Awards & Recognitions

Staff Council's Aspasia LeCompte Diversity Award honors the memory of freedom fighter Aspasia LeCompte, who was held in bondage by Vincentian priests, and after having filed multiple freedom suits over a period of twelve years, won liberty for herself and her family in 1839.  This award was established to recognize a staff member who has demonstrated, over the past year, outstanding achievements, initiatives, and sustained commitment to equity and inclusion as fundamental elements of DePaul’s mission and gone beyond their assigned duties to promote and center underserved and underrepresented communities.

DePaul’s specific commitment to service is a distinctive characteristic of the university. Our mission affirms that the university encourages faculty to apply specialized expertise in ways that contribute to the social, economic, cultural, and ethical quality of life in our global community. The purpose of the Excellence in Public Service Award is to honor the significant contributions our faculty have made  to the communities in which they are involved. 

In support of this university’s core mission, which places the highest priority on programs of instruction and learning, the Quality of Instruction Council makes annual DePaul University Excellence in Teaching Awards. The awards recognize significant achievement in teaching as well as a commitment to the university’s teaching mission.

Academic advising has long been recognized as a critical contributor to student success and, here at DePaul, as a natural extension of our commitment to Vincentian personalism. As a reflection of our commitment, the university established the Gerald Paetsch Academic Advising Award in 2005 to recognize of university community members who demonstrate excellence in advising undergraduate and graduate students.

The Global Engagement Faculty Award recognizes faculty who have made significant contributions to global engagement through teaching, research, service, or partnerships that enhance international education, cross-cultural understanding, and DePaul’s global presence.

Diversity and inclusion are core values of DePaul University’s mission and have been since our founding. Established in 2020, the Provost’s Award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion recognizes individual or groups of faculty members who demonstrate excellence in the pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion through scholarship, curricula, programming and outreach, community building, and advocacy.

The purpose of the Spirit of DePaul Award is to highlight institutional Vincentian values and their relation to the achievement of DePaul’s mission, and to personally honor and recognize members of the DePaul community for their leadership and service in the spirit of Saint Vincent de Paul.

The Spirit of Inquiry Award was established in 2000 in support of the university’s belief that the quest for knowledge is the foundation upon which the idea of a university rests, and the purpose that unites both teacher and student. This award honors specific research and scholarly or creative achievements that exhibit commitment to that spirit of creative inquiry, which we endeavor to inspire in our students.

The Staff Excellence Award is designed to recognize staff members whose work and job-related accomplishments set the quality standard for service at the university.

Established in 1961, the Via Sapientiae Award is the highest honor DePaul University has to acknowledge the contributions of those individuals who have devotedly served the purposes and ideals of the university.