The Department of Africana Studies received the University of Northern Colorado Academic Excellence Award for Departmental Excellence in Scholarship in 2003. The department was notified of the award on February 24, 2003 received it at the Celebration of Academic Excellence banquet held on March 10th, 2003.

The University of Northern Colorado also awarded the Department of Africana Studies the Distinguished Service Award on November 15, 2002. The award was given to the department in recognition of its exceptional leadership and its devoted support of the McNair Scholars Program.