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National Council for Higher Education

Your advocate for higher education.
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NEA Higher Educator of the Year Award 2024 – Nominations Open!

Deadline:  April 6, 2024, 11:59pm EDT

Submit nominations HERE! NEA Higher Educator of the Year Award 2024 Nomination Submission Form

Nominations opened March 1, 2024, for the National Education Association (NEA) 2024 Higher Educator of the Year Award. The award is open to all NEA higher education members.

The award recognizes the NEA postsecondary education professional who continually engages in outstanding student-centered professional practice, exemplary state/local labor-based advocacy, and robust community participation. This award is presented to an NEA higher education member who demonstrates outstanding accomplishments in all three areas.

More information is provided in the link above with the nomination submission form. Please share this information far and wide among your NEA higher ed colleagues!

Membership | Join NCHE Now!

NCHE’s 2023-24 membership drive is up and running! Please join or renew today.

Individual NEA members working in or retired from higher ed may become members of NCHE, and other NEA members may become associate members. Further, NCHE welcomes higher ed affiliates as organizational members. All of these memberships ensure that NCHE can continue to lobby for the interests of our 130,000 NEA higher education members.

Please encourage your colleagues and your organizations to join NCHE. Together we are stronger and our voices can be heard.

To join:

NCHE Nominations and Elections:  March 14, 2024, Atlanta, GA

The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) will hold nominations and elections for eligible NCHE offices on March 14, 2024, in Atlanta, GA, during the NCHE Regular Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the NEA Higher Education Conference.

NCHE seats open for election are as follows:

  • NCHE President (3-year term)
  • NCHE Vice President (3-year term)
  • NCHE At-Large Member (3-year term) 

Per NCHE Policies and Procedures:

  • Potential candidates for NCHE office will be permitted one candidate statement each to be posted on the NCHE website.  The statement shall consist of a maximum of one side of one letter size page with no links to other information.  NEA staff will post the statement as soon as practicable after transmittal by the Elections, Endorsements, and Credentials Committee chair, who will vet each statement. Statements should be submitted by email here.
  • Candidates for NCHE office must be nominated from the floor during Session I of the Regular Annual Meeting.
  • Candidates for NCHE office will have three (3) minutes to address the Council during Session I of the Regular Annual Meeting.
  • Voting:
    • Elections, Endorsements, and Credentials Committee shall prepare voting credentials, consisting of the ballots for all organizational and individual member categories.
    • It shall be the responsibility of the Elections, Endorsements, and Credentials Committee Chair to ensure that each registered member receives the appropriate ballot.
    • Voting will begin at the close of Session I and will continue for 60 minutes.

Statements of potential candidates for NCHE election:

Statements from potential candidates for NEA Executive Committee seeking NCHE endorsement:

Statements from potential candidates for NEA Board of Directors ESP At-Large seats, if seats are made available (to be announced by June 1, 2024), seeking NCHE endorsement:

NCHE Executive Committee

Meet your 2023-24 NCHE Executive Committee!
DeWayne Sheaffer

DeWayne Sheaffer, NCHE President

Long Beach City College, Long Beach, CA [email protected]
Alec Thomson

Alec Thomson, Ph.D., NCHE Vice President

Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI [email protected]
Marcia Mackey

Marcia Mackey, Ph.D., NCHE Secretary

Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI [email protected]
Suzanne Sublette

Suzanne Sublette, Ph.D., NCHE Treasurer

Gateway Technical College, Kenosha, WI [email protected]
Andrew Sako

Andrew Sako, NCHE Membership Chair

Erie Community College City Campus, Buffalo, NY [email protected]
Philippe Abraham

Philippe Abraham, NCHE Member-At-Large

University at Albany, SUNY, Albany, NY [email protected]
Candice Shivers

Candice Shivers, NCHE Member-At-Large

Mount Wachusett Community College, Webster, MA [email protected]
Vivian Zimmerman

Vivian Zimmerman, NCHE Member-At-Large

Prairie State College, Chicago Heights, IL [email protected]
Roxanne Wright Watson

Roxanne Wright Watson, Ph.D., NCHE Member-At-Large

Lehigh Carbon Community College, Reading, PA [email protected]
National Education Association

Great public schools for every student

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.