The Awards Nomination Process is open for 2022!

Click here to nominate!

The Annuit Coeptis Award honors five emerging and three senior professionals at a dinner where there can be wide-ranging discussion and exchange 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 that "He has smiled upon that which we have begun." Started in 1979, this annual award honors up to three senior professionals and up to five early year professionals at a dinner where they can engage in lively and thoughtful discussions about professional issues. 

Nomination Instructions

To nominate a colleague for the Emerging Professional level, please submit the nominee's current resume and at least one nomination letter explaining how the person meets the criteria listed below. Nominating materials must be received no later than November 1, 2021. 

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 for and attend the 2022 ACPA Annual Convention and be available to share dinner with the other award recipients (traditionally on Tuesday evening of the conference). If someone is selected for the award but is unable to register for ACPA22 and participate in the dinner, they may be considered for nomination in 2023.

If you have any questions, please contact Tony Cawthon at cawthot@clemson.edu.

2020 Recipients

Claire Austin
New York University

Stephanie H. Chang
University of Delaware

Brittany Devies
Florida State University

Andrea D. Domingue
Davidson College

Jonathan A. McElderry
Wake Forest University

Kyle T. Fassett
Indiana University