National Council for Higher Education

Honorees Announced for 2022 NCHE/NEA Awards

A significant role of NCHE is to elevate higher education careers and issues within the NEA. One of the ways this is done is to honor those who lead and excel in our profession or on behalf of higher education. In recent years, NCHE established two awards, and both were bestowed upon worthy individuals at the NEA Higher Education Conference in March. Additionally, NCHE gives the longstanding Davenport award annually. Watch the NCHE webpage for nomination details for all three of these prestigious awards.

Bonniejean Alford is an active NEA and NCHE member. She is a writer, editor, blogger, podcaster, publisher, and photographer —not to mention an instructor and union leader at Illinois’ College of DuPage. And now, Bonniejean Alford has been named the 2022 NEA Higher Educator of the Year. The $10,000 annual award is funded by the NEA Foundation and awarded by NCHE annually. For more information about this spectacular educator, click here.

Throughout her career, which includes 40 years teaching at Bennett College, Representative Adams has promoted quality education for all students, sponsoring and advancing numerous pieces of legislation to boost funds for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority Serving Institutions. She has also introduced legislation to provide nutritious breakfast in schools and supports increased pay for educators. Most recently, Representative Adams’ work has included the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act, bipartisan legislation that would invest in infrastructure at Historically Black Colleges and Universities to repair, renovate, modernize, or construct new campus facilities, including residential, instructional, and research spaces. The bill would also procure equipment and technology to facilitate high-quality research and instruction. Watch Rep. Adams' acceptance remarks below.

NCHE Annual Meeting:  Three Leaders Elected; Two NEA Candidates Endorsed

NCHE held its Regular Annual Meeting on March 17, 2022, in conjunction with the NEA Higher Education Conference in Baltimore, MD. Elected to three-year terms each are the following NCHE leaders:

• Membership Chair:  Andy Sako, NY
• At-Large Member:  Candace Shivers, MA
• At-Large Member:  Vivian Zimmerman, IL

In addition, NCHE endorsed two candidates for NEA Executive Committee: Robert Rodriguez (CA) and Christine Sampson-Clark (NJ).

Membership | Join NCHE Now!

To join NCHE or to renew your membership, please click here to use our online membership page (credit cards accepted) or fill out the appropriate form and send it with a check as instructed on the form. 

Individuals/Associates and Organizations may become members of NCHE so that we can continue to lobby for the interests of our 150,000 NEA higher education members.

Please encourage your colleagues and your organizations to join as well.

Higher Education Month Recap

The activities of October’s National Higher Education Month provided wonderful opportunities for our higher education members to learn, network, and refresh.  During October, we celebrated the dedicated faculty and staff who ensure our students are able to grab their piece of the American Dream through higher education.

Learn More