Jan. 13, 2021: Nominations open.

Feb. 24, 2021 (11:59 p.m. in your time zone): Early bird deadline (save USD$25 per entry)

March 10, 2021 (11:59 p.m. in your time zone): Final deadline

All entries must be complete and paid by the deadlines in order to be considered. No extensions will be allowed.

1. Choose a Category
   There are 100 categories organized into 15 award areas. Many entries meet criteria for more than one category, and you can enter as many categories as you wish.

2. Update Your CASE Profile
   Make sure your title, institution and address are correct. Click on My Account in the upper-right corner of case.org to make any changes you would like. For assistance updating your profile, contact CASE Member Support.

3. Prepare your Nomination Materials
   Nearly every category has the same standard entry questions:
   -- Provide a concise summary of your entry (250 words maximum)
   -- Methodology and Strategy: How did you accomplish your goals? Provide a list of no more than 10 key activities and/or decisions that were central to your success.
   -- Resources: Describe and detail how your resources were used (budget and staff)
   -- Outcomes: Describe your goals/objectives and how they were measured/met.
   -- What makes your entry distinctive?
   (A few categories have additional questions specific to that award area.)

4. Submit your Nomination
   Using our online portal, entering and updating your information is easy. Use this link to get started or return to your nominations.

   The portal accepts most file types and files up to 500MB. (For larger files such as videos, please provide a hyperlink.)
   
   New for 2021: You can grant others access to your nominations in order to make it easier to collaborate on submissions. Select "Manage Collaborators" in the upper-right corner of a nomination you have started.

   Prepare all of your entries and add them to your cart until you are ready to pay.

5. Pay for your Nomination
   Once you are satisfied that your entry materials are complete, follow the prompts to check out and pay for your entry. All payments must be made online via credit card. CASE does not issue invoices or accept purchase orders.

6. Print a receipt
   Go to "My Account" at www.case.org.
   Select "Purchase History" in the left navigation.
   Click on the blue "order number" to see a detailed receipt you can print.
    

   Important notes:

• Once you have paid for your entry, you can not make any changes to the nomination.
• It will take approximately 60 minutes after you make your payment for it to be recognized in the system.

Save money by entering early!

• All fees must be paid online via credit card. CASE does not accept purchase orders or payments via check.
• In order to receive the Early Bird rate, entries must be complete and paid by Feb. 24, 2021. Otherwise, regular rates will apply.

• Entries that have not been paid by the close the nomination period will not be judged.
• Once an entry has been submitted and paid, no refunds will be issued.

Cost per entry:

• $105 USD Early Bird rate for entries submitted on or before Feb. 24, 2021.
• $130 USD regular rate for entries submitted on or before March 10, 2021.

Other denominations:

Early Bird

AUD: $145
CAD: $140
EUR: $90
GBP: $80
MXN: $2120
SGD: $145
USA: $105

Regular Rate

AUD: $180
CAD: $170
EUR: $110
GBP: $100
MXN: $2620
SGD: $180
USA: $130

Judges may award four levels of recognition:

GRAND GOLD
Entry that is extremely exceptional or "game-changing." A Grand Gold Award is the highest level of recognition in the program. Grand Gold Awards are rare, and only one may be given per category.

GOLD
Entry that meets or exceeds all of the judging criteria; exceptional in nature.

SILVER
Entry that meets or exceeds most of the judging criteria; superior or outstanding in nature.

BRONZE
Entry that meets or exceeds many of the judging criteria; distinguished in nature.

Other considerations

• It is possible to have more than one gold, silver or bronze recipient in a category.
• Judges are not required to issue awards for each category, so not every category will have gold, silver and bronze award recipients.
• There are no "Honorable Mention" designations.

Who can enter

• Any CASE member institution is welcome to submit entries to the Circle of Excellence Awards.
• Nominators must be employed at and on the CASE roster at a CASE member institution.
• External vendors and third parties, including CASE Educational Partners, may not submit entries on behalf of institutions with which they have worked.

Entry criteria

• Unless otherwise noted, entries should be original work that was produced or completed during the 2020 calendar year. In the case of publications such as magazines, the date on the cover/masthead will be used to determine eligibility.
• Although use of external vendors, consultants and freelancers is allowed, the work should primarily be that of staff at CASE member institutions. 

Entry fees and payment

• All fees must be paid online via credit card. CASE does not accept purchase orders or payment via check.
• Entries that have not been paid by the close the nomination period will not be judged.
• Once an entry has been submitted and paid, no refunds will be issued.

Permissions

By entering the Circle of Excellence, the nominator and affiliated institution give CASE permission to:

• Share relevant contact information with volunteer judges.
• Use any of the materials submitted with the nomination for promotional purposes, including the CASE website, print and promotional publications, and electronic communications.

Entry and category rules

• Once an entry has been submitted and paid, it is considered final.
• The same entry may be submitted to any categories for which it meets the criteria.
• Institutions may submit more than one entry to the same category.
• Entries that were previously submitted to a CASE District awards competition may also be entered in the Circle of Excellence Awards.
• Entries and related materials become the property of CASE and will not be returned.
• CASE and the judge coordinators reserve the right to disqualify entries that do not meet entry criteria.
• CASE and the judge coordinators reserve the right to move an entry into a more appropriate category, without notice to the nominator.

You can reach the CASE Awards team at awards@case.org.

Please include in your correspondence the name of the award (such as Circle of Excellence), and category name, if applicable.