DR. JANET M. HAAVISTO WRITING CONTEST

The Florida Collegiate Honors Council is pleased to announce its annual writing competition for students enrolled in Honors Programs at Florida colleges and universities.

Submission Deadline

January 31, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. Students will be notified of acceptance by February 8, 2024.

Submission categories

  1. Freshman / Sophomore Documented Research or Critical Thinking

  2. Junior / Senior Documented Research or Critical Thinking

  3. Freshman through Senior Poetry Writing

  4. Freshman through Senior Fiction Writing

AWARDS

  1. First prize in each category: $150 for the student

  2. Second prize in each category: $100 for the student

  3. Third prize in each category: $50 for the student

  4. Honorable Mention in each category: Certificate

Only students who register for and attend the conference will receive awards.

CONTEST RULES

  1. Member institutions may submit only three entries per category.  If more than three papers from a member institution are submitted, the first three submissions will be selected for the contest.

  2. All submissions must be original, unpublished, full-length works. Excerpts or abstracts will not be evaluated.

  3. Only one poetry submission per student is allowed.

  4. A student may enter only Freshman/Sophomore or Junior/Senior categories (not both).

  5. Previous contestant winners may not resubmit old entries.

  6. Winning contestants will be required to present an organized, concise overview of their papers, an excerpt from the story, or read the poem at the FCHC Conference. As previously noted, prizes and certificates are only awarded to students who register and attend the conference.

JUDGING

  • Entries are judged on scholarship, creativity, style, and correct standard English.

  • A diverse panel of faculty from Florida community colleges and/or universities will serve as judges.

  • Directors will be notified of their winning entries by the conference registration early-bird deadline.

PAPER FORMAT

  1. Entries should not exceed 10 pages, excluding works cited, reference section or appendices.

  2. Entries must include a title page, one-inch margins, and page numbers and must be submitted in double-spaced 12-point font or larger and written in MLA or APA style.

  3. Entries should exclude ALL identifying information (i.e., the author’s name, institutional affiliation, faculty mentor’s name, or acknowledgments).

  4. All entries must contain correct grammar, mechanics, and documentation (e.g. references). Entries submitted with errors are disqualified with the exception of poetry and fictional submissions.

  5. Entries should be submitted either as an attached .docx or .pdf file.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

  • Proposals will be accepted through Oxford Abstracts. You will need to create an account to submit a proposal.

  • Students may submit one entry per category.