Morris W.H. Collins Award
Purpose: To encourage students to present papers by recognizing with an award the most outstanding paper written by doctoral candidates in the SECoPA region.
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Eligibility Criteria: Students must be enrolled at a university within the SECoPA region during the academic year preceding the annual SECoPA Conference (e.g. students must be enrolled during the 2010-2011 academic year to be eligible for the 2011 award). Students may be enrolled in a joint master’s/doctoral program, but only doctoral students are eligible for the award. Papers may be co-authored with other students. Faculty members cannot be co-authors. Students must adhere to the application process as set forth below. Failure to adhere to the process will result in a withdrawal of the award. To receive the award, the author or at least one co-author of the winning paper must register and attend the SECoPA conference, present the paper, and attend the awards function where the award is presented (normally a luncheon).
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Award: Plaque, $300 cash award, registration fee waiver. If a paper is co-authored, the cash award will be divided equally among the co-authors. The SECoPA Conference Program Chair will waive up to two registration fees for co-authored papers.
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Application Process:
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1. Award chair issues a call for abstracts, coordinating the call with the SECoPA general call for papers. In that call, the deadline for full paper submission, paper page limit, and submission instructions are set.
2. Students submit an abstract following the SECoPA proposal instructions for that conference year, indicating that they would like to be considered for the Award. If so instructed, they should also submit a copy of their abstract directly to the award committee chair for that year.
3. Extensions of the deadline for abstract submission, if any, are made by the SECoPA program chair.
4. SECoPA program committee accepts or rejects abstracts submitted.
5. SECoPA program committee informs Award chair of abstract decision.
6. Award chair e-mails students whose abstracts have been accepted, reminding them of the deadline for submitting a full paper, page limitations, and instructions on how to submit.
7. Extension of deadline for submission of the full paper is at the discretion of the awards committee. In general, extensions will not be granted.
8. Papers are to be no longer than 30 pages, not including references and/or appendices. Papers that exceed the page limitations will not be considered unless exceptions are granted by the awards committee.
9. Winners of awards will be notified by the award chair at least one month prior to the day the conference convenes.
10. The winning author, or at least one co-author, must register for the conference, present the paper, and attend the awards function.
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Evaluation Criteria:
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1. Topic significance and relevance for public policy and administration.
2. Organization, readability, clarity of style.
3. The soundness of methodology.
4. Appropriate research design.
5. Adequate evidence supporting the conclusion.
6. Adequate literature review.
7. Contribution to existing knowledge.
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Award Committee Membership: Shall consist of at least three SECoPA members. The chair of the committee is appointed by the Board Chair. The remaining two members are recruited by the committee chair in consultation with the SECoPA chair and should be representative of the region.
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About Morris W.H. “Bill” Collins: Bill Collins made many contributions to public administration during his distinguished career. At Mississippi State University, he held the John C. Stennis Chair in Political Science and served as the founding director of the Stennis Institute of Government. Before coming to Mississippi State, Dr. Collins served as the Dean of the College of Public Affairs at American University and as Director of the Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia.
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He personified the ideals of the American Society for Public Administration. A man who bridged the world of academic theory and governmental practice, Bill was involved in significant governmental reform efforts in several Southern states. As he once advised a younger colleague, “When the Governor asks you to do something, you better say yes.” At an age when many retirees play golf and clip coupons, Bill ran for President of ASPA. They said he couldn’t win because of his age and his region. Bill won and brought great credit to SECoPA during his ASPA presidency.
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Bill Collins represented the best in public administration. During his half-century commitment to public administration, he mentored countless students and worked continually to diversify both academia and the public service. Above everything else, Bill was a decent, genteel, and honorable human being.
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(Approved by SECoPA Board October 5, 2005)
(Revised-Approved by SECoPA Board March 19, 2008)
(Revised-Approved by SECoPA Board March 25, 2010)