SCCPA offers fifteen annual awards in three categories: Service, Programming and Professional Writing. Award winners will be notified in late-summer and publicly recognized by both SCCPA at the Fall Drive-In Conference.
Nominations for 2023 are NOW OPEN!
We hope that you will consider celebrating the work of our profession. Information and reminders related to the awards process will be updated on this page and included in our monthly newsletters and emails to the membership. Please consider making nominations in one or all the SCCPA categories. Please contact the SCCPA Awards & Recognition Chair, Holly Vaughan, at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Service Awards
Joseph O. Nixon Award for Senior Student Affairs Officer
Purpose: To recognize senior student affairs professionals in the state of South Carolina who have made outstanding contributions to their campus and the field of student affairs.
Criteria: The nominees must have been employed as a senior student affairs professional at their institution for at least five years. Nominees should demonstrate an effort to recruit professionals to the profession of student affairs, show a commitment to students and demonstrate leadership for student affairs professionals in the state of South Carolina. Membership in SCCPA is not required.
Clarice W. Johnson Outstanding Professional Award
Purpose: To recognize and encourage outstanding contributions to the field of student affairs by a “seasoned” professional.
Criteria: Nominees must have been employed as a student affairs professional for more than five years. Nominees must have provided outstanding contributions to the field of student affairs, preferably in South Carolina. Membership in SCCPA is required.
Walter T. Cox New Professional Award
Purpose: To recognize and encourage outstanding contributions and/or potential in the field of student affairs by a new professional.
Criteria: Nominees must have shown outstanding contributions or potential in the field of student affairs. Nominees must have been employed as a student affairs professional for less than three years. Membership in SCCPA is required.
Carol Eden-Epps Outstanding Graduate Student Award
Purpose: To recognize outstanding contributions and/or potential in the field of student affairs by a graduate student.
Criteria: Nominees must have shown scholarship and potential in the field of student affairs. Nominees must be an enrolled graduate student (masters, PhD or specialist) in a student personnel administration, counseling, or higher education program. Nominees must also have completed at least one semester in their program. Membership in SCCPA is not required.
Joseph E. Heyward Humanitarian Award
Purpose: To recognize contributions on the part of a student affairs professional to promote understanding and awareness among various and diverse people.
Criteria: Nominees must have demonstrated through research, programming or activities commitment to promote understanding and awareness among various and diverse people. Membership in SCCPA is required.
Paul P. Fidler Bridge Builder Award
Purpose: To recognize contributions on the part of a student affairs professional and/or faculty member to build a stronger alliance between student and academic affairs.
Criteria: Nominees must have shown active interest in and made contributions toward building relationships among student and academic affairs. Membership in SCCPA is NOT required.
Charles Witten Service Award
Purpose: To recognize one member of SCCPA who has served SCCPA within the past year in an outstanding capacity.
Criteria: Nominees must be current members of SCCPA and have made significant contributions to the organization within the past year. Nominees may not be nominated for work they have completed as an elected officer. Contributions made as an appointed officer, committee chair, or as a general member during the calendar year are eligible for consideration.
SCCPA Support Staff Award
Purpose: To recognize outstanding contributions to the field of student affairs by administrative staff.
Criteria: Nominees must have been employed in a department under the student affairs auspice at their respected institution for at least one year and demonstrated a commitment to the ideals of student affairs during their tenure at the institution. Membership in SCCPA is not required.
Programming Awards
Four awards comprise the programming category. Nominated programs are divided based into four categories based on institutional Full Time Equivalency (FTE) and type, which are further described below. Anyone wishing to nominate a program should submit the program title, program coordinator(s) and their contact information, institution, and evidence of support including goals and outcomes of the activity.
Purpose: To recognize outstanding programming and program development by student development professionals in South Carolina. This award recognizes recipients in four categories/institutions:
Criteria: Nominated programs must have taken place within the past year. Programs are judged on creativity, achievement and overall program design and merit. Please state the name and title of the staff person responsible for the program. At least one of the program coordinators must be a member of SCCPA.
- Award for Programming at a Public Institution with 7500 or More Students
- Award for Programming at a Public Institution with Less Than 7500 Students
- Harry B. Shucker Private Institution Award
- Art Hartzog Award for Programming at a Two-Year Institution or Technical College
Written Awards
Three awards comprise the Written Award category. Anyone wishing to submit a written paper may do so by forwarding to the Awards Chair their name and contact information, institution and name of award along with their paper.
The written awards are designed to recognize outstanding contributions made by SCCPA members in the realm of professional writing. Both recently published and new writing are eligible based on the categories explained below.
Outstanding Professional Paper
There is no topical requirement for submissions. Papers should be no longer than five pages in length, double- spaced and use appropriate APA style. Submissions in MS Word or PDF are highly encouraged. Writer must be a member of SCCPA.
Outstanding Graduate Student Paper
There is no topical requirement for submissions. Papers should be no longer than five pages in length, double- spaced and use appropriate APA style. Submissions in MS Word or PDF are highly encouraged. Writer must be a member of SCCPA.
Hilda F. Owens Contribution to Knowledge in the Field
Purpose: To recognize a member of SCCPA who has made an outstanding contribution to the student affairs profession through writing and/or research.
Criteria: Writing cited for nomination must have been completed within the last three years and shall have practical significance to the profession. Submissions should be previously published (cite source and date of publication) and submitted in typed, double-spaced format and in appropriate APA style. MS Word or Reticulated Text File (.rtf document) is highly encouraged. A writer must be a current member of SCCPA or for multiple authors, at least one writer must be a current member of SCCPA.