'College of Charleston Magazine' Wins Global Award of Excellence

^{Above: Cover of the summer 2025 issue of College of Charleston Magazine, featuring Dallas Bryson ’25 (Photo by Mary Beth Koeth)}

College of Charleston Magazine has earned a Bronze Award in the Alumni/General Interest (Printed Twice a Year) Magazine category of the 2026 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards, one of the highest honors in educational advancement. Presented by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), the award recognizes excellence in storytelling, design and engagement, placing the College’s flagship publication among the nation’s best alumni magazines.

“This publication demonstrates a highly refined and professional design approach,” the judges wrote. “The generous use of margins creates an elegant sense of space throughout the magazine, giving the content room to breathe and contributing to a strong reading experience. The grid system is applied thoughtfully and consistently, resulting in layouts that feel polished, organized and confident.”

Recognized as the premier accolade for educational advancement, the Circle of Excellence Awards celebrate colleges, universities and schools whose advancement teams demonstrate exceptional ingenuity, creativity and resourcefulness. Through inspiring projects and programs, these institutions strengthen educational communities and help transform lives around the world.

“I am so proud of the issue that helped us win the award,” says College of Charleston Magazine editor Tom Cunneff of the summer 2025 edition, applauding art director Jennifer Hitchcock ’97 for the magazine’s winning design approach. “The beautiful cover pulled the reader in, and the compelling stories kept them there, none more so than Darcie Goodwin’s feature on how a Jewish studies major was able to memorialize a family murdered in the Holocaust in front of their Berlin residence. Luckily for us, the College is filled with interesting and talented students, faculty and alumni.”

“This recognition reflects the extraordinary talent and dedication of the team behind College of Charleston Magazine,” says Ron Menchaca, vice president for university communications. “From compelling storytelling and thoughtful design to the meaningful experiences of our students, faculty, alumni and supporters featured in its pages, the magazine captures the spirit of the College and the impact of our community. We are honored to see that work recognized on a global stage.”

The magazine was awarded a Circle of Excellence bronze award in 2014 and a gold award in 2013.

In 2026, teams from 628 institutions in 33 countries submitted 4,185 entries for consideration. The program’s 93 award categories span the full breadth of advancement, including magazines and publications, fundraising campaigns, alumni initiatives, special events, marketing, leadership, video, and more.

Volunteer judges from CASE’s membership selected 493 exemplary entries for bronze, silver, gold and grand gold recognition. Winning entries were chosen for overall quality, innovation, effective use of resources and measurable impact on their institutions and communities, including alumni, parents, students, faculty and staff.

This year, entries were considered for both global recognition and regional or district recognition. CASE will announce the Best of Regions/Districts later in 2026.