Background: Alpha Sigma Nu (ASN), the honor society of Jesuit institutions of higher education, established and funded the Jesuit Book Awards in 1979 to recognize outstanding publishing achievement by faculty and administrators of the following member institutions, the twenty-eight Jesuit colleges and universities, the two U.S. theologates, and Campion and Regis Colleges in Canada. The book awards are administered by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU).
Awards: The book award winner receives a $1,000 check (per book) and a commemorative plaque. The plaque is presented at an ASN event on campus. The winner's name is on permanent display at the ASN Central Office and the books are included in the permanent collection of the Marquette University library. The winners are announced on the ASN web site.
Categories: The book awards operate on a three-year cycle. The category for 2008 is "The Humanities", with one award each for: History, Literature/Fine Arts, Philosophy/Ethics, and Theology.
The category for 2009, will be "The Sciences" with one award each for Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Mathematics/Computer Science, and Health Sciences.
In 2010, the category will be "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.
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 is welcome to apply, as are emeritus members of the faculty and administration of the member schools. The submitted work must be published in the three year period ending with the year prior to 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 Ineligible works include text books, magazine articles, unpublished monographs, works of fiction, paintings, sculptures and recordings.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.
Deadline: All submissions must be postmarked before March 1, 2008. Awards will be announced October 1, 2008.
How to Apply: Click here to print the 2008 Application Form. Applications are also available from the Chief Academic Officer, Alpha Sigma Nu Faculty Advisers, the Central Office of Alpha Sigma Nu, and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. All submissions must be made by the author. Books that are entered cannot be returned. The application and two copies of the book must be sent to:
Alpha Sigma Nu – Jesuit Book Award Competition
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
One Dupont Circle, Suite 405
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 862-9893
E-mail: agarner@ajcunet.edu
Note: Jesuit Book Awards have expanded: In the year 2000, the Boards of Alpha Sigma Nu and AJCU approved an expanded cycle of awards. While the three-year cycle has remained the same, the number of awards for each cycle has increased from three to four. The following calendar demonstrates the expansion:
2008 — The Humanities: One Award each for:
- History/Political Science
- Literature/Fine Arts
- Philosophy/Ethics
- Theology