ACPA Award Descriptions

View Current winners | Archived winners Annuit Coeptis Award
The Annuit Coeptis Award honors three senior professionals and five emerging professionals at a dinner where there can be wide-ranging discussion and exchange about professional issues. The dinner carries on a tradition established by Professor Philip A. Tripp and Ursula Delworth who dearly loved to challenge his contemporaries and junior colleagues in a spirit of personal and professional sharing, high good humor and thoughtful intellectual debate. The Latin phrase, annuit coeptis, reflects Dr. Tripp's and Dr. Delworth's optimism for the future of the profession by suggesting that "He has smiled upon that which we have begun."

View Current winners | Archived winners ACPA Senior Scholars Award
The ACPA Senior Scholars Program was implemented in 1984. ACPA Senior Scholars advocate for the integration of scholarship into the practice of student affairs. Senior Scholars, through the creation of an engaged scholar network, keep abreast of promising work and identify critical issues that could benefit from inquiry and attention. The Senior Scholars Program provides scholars with a continuing opportunity to promote scholarship through the presentation of programs of interest to the profession at each national convention and to serve the association on projects related to their fields of interest.

ACPA Senior Scholars represent the best of engaged scholarship relevant to student affairs work in higher education. Nominees are senior members of the profession (for example, generally full professors or senior student affairs officers) who have made exemplary and sustained contributions to ACPA’s mission of generating and disseminating knowledge and who have the commitment to further advance research and theory. A maximum of twelve Senior Scholars can hold active membership. Senior Scholars must be or become members of ACPA. Senior Scholars serve terms of five years, spanning six ACPA national conventions, and are expected to attend at least four ACPA national conventions during their terms and be active participants in the work of the Senior Scholars.

View Current winners | Archived winners Emerging Scholars Award
The Emerging Scholars Program was implemented by the ACPA Senior Scholars in 1999 to honor individuals who are emerging as contributing scholars in student affairs and higher education. The purpose of the Emerging Scholars Program is to support those who are pursuing research initiatives congruent with the mission and interests of ACPA and to enhance and contribute to their future research and scholarship. Commitments of Emerging Scholars are their ongoing research and attendance at two consecutive ACPA conferences, beginning with the ACPA convention immediately following their selection. In their first year as Emerging Scholars, successful applicants will participate in a half-day research institute with the Senior Scholars prior to the beginning of the ACPA convention. At the ACPA convention the following year, Emerging Scholars will present their research at an Emerging Scholar Research Symposium. To be eligible as an Emerging Scholar, candidates must have an earned doctorate and must be or become members of ACPA.

View Current winners | Archived winners Senior Student Affairs Practitioner Award
Established in 2001, the Senior Student Affairs Practitioner Program identifies individuals who exemplify good practice in student affairs and who have made outstanding contributions to their institutions and the student affairs profession. Individuals selected for this group are involved in many aspects of the Association, which include advising the ACPA President on issues, participating in research related to SSAO positions, consulting with ACPA Media Board on possible publications helpful to SSAOs, mentoring younger professionals, and forming liaison relationships with a variety of constituencies within ACPA.

View Current winners | Archived winners Voice of Inclusion Medallion
The Voice of Inclusion Medallion recognizes individuals and their exemplary campus-based programs in the field of Higher Education and Student Affairs that have in some way contributed to making their campus communities a welcoming environment for all. Recipients of this award have responded to an assessed need in the areas of multiculturalism and diversity through well-developed and creative programs and practice.

View Current winners | Archived winners ACPA Excellence in Practice Award
The ACPA Excellence in Practice Award is presented to practitioners whose designs and program implementations as well as services for their campus are based on the best national practices in Student Affairs. The association honors practitioners who have been responsible for achievements that impact a campus for a sustained period of time (5-10 years).

View Current winners | Archived winners Esther Lloyd-Jones Professional Service Award
The Esther Lloyd-Jones Professional Service Award honors a member of the profession or association who has exemplified the profession's commitment to service through significant, continued and unselfish service/ leadership activities that have benefited the profession, ACPA and the profession's practice on the state and national level.

View Current winners | Archived winners Contribution to Knowledge Award
The Contribution to Knowledge Award recognizes a member of the profession for outstanding contributions to the profession's body of knowledge through publications, films, speeches, instructions, tapes, and other forms of communication.

View Current winners | Archived winners Contribution to Higher Education Award
The Contribution to Higher Education Award recognizes an individual who has advanced a higher education agenda through work at the institutional, regional, and/or national level. The recipient of this award is an individual who, working outside the association, has contributed to the Higher Education landscape and has, in a meaningful way, enhanced the work done on college campuses and/or with college students.

View Current winners | Archived winners ACPA Lifetime Achievement Award
The ACPA Lifetime Achievement Award honors a member who has a recognized level of scholarly productivity and leadership at one or more institutions of higher learning as a Student Affairs' staff member, administrator, or faculty member. Honorees have a minimum of two decades or other exhibited long-term involvement and service to the field of Student Affairs over an extended period of time.

View Current winners | Archived winners Presidential Service Medallion
This honor is rarely bestowed upon members of the Association, for lifelong service and extraordinary contributions to the profession of student affairs and most particularly to ACPA.

View Current winners | Archived winners Commission Awards
Each year, ACPA recognizes Commissions that demonstrate distinguished leadership and accomplishment. The goal is to recognize outstanding Commissions and their activities so that all Commissions can share together, cooperate, and benefit from each other's successes.

View Current winners | Archived winners State & International Division Awards
Each year, ACPA recognizes State and International Divisions that demonstrate outstanding activities including conferences, publications and professional efforts, individual leaders that make significant contributions and innovative programs or services sponsored by a State or International Division.

Champion of Sustainability Award
The Champion of Sustainability Award is granted each year to the individual or group that best models the triple bottom line of sustainability: Healthy Environments, Social Justice, and Strong Economies.