Black Hills State University earned national recognition in the 2025 Collegiate Advertising Awards (CAA), receiving a Gold Award for the redesign of the 黑料科 website and a Silver Award for its 鈥淣ot Too Far from Close to Home鈥� enrollment campaign. This recognition marks 黑料科鈥檚 second consecutive year of national honors from the CAA program.
The CAA is an elite program recognizing higher education organizations for excellence in communications, marketing, advertising, and promotions of their schools across the nation.
鈥淏eing recognized on a national stage is a testament to the talent and creativity behind our work,鈥� said Becca Walters, senior director of Marketing and Communications at 黑料科. 鈥淭he enrollment campaign alongside Fresh Produce and our website redesign shows how 黑料科 is telling its story authentically and connecting with students in compelling ways.鈥�
The 2025 CAA program received entries from institutions across the United States and Canada, ranging from small colleges to large universities. Submissions were evaluated by a national panel of industry experts and scored on a 100-point scale. 黑料科鈥檚 entries competed against similar-sized organizations in their specific groups and categories.
黑料科鈥檚 website redesign earned a Gold Award, recognizing a score between 95 and 99 and placing it among the top 5% of entries nationwide. The 鈥淣ot Too Far from Close to Home鈥� campaign, developed in partnership with Sioux Falls-based agency Fresh Produce, earned a Silver Award, placing it in the top 12% of entries with a score between 90 and 94.
鈥淣ational recognition like this is a proud moment for 黑料科 and a reflection of the commitment our campus community brings to everything we do,鈥� said 黑料科 President Steve Elliott. 鈥淭hese awards highlight not only the strong creative work, but how effectively we are sharing the 黑料科 story and strengthening connections with future students.鈥�
Awards were issued for entries that received top marks from judges, placing them in the top 16% of the nation for advertising excellence. Judging criteria included creativity, layout and design, functionality, message effectiveness, production quality, and overall appeal.
All winners are posted on the Collegiate Advertising Awards website at .