About the Award

Background

Alpha Sigma Nu (AΣN), the national Jesuit honor society, established and funded the Book Awards in 1979 to recognize outstanding publishing achievement in the humanities and sciences by faculty and administrators of the twenty-eight Jesuit colleges and universities, plus two in Canada and one in Korea, and the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley.

Awards

Each winner receives a $1,000 check and an elegant plaque. The plaque is presented at an AΣN event on campus. The winner’s name is on permanent display at the AΣN Central Office and the books are included in the permanent collection of the Marquette University library. The winners are announced on the AΣN website with links to the publishers.

Catergories

The book award operates on a three-year cycle. The category for 2010 is “Professional Studies” and includes the following disciplines: Architecture, Business and Administration, Communication, Education, Engineering, Foreign Service, Law, Social Work, etc. Four prizes will be awarded.

In year 2011, the category will be “The Humanities” with one award each for Theology, Philosophy/Ethics, Literature/Fine Arts and History.

The category for 2012 will be “The Sciences”, with one award each for: Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Mathematics/Computer Science, and Health Sciences.

Eligibility

Any member of the faculty or administration of the Alpha Sigma Nu member institutions who has published a book in the disciplines described above, as well as emeritus members of the faculty and administration of the member schools are welcome to apply. The submitted work must be published in the three-year period ending with the year prior to the award year.

Criteria

Reviewers selected by the AJCU are requested to judge the books on the basis of the following specific criteria: serious and exact scholarship, significance of the topic and its continuing importance to scholars in several disciplines, mastery of extensive literature, research findings handled with skill and assurance, authority in interpretation, objectivity, readability and imagination.

Please note the criteria. Judging is heavily weighted towards research and scholarship. Ineligible works include text books, magazine articles, unpublished monographs, works of fiction, paintings, sculptures, and recordings. Books that are entered cannot be returned.

Questions

Call or email Anne D. Garner at the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, (202) 862-9893 or agarner@ajcunet.edu.