The Sidney Cox Memorial Prize

The sidney prize, established in memory of Sidney Cox, professor of English at Dartmouth from 1927 to 1952, is given annually for the best piece of undergraduate writing submitted in competition. It is administered by a committee of former students and friends. The award consists of $100 and is awarded at the Creative Writing Awards ceremony each May.

Background

The Sidney Cox Memorial Prize is awarded annually to that piece of undergraduate writing which most nearly meets the high standards set for its author by the late Professor Cox, and by his own teaching and writing. The prize is open to any kind of undergraduate writing in English, with no limit on the amount or variety of the material that may be submitted.

Eligibility

A student enrolled in an Australian Literature major, and achieving an excellent academic record, is eligible for this prize. The Prize will be awarded on the recommendation of the Chair of Australian Literature, and/or their nominated delegate at the University of Sydney, to the student whose highest average mark in Senior Units of study in Australian Literature during that year is considered to be of sufficient merit.

Selection Criteria

The winner of this prize will be the student who achieves the highest average marks in all the Senior units of study in Australian Literature during that year. The Prize will be awarded on the recommendation and at the discretion of the Head of Australian Literature, and/or their delegate at the University of Sydney, to a student who is deemed to have made the greatest contribution to the teaching and learning environment in the Department of Australian Literature during their time as a full-time undergraduate at the University of Sydney.

Runner-ups will be the two students who achieve the next best overall results in Senior Units of study in Australian Literature and who have been deemed by the Head of Australian Literature to have made the most significant contribution to the teaching and learning environment in the department during their time as a full-time student at the University of Sydney.

In 2022, a law was passed that protects the identities of winners of Florida Lottery prizes from potential thieves for up to 90 days. The law is intended to shield lottery winners from those who want to take advantage of the sudden wealth of a prize. It’s similar to Florida’s Marsy’s Law, which prevents victims of crime from naming the people they have killed.