The Deans' Award for Academic Accomplishment, inaugurated in the spring of 1988, is given each year to between five and ten truly extraordinary undergraduate students who deserve campus-wide recognition for their academic endeavors that might not otherwise be celebrated.

The Deans' Awards honor students for exceptional, tangible accomplishments in independent research, national academic competitions, a presentation or publication for a regional or national audience, or superior performance in the creative arts. Students selected for the awards have more than a high grade point average or success in coursework; outstanding transcripts are usually recognized by honorary societies like Phi Beta Kappa or Tau Beta Pi; excellent honors theses are rewarded with prizes like the Firestone or Golden Medals.

Students are nominated for this award by the faculty. The award recipients are honored at a ceremony and receive a book prize. Their portraits and award citations are displayed in the first floor lobby of Sweet Hall.