Member Awards

Each year at the annual conference WVASPA presents three awards to student affairs professionals that are making a difference in West Virginia.  Individuals are nominated by peers or supervisors. The WVASPA Executive Committee reviews nominations and selects the award recipients.  If you work with a stellar student affairs professional, this is your chance to recognize their contributions at the state level.

Deadline:  October 10th, 2023

Proposals will only be accepted via the electronic form below.  If you have questions, please contact:
Candace Layne, WVASPA President, at wvaspa.adm@gmail.com. In the subject, please put Attn: Candace Layne

Along with the electronic submission form, a nomination letter must be attached to the form below by uploading it to the link. This nomination letter should include what the individuals skills, and strengths are, and why you feel they deserve this award. If no nomination letter is received, then the award nomination will be incomplete, and not be able to be reviewed. 

Please email us should you have any questions. 

The New Professional Award
This award was created to recognize the outstanding contributions of a student affairs staff member with less than five years of experience in the field.  Nominees will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Effective service to their institution.
• Innovation in program development and implementation on campus.
• Service to WVASPA or to another professional organization.

Mid Level Professional Award
The purpose of this award is to recognize the contributions of a Student Affairs staff member with more than five years’ experience and who excel in the field. Nominees will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Effective service to their institution.
• Innovation in program development and implementation on campus.
• Service to WVASPA or to another professional organization.
• Presentation at local, regional, state or national conferences.
• Publication and research

Stella Cooksey Distinguished Service Award
The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding achievement over an extended period of time in our profession. The distinguished service need not be exclusively in the state of West Virginia, but significant contribution to a West Virginia institution of higher education is a requirement. Nominees will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Service to a West Virginia institution of higher education.
• Service to WVASPA, either through leadership, committee work or other sources.
• Contributions to the field of student personnel through teaching, administration, or research.

Innovative Program Award
The purpose of this award is to recognize an institution, member, unit or division that has implemented an effective and creative approach to a problem or policy. Only one nomination from each campus or branch campus will be considered. The program must be less than four years in existence. The purpose of this award is not only to recognize outstanding achievement in developing programs, but to share these programs.  Nominations should include the following information:

• A description of the specific problem or need that the program is designed to address.
• A description of the program, accompanied by as much explanatory material as is appropriate.
• An evaluation of the program.
• A description of how the program could be adapted for use at other institutions.