The dedicated faculty, staff, and graduate workers of our nation’s colleges and universities help students pursue their passions and realize their dreams. Their success is our nation’s success.
NEA supports higher education professionals by helping them advocate for safe working conditions, fair pay, academic freedom, and so much more. We help faculty and staff understand the challenges of today’s campuses and empower them to work together to solve problems and build power.
NEA 2024 Higher Ed Conference
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Check out the 2024 conference program
We are pleased to announce that U. S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) will join us as a special guest at our opening plenary on Friday, March 15.
Sen. Jon Ossoff is a true ally of public education. In 2020, he was elected to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate, and during his first two years in office he passed more stand-alone bills than any other freshman senator in history – even in a divided Congress. His legislative accomplishments include being a staunch advocate for doubling the Pell Grant, enacting laws that strengthen mental health services and public safety, creating programs to tackle the opioid epidemic, and leading investigations of unsolved lynchings and Civil Rights murders.
During Saturday’s luncheon plenary, we will hear from U. S. Senator Rafael Warnock (D-GA) through taped greetings. We are also delighted to announce that we will be joined by Under Secretary, James Kvaal, U.S. Department of Education., who is this year’s keynote speaker.
U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock
WARNOCK, Raphael Gamaliel, a Senator from Georgia; born in Savannah, Ga., July 23, 1969; graduated Sol C. Johnson High School, Savannah, Ga., 1987; B.A., psychology, Morehouse College, 1991; M.Div., M.Phil., and Ph.D., Union Theological Seminary, New York, N.Y.; Baptist pastor; elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in the January 5, 2021, special election runoff for the term ending January 3, 2023, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Johnny Isakson, a seat previously held by appointed Senator Kelly Loeffler, and took the oath of office on January 20, 2021.
James Kvaal, Under Secretary
James Kvaal was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the Under Secretary of Education on September 14, 2021. Kvaal leads the Department’s work on higher education, student financial aid, and career and adult education. He works to build an inclusive higher education system that helps all students graduate and go on to a better life. His work has led to millions of borrowers receiving student loan forgiveness, more affordable repayment plans for future students, and stronger safeguards against future unaffordable loans.
Earlier in his career, Kvaal served in the White House under President Clinton and President Obama, including more than three years as deputy domestic policy adviser to President Obama. He was the policy director on President Obama’s 2012 campaign, a co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign’s education advisory committee, and the deputy lead of President Biden’s Department of Education transition team.
Kvaal has also served as Deputy Under Secretary at the Department of Education and as a professional staff member in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Immediately prior to joining the Biden Administration, Kvaal was president of The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), a research and advocacy nonprofit dedicated to affordability and equity in higher education.
Kvaal taught at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy, and he graduated with honors from Stanford University and Harvard Law School.
For questions, please contact Ashley Spencer at [email protected].
National Higher Education Month
Check out our 2023 celebration of the dedicated faculty and staff who ensure our students are able to grab their piece of the American Dream through higher education.
CHECK OUT OUR CELEBRATION HERE!
Professional Pay
Faculty, staff, and graduate assistants should be fairly compensated for their work. For decades, the pay earned by college and university workers has failed to keep pace with the rising cost of living. We’re working to fix that.
Professional Growth
We provide cutting-edge resources from NEA experts—our staff, affiliates, and members—on the skills and topics educators need to join, stay in, and advance our profession.
Leadership Development
Ready to take the next step in your career? Start with our leadership resources below for the knowledge and skills you need to be an effective leader on the local, state, and national stage.
Research & Data
College and University Data Analysis System (CUDAS) enables you to research and compare data for your home institution to a group of similar institutions.
Student Debt Forgiveness for Higher Educators
NEA student debt experts walk through the process to fill out the PSLF waiver and ensure higher education faculty & staff get the cancellation they deserve.
National Council for Higher Education
NCHE serves as the instrument through which higher education members of the National Education Association (NEA) utilize their individual and collective power
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