ACPA Commission for Housing and Residential Life Nominations
The deadline to submit an application is 12 December 2022.
All nominations will appear as typed in the form. Please review before clicking submit.
Commitment to Racial Justice Award
The Commitment to Racial Justice Award is presented in recognition of outstanding work in fostering diversity and racial justice education, competency, and/or action among students, staff, and/or faculty at their institution or in their community. Determination of the award will be based on:
- An outstanding or an exceptional contribution to one’s campus community in the area of diversity, interculturalism, and racial justice.
- The identified contribution may have resulted in a wide range of identifiable outcomes, including, but not limited to,
- Further community engagement in diversity dialogue and education,
- Examined and modified current practices and policies impacting one’s department/institution,
- Addressed the particular needs of underrepresented populations, and
- Implemented projects and initiatives that foster diversity and racial justice.
- Successful candidates have sought to address marginalization, oppression, and/or privilege through their academic, co-curricular, and/or social engagements.
- Through their efforts, successful candidates will have helped promote critical awareness, perspective taking, understanding, critical thinking, and/or action for fairness and the common good.
Excellence In Service Award
In the tradition of National Residence Hall Honorary’s (NRHH) Spotlight Award, this award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding contributions to her/his campus and/or the housing profession and is not eligible for any of the other awards; therefore, the nominee cannot be a student or professional housing staff member. Possible nominees could be food service personnel, night security staff, administrative assistants, or custodial staff.
Criteria and submitted materials should include, in no more than 800 words:
- Performance and contributions in current position
- Contributions to student success
- Contributions to community in which university or college is located
Excellence In Sustainability-Department
This award is presented to a program, an individual, or a department that has demonstrated outstanding contributions toward sustainability on their campus and/or to the housing profession.
Excellence in departmental sustainability criteria include:
- Integration of sustainable practices
- Responsible growth and management
- Education and conservation
Submitted materials should include, in no more than 800 words:
- Performance and contributions of department
- Contributions to integrative sustainable practices
- Contributions to the promotion of sustainable opportunities within college or university
Excellence In Sustainability-Individual
This award is presented to a program, an individual, or a department that has demonstrated outstanding contributions toward sustainability on their campus and/or to the housing profession.
The individual award criteria for excellence in sustainability are:
- Individual responsibility
- Integration
- Collaboration and assessment.
Submitted materials should include in no more than 800 words:
- Performance and contributions in current position
- Contributions to sustainability at current institution
- Contributions to community in which university or college is located
Excellence In Sustainability-Program
This award is presented to a program, an individual, or a department that has demonstrated outstanding contributions toward sustainability on their campus and/or to the housing profession.
Criteria related to an outstanding initiative or program include:
- Holistic nature of program or activity (advancing students’ understanding of the relationship between environmental stewardship, social justice and economic growth)
- Relationship of initiative to the ACPA learning outcomes for sustainability
- Degree of collaboration
- Assessment and sustainability of initiative, embedded nature of practice and conservation
Submission Materials
- Please describe the origin of the program (200 words max)
- Please give a brief description of the program (400 words max)
- Please describe the goals of the program (200 words max)
- Please describe the positive and lasting effects of the program (200 words max)
- Provide a short evaluation of the program (200 words max)
- Describe how this program could be adapted to other campuses (200 words max)
Outstanding Experienced Professional Award 4-9 Years of Experience
This award is presented to an individual with 4 to 9 years of professional employment who has demonstrated outstanding contributions to their campus and/or the housing profession. Criteria include performance and contributions within current position, performance and contributions to student affairs scholarship, contributions to the profession and/or contributions to the community.
The nominee:
- Must be a full-time housing professional (four-nine years of professional employment).
- Must have contributed to residence life through research, a program, or related activity which was above and beyond normal expectation
Submitted materials should include:
- One letter of recommendation, which should be from the nominee's direct supervisor. The letter should include an outline of campus or professional contributions, listing of specific activities in which the nominee was involved, and rationale as to the nominee's commitment as a contributing member of the housing profession.
Outstanding Experienced Professional Award 10 or more Years of Experience
This award is presented to an individual with 10 or more years of professional employment who has demonstrated outstanding contributions to their campus and/or the housing profession. Criteria include performance and contributions within current position, performance and contributions to student affairs scholarship, contributions to the profession and/or contributions to the community.
The nominee:
- Must be a full-time housing professional (10 or more years of professional employment).
- Must have contributed to residence life through research, a program, or related activity which was above and beyond normal expectation
Submitted materials should include:
- One letter of recommendation, which should be from the nominee's direct supervisor. The letter should include an outline of campus or professional contributions, listing of specific activities in which the nominee was involved, and rationale as to the nominee's commitment as a contributing member of the housing profession.
Outstanding Graduate Student Staff Member
This award is presented to an outstanding full-time graduate student employed in a paraprofessional staff position.
Criteria includes:
- Performance and contributions in current graduate assistantship or paraprofessional position
- Contributions within nominee’s academic program
- Contributions to the Student Affairs profession
- Other recognitions of achievement.
- Must be a full-time graduate pursuing a Master's Degree, currently employed in a graduate assistant position within residence life.
- Must have contributed to residence life through research, a program, or related activity which was above and beyone normal expectations.
Submitted materials should include:
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One letter of recommendation, which should be from the nominee's direct supervisor. The letter should include an outline of contributions, listing of specific activities in which the nominee was involved, and rationale as to why the nominee's performance was outstanding.
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The nominee's resume or list of involvement.
Outstanding Innovation in Housing and Residential Life
This award recognizes and honors excellence for an innovative program, project, collaboration with student affairs or academic departments, or service sponsored by a housing or residential life department. The nominated program or initiative should demonstrate improvement in the quality of life for students, the efficiency in the department and/or the effectiveness in service delivery.
- Should address a problem or need in housing and residential life
- May be student or staff initiated
- Should advance the field/profession
- Should impact campus specific efforts
- Must be allowed to be shared with other housing operations across the nation.
Submitted materials should include:
- An innovation summary sheet which includes: a) name of institution; b) name of innovation; c) problem and/or purpose of innovation; d) name, address, and telephone number of a contact person
- A description of the innovation, target audience(s), implementation strategy, publicity, and approximate costs.
- A summary of the nominator’s evaluation of the innovation including goals and problems.
Outstanding New Professional In Residence Life
This award is presented to an individual in the first three years of professional employment who has demonstrated outstanding contributions to their campus and/or the housing profession.
The nominee:
- Must be a full-time new housing professional (1-3 years of professional employment).
- Must have contributed to residence life through research, a program, or related activity which was above and beyond normal expectations.
- Must demonstrate potential for a successful career in housing or residence life.
Submitted materials should include:
- One letter of recommendation, which should be from the nominee's direct supervisor. The letter should include an outline of campus or professional contributions, listing of specific activities in which the nominee was involved, and rationale as to the nominee's potential as a contributing member of the housing profession.
- The nominee's resume
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Staff Member
This award is presented to an outstanding undergraduate student employed in a paraprofessional staff position.
Criteria include:
- Performance and contributions in current undergraduate paraprofessional position
- Contributions in nominee’s academic program
- Contributions to community and university, and other recognitions of achievement.
- Must be a current undergraduate student employed in a paraprofessional position in student housing.
- Should have demonstrated outstanding performance in that position above and beyond normal expectations.
- Must have contributed to residence life through research, a program, or related activity.
Submitted materials should include:
- One letter of recommendation, which should be from the nominee's direct supervisor. The letter should include an outline of contributions, listing of specific activities in which the nominee was involved, and rationale as to why the nominee's contributions were outstanding.
- The nominee's resume or list of involvement.
Research Grant
The CHRL Research Grant will support research efforts that explore the impact of housing and residential life work on the student experience. Research proposals will be evaluated by the Commission for Housing and Residential Life based on the importance and usefulness of the topic to student affairs professionals and the strength of the research methodology. This will be a one time award of $500.
The submission will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Purpose and goals of project/research
- Significance of project/research
- Supporting literature and rationale for project/research
- Appropriate methodology
- Degree project supports and relates to mission & goals of CHRL
- Alignment with ACPA’s Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization
- Clearly outlined budget & financial need demonstrated
- Background and experience of applicant
Outline of Submission
- Cover Page
- Brief Description (not to exceed 1 page)
- Project narrative (not to exceed 10 double-spaced pages)
- Literature Review
- Project timeline, including work already accomplished (not to exceed 2 pages)
- Detailed budget (not to exceed 3 pages)
- Appendices (including CV & letter of Support from a faculty member)