History of the competition

The ELJ Case Study Competition is offered to graduate students and new professionals each year as part of the Annual Conference program. The competition is named for Esther Lloyd-Jones, a pioneer student affairs practitioner and educator and former unanimously elected ACPA president.

Format and Eligibility

  • Teams of one to four participants will respond to a case study with a 10 minute presentation to a panel of three judges, including the current CSPA-NYS President.

  • Teams must be comprised of graduate students or new professionals that are registered for the Annual Conference.

  • Teams will have approximately 20 hours to prepare, generally from the first evening of the Annual Conference to the second evening.

  • While they may be asked to respond to case specific questions, teams should utilize relevant student affairs literature and theory where appropriate.

  • Once the case study is distributed, teams may only consult and prepare with their members.

  • The presentations are open to any Annual Conference attendee. Once a team presents, they are welcome to remain in the audience. Prior to presenting, teams are asked to wait in a space separate from the audience.

  • There is no fee to enter the competition and there is no monetary prize. The winning team and participants will be recognized at the conclusion of the Annual Conference and be awarded a certificate.

Judging Criteria 

Judges will be asked to select a winner based on the following criteria:

  • Innovation of approach

  • Use of theory or literature both within and outside student affairs

  • Organization of presentation

  • Rationalization for chosen responses

  • Practicality of approach

  • Usefulness of the information presented

Recent Past Winners

2022
Melique Young, SUNY Buffalo State
Alex Yeager, Binghamton University

2021
virtual conference - no case study competition this year

2020
virtual conference - no case study competition this year

2019
Allysa Gibson, Nazareth College
Cristina Ruiz, Niagara University
Cliff-Simon Vital, Canisius College
Angelina Yearwood, Canisius College

2018
Elaine Flowers, SUNY Buffalo State
Troy Norton, University at Albany
Matthew Weido, New York University