentations) of innovative practice(s) or scholarship; (c) professional association service; or (d) leadership.
3. Recipients must register and attend the 2027 ACPA Annual Convention in Toronto and attend both the 2027 Annuit Coeptis Reception and Dinner. Both are tentatively slated for the evening of Monday, 15 March 2027 (more details will be shared with award recipients). Please note that this may briefly overlap with the 2027 Diamond Honoree Reception.

To nominate a colleague or yourself for the Emerging Professional Award, please submit the nominee’s current resume and at least one nomination letter. All nomination letters should be combined and submitted as a single PDF file. Nomination materials must be received no later than 30 October 2026 via the form below.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Ellen Broido, ebroido@bgsu.edu.

Annuit Coeptis: Emerging Professional Nomination Form

Started in 1979, the Annuit Coeptis Award honors three senior professionals at a dinner with the Annuit Coeptis Emerging Professionals, where there can be wide-ranging discussions and exchanges about professional issues. These awards were created by ACPA (College Student Educators International) to celebrate the lives of Philip A. Tripp, Ursula Delworth, and Cynthia Johnson, who dearly loved to challenge their contemporary and junior colleagues in a spirit of personal and professional sharing, good humor, and intellectual debate. The Latin phrase “annuit coeptis” reflects Professor Tripp’s optimism for the future by suggesting, “He has smiled upon that which we have begun.” 

This award is intended to be a generative and cross-generational experience. The dinner models the importance of being both teachers and learners. It invites awardees to practice the synergy that can be created when we come together with cross-generational wisdom.

Award Criteria for Senior Professionals

1. Evidence of extensive and sustained contributions to the field of student affairs in the areas of (a) administrative service or teaching, (b) research and publication, (c) professional association service, and (d) demonstrated leadership.
2. Evidence of Phil Tripp’s commitment to mentoring and encouraging early career student affairs professionals.Recipients must register and attend the 2027 ACPA Annual Convention in Toronto and attend both the 2027 Annuit Coeptis Reception and Dinner. Both are tentatively slated for the evening of Monday, 15 March 2027 (more details will be shared with award recipients). Please note that this may briefly overlap with the 2027 Diamond Honoree Reception.
3. To nominate a colleague or yourself for the Emerging Professional level, please submit the nominee’s current resume and at least one nomination letter. All nomination letters should be combined and submitted as a single PDF file. Nomination materials must be received no later than 30 October 2026 via the form below.

To nominate a colleague for the Senior Professional Award, please submit the nominee’s resume and a letter explaining how the person meets the criteria listed below; up to two additional letters of support are encouraged. All nomination letters should be combined and submitted as a single .PDF file. Nomination materials must be received no later than 30 October 2026 via the form below.

Please note that past recipients of the Emerging Professional Award are eligible for the Senior Professional Award later in their careers.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Ellen Broido, ebroido@bgsu.edu.

Annuit Coeptis: Senior Professional Nomination Form

The purpose of the ACPA Senior Scholars is to promote scholarship and inquiry to advance knowledge of students, student affairs, and student services in higher and tertiary education, as well as to leverage the collective wisdom and expertise of the field to support the Association as an autonomous advisory board.

The mission of the ACPA Senior Scholars is three-fold:
1) To foster the development of promising early-career scholars through the Emerging Scholars program
2) To engage in critical conversations centering the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization in scholarship and practice
3) To promote the advancement of student affairs knowledge through various mechanisms for practitioners, educators, and scholars in the association and in the larger professional community

Senior Scholars are advanced members within the profession and field (e.g., advanced associate professors, full professors, and/or senior student affairs officers) who have made exemplary and
sustained contributions to ACPA’s mission transforming higher education by creating and sharing influential scholarship, shaping critically reflective practice, and advocating for equitable and inclusive learning environments. A maximum of 12 Senior Scholars can hold active membership.
Senior Scholars serve a five-year term and must maintain membership in ACPA throughout their term. The term begins at the end of the convention following the appointment as Senior Scholar.

Expectations of Senior Scholars

• Attend at least four ACPA national conventions during the five-year term (does NOT include the convention in which you are awarded and named a Senior Scholar)
• Actively participate in the work of the Senior Scholars:
  • Coordinate ACPA Senior and Emerging Scholars sessions at the ACPA Annual Convention
  • Direct the Emerging Scholar and Senior Scholar selection and onboarding processes
  • Serve on committees or liaison with relevant groups (e.g., Publications
    Committee, Awards and Recognition Council, Dissertation of the Year Selection Committee, SSAO Advisory Board) of the Association
  • Lead efforts to support ACPA’s mission, vision, and values and the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization
  • Administer the Senior Scholar Grant Program
  • Advance the scholarship agenda of ACPA

Expectations of Diplomates

ACPA Senior Scholar Diplomates are encouraged to continue to serve the association and to be involved with Senior Scholar activities as they are interested and able.

Diplomate status is conferred upon Senior Scholars who have fulfilled Scholar expectations and participated in at least four of five (2027, 2028, 2029, 2030, 2031) ACPA national convention meetings during the Senior Scholar term.

Orientation and End of Service

New Senior Scholars will be recognized a the ACPA Awards Ceremony at the Annual Convention following their selection. Senior Scholars complete their term of service at the close of their 5th Annual Convention.

ACPA Senior Scholar Diplomate status is conferred upon Senior Scholars who have fulfilled Scholar expectations. Scholars achieving Diplomate status will be recognized at the ACPA Awards Ceremony at their 5th Annual Convention.

Application Process

To apply for ACPA Senior Scholars, submit a single PDF file with the following materials: (a) current CV, and (b) cover letter with responses to questions below (no more than 250 words per question):

• How can you help the Senior Scholars advance our statement of action?
• How do your scholarly interests and trajectory align with those found in ACPA’s A Bold Vision Forward: A Framework for the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization?
• How will being a part of Senior Scholars contribute to your scholarly and professional development?
• What role would you like to see the Senior Scholars play for the association and the field of student affairs?

Save and submit your file as “Senior Scholars Application—LAST NAME”.

Nominate a Colleague

To nominate a colleague or for more information about Senior Scholars, contact Dr. Natasha Croom (nncroom@clemson.edu). If nominating a colleague, please include their name and
contact information in advance of the awards deadline so that nominees may be contacted and have ample time to submit application materials. Nomination materials must be received no later than 30 October 2026 via the form below.

Senior Scholars Application Form

We are now accepting applications for the Class of 2027-2029 ACPA Emerging Scholar-Designees. Recipients will be announced as 2026-2028 ACPA Emerging Scholar-Designees (that is, from the 2027 Annual Convention through the 2020 Annual Convention and each will receive a research grant from ACPA. The Emerging Scholar-Designees who have fulfilled their research and scholarly leadership commitments – as specified in their applications – by the end of their two-year term will be designated as ACPA Emerging Scholars. Requests for a one-year unfunded extension or renegotiation of the specified leadership commitments by Emerging Scholar-Designees will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Newly selected Emerging Scholar-Designees must participate in a meeting with the Senior Scholars at ACPA27 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; meetings are traditionally held the day prior the and the day of the Opening Session. For ACPA27 in Toronto, those dates are Sunday, 17 March and Monday, 18 March 2027.

Times are subject to change depending on the format of the 2027 Annual Convention.

All emerging scholar-designees must register for the convention

Eligibility

• Applicants must be an ACPA member.
• Applicants must not have received tenure.
• Applications must have a demonstrated record of scholarly productivity related to student affairs or college students.

Application Process

Applicants for 2026-2028 ACPA Emerging Scholar-Designee must submit the following materials in a single PDF document saved as “Emerging Scholars Application – Last Name” by 11:59pm ET on 30 October 2026.

1. Letter of interest that includes the following:

• An explanation of how your scholarly interests and trajectory align with those found in ACPA’s A Bold Vision Forward: A Framework for the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization. 
• A description of  your in-progress or completed work that demonstrates your scholarly activity. Address the potential impacts or significance of your work to the field of student affairs.
• A description of your current and past involvement with ACPA, including any leadership positions you have held.
• A statement of your willingness to complete at least two proposed scholarly leadership commitments (see below) during the Emerging Scholars Program two-year period. Please indicate which opportunities you would choose and why.
  • Co-coordinate (with a current Senior Scholar or another Emerging Scholar) an ACPA convention session or pre- convention session designed to advance the goals SIRJD.
  • If selected, serve as designated Scholar-in-Residence (minimum one-year term) for an ACPA Commission, Coalition, or other formally constituted group.
  • Submit a scholarly piece to Developments.
  • Other (to be proposed by the candidate) that will advance ACPA’s mission, vision, values, or Strategic Imperative and is consistent with the applicant’s scholarly agenda. Applicants should describe the proposed commitment in sufficient detail to foster understanding of its content and scope during the ACPA Emerging Scholar-Designee review and selection processes.
  • Tell us about the opportunities you have had for scholarly support in your doctoral program and your career to date and any challenges to your scholarly productivity (e.g., uncompensated administrative responsibilities, teaching load, access to mentoring, internal grant opportunities, etc.).

2. Current CV.

3. Research project proposal of no more than three single-spaced pages, excluding cover page and reference list. The proposed research project should focus on college students and/or the student affairs profession and be an original scholarly contribution; while co-authorship is acceptable, the applicant should be the primary investigator. Editing of others’ work (e.g., proposing an edited book) does not meet the expectations for the Emerging Scholar research project. Proposal should include the following items:

• A description of the proposed research project (including description of methodology and methods), how the study advances the applicant’s broader research agenda, and how the research supports the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization.
• A proposed time frame (ordinarily, no longer than the designee’s two-year term as ACPA Emerging Scholar-Designee).
• A brief project budget. Funds may be used for operating expenses including travel for data collection or dissemination. Funds may not be used to purchase equipment or to offset or supplement the designee’s salary or solely to cover conference travel. ACPA funding may not be used to cover F&A/indirect costs.
• An explanation of how the proposed research project, within the context of the applicant’s overall research agenda, advances ACPA’s mission, vision, and values as well as ACPA’s Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization (SIRJD).
• A commitment to present research findings at a minimum of one ACPA convention during the designee’s two-year term (i.e., 2026 Emerging Scholar-Designees must present at either the 2027 or the 2028 convention as part of the sponsored Emerging Scholar research sessions).

Commitments

In addition to completing the scholarly leadership commitments and research project noted in your application, the emerging scholars will meet with the senior scholars bi-monthly. Emerging scholars are expected to attend the ACPA Convention for the duration of their time as Emerging Scholar Designees. The relationship between emerging and senior scholars is envisioned as reciprocal.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Natasha Croom (nncroom@clemson.edu).

Emerging Scholars Application Form