Join NCHE Now! 2025-26 Membership Drive
It’s time to renew NCHE memberships and recruit new members! NCHE welcomes all NEA higher education members as “individual members” with voting rights in NCHE, as well as “organizational members,” which are NEA higher education affiliates that join NCHE, also with voting rights. NCHE also welcomes non-higher-ed NEA members and HQ and affiliate staff as associate members.
Use this link – Join NCHE Now! – to pay by credit card for any of the NCHE membership categories. Credit card payment through this link is by far the best option for NCHE record-keeping and for the timeliness of membership processing. If check payment is the only option, NCHE welcomes checks accompanied by paper forms:
NEA Higher Educator of the Year – Current Honoree
2026 Honoree: Dr. Clinton Smith, University of Tennessee at Martin
Dr. Clinton Smith has been named the 2026 NEA Higher Educator of the Year, recognizing a higher education member who demonstrates outstanding student-centered professional practice, labor-based advocacy, and community engagement.
A professor of special education, Smith prepares future educators to support students with disabilities through a combination of rigorous instruction and real-world experience. His work spans teaching, research, and service, including decades of involvement with Special Olympics and leadership roles within NEA and the Tennessee Education Association.
Smith’s impact reflects a consistent focus on improving outcomes for students while advancing the conditions of the educators who serve them. As he notes, “You can’t truly fight for students without also fighting for the people who teach them.”
He will be recognized at the NEA Representative Assembly and receive a $10,000 award funded by the NEA Foundation.
National Education Association Higher Educator of the Year Award
Purpose: The National Education Association (NEA) Higher Educator of the Year Award recognizes the 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.
Award: Each year, one nominee receives the NEA Higher Educator of the Year Award. The NEA Higher Educator of the Year Selection Committee solicits and reviews nominations, putting forth an awardee to be announced to the NEA Board of Directors at their May meeting. The award is then presented at the NEA Representative Assembly where the awardee gives brief remarks to the delegates. The honoree receives a monetary award of $10,000, funded by the NEA Foundation.
Eligibility: This award is open to all NEA higher education members. The recipient must have at least ten years of professional service in higher education as of January 1 of the award year and have demonstrated consistent advocacy for higher education unions at any level (local, state, national).
Nominations: A nomination must include details of how the nominee's experience reflects the award criteria. Nominations must also include at least one letter of support or recommendation from a colleague. Individuals may self-nominate.
Selection/Criteria: The NEA Higher Educator of the Year Selection Committee will review all nominations to ensure that eligibility and submission requirements are met. Nominations are scored based on the following criteria:
- Professional Practice: including, but not limited to, demonstrated development of innovative student-centered learning tools, research methods, curricula, and appropriate discipline-based course delivery methods
- Labor-Based Advocacy: including, but not limited to, demonstrated development of a union consciousness/social awareness regarding the critical role organized labor plays in the higher education landscape
- Community Engagement: including, but not limited to, a demonstrated pattern of participation in local/community organizations, events, and activities associated with strengthening ties between higher education and other service-related organizations
Notification: The NEA Higher Educator of the Year Selection Committee will notify the recipient in advance of the NEA Board of Directors meeting at which the awardee is announced.
James Davenport Memorial Award — Call for Nominations
Nomination Deadline - July 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (EST)
The James Davenport Memorial Award honors the legacy and leadership of James Davenport, the first president of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). This award recognizes individuals whose commitment to higher education, shared governance, and educator advocacy reflects the values and vision that James Davenport championed throughout his service.
James Davenport played a foundational role in shaping NCHE and advancing the voice of higher education within NEA. His leadership, integrity, and dedication to strengthening higher education continue to inspire the work of NCHE members today.
NCHE invites nominations of individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership, service, and advocacy on behalf of higher education faculty and staff.
Click the link to learn more about the award criteria, eligibility, and nomination process.
We encourage members to take part in honoring a leader whose impact continues to guide our work and to recognize those who carry forward James Davenport’s enduring legacy.
Click the link below to submit your nomination by Thursday, July 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (EST)
Upcoming Higher Ed Webinars
There are no upcoming webinars scheduled at this time.
Please check back for future programming and opportunities. New webinars will be posted here as they are announced.
NCHE Members Convened in Phoenix for the 2026 Regular Annual Meeting
Members re-elected NCHE Executive Committee leaders, endorsed NEA candidates, and engaged in cross-department collaboration to support higher education advocacy.
Phoenix, Arizona — March 5–6, 2026
The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) brought together higher education leaders from across the country for its Regular Annual Meeting, held March 5–6, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona, at Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass, in conjunction with the NEA Higher Education Conference. Centered around the theme “Resilience, Respect, and Power,” the meeting provided an opportunity for members to connect, share updates, and strengthen organizing, advocacy, and leadership within NEA’s higher education community.
NCHE Executive Committee Elections
During the first day of the Regular Annual Meeting, NCHE members conducted elections for vacant positions on the NCHE Executive Committee. Vivian Zimmerman was re-elected Secretary, Suzanne Sublette, Ph.D., was re-elected Treasurer, and Roxanne Wright Watson, Ph.D., was re-elected At-Large member. Each will serve a three-year term.
NEA Candidate Endorsements
Members also voted to endorse candidates for national NEA leadership positions. NCHE endorsed Princess R. Moss for NEA President, Noel Candelaria for Vice President, Brett Smith for Secretary-Treasurer, and Cecily Myart-Cruz and Shannon McCann for the NEA Executive Committee.
NCHE Committee Reports and Member Engagement
On the second day, the council leaders shared updates on its ongoing work and initiatives and encouraged members to become actively involved by joining NCHE and supporting the council’s priorities.
NEA Center Updates
The meeting also highlighted collaboration across NEA Centers. Representatives from several NEA Centers – including the Center for Organizing and Affiliate Support, the Office of the General Counsel, Government Relations, the Center for Education Policy and Implementation, and the Center for Communications – shared updates and resources to support higher education members and affiliates.
Open Discussion
The meeting concluded with an open discussion, providing members an opportunity to share perspectives, raise questions, and highlight issues impacting higher education across the country. The conversation reflected the council’s continued commitment to collaboration, advocacy, and strengthening the voice of higher education members within NEA.
NCHE Executive Committee
Marcia Mackey, Ph.D., NCHE Vice President
