The new and improved Circle of Excellence Awards will open for nominations in January 2022. Check back here in late 2021 for more details.

We are updating all of the categories and entry instructions for the all-new 2022 Circle of Excellence Awards. Check back here in late 2021 for more details.

• 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:

• Look for new, lower early-bird rates for 2022! Check back here in late 2021 for details.

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, for the 2022 Circle of Excellence Awards, entries should be original work that was produced or completed between July 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021. 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.