October is National Higher Education Month! This is a time to celebrate staff, raise awareness about the challenges facing higher education, and organize for the future we all deserve.

Whether you are a higher education staff member, faculty member, counselor, librarian, or graduate worker involved in teaching, research or service, this month is for you.

National Higher Education Month Events

NEA Higher Ed has organized a series of events designed to help our higher education members build power, negotiate better pay and benefits, and advocate for their schools and communities. 

Know Your Employer: Going Beyond the Financial Statements

Tuesday, October 6, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET

Join our webinar to learn about research committees and how they  can support organizing and bargaining.

Register

NEA & Higher Education Labor United: Building Power

Wednesday, October 14, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET

Join us for a discussion about how Higher Education Labor United (HELU) and NEA members are building a movement to build a true coordinated higher education labor movement to transform our systems and our lives.

Register

Navigating the Changing F-1 Landscape: Legal Updates and Practical Guidance

Monday, October 19, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET

Join us for a timely discussion of recent immigration developments affecting F-1 students, and non-citizen faculty and staff.

Register

All Member Meeting

Sunday, October 25, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET

Join our upcoming all member call to learn what we are doing to build strong action-ready unions and build a movement for democracy, including high-quality, debt-free higher ed for all.

Register

How to Plan a Winning Contract Campaign

Thursday, October 29, 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. ET

Join this webinar to learn how to organize a "contract campaign" of escalating actions that drives contract negotiations, as well as how to help more of the general membership become involved in the life and work of their union. These approaches are also useful any issue campaign a NEA local wants to launch, regardless of the laws in your state or if you are outside the cycle of collective bargaining.

Register

We program webinars about higher education all year long — check out the schedule.

We're proud to be NEA Higher Ed...

Let your friends, colleagues, and community know that you are proud to be a member of your union! Click on the button below to explore our recruitment materials.

Spread the Word

In Memory of Valerie Wilk, 1950–2024: A Champion for Higher Education Workers

As we celebrate National Higher Education Month, we pause to remember our esteemed colleague, Valerie Wilk, who dedicated over two decades of her life to the advancement of higher education at NEA. Val's commitment to justice, fairness, and the rights of workers was at the core of everything she did.

Val had a favorite poem that reflected her approach to life and work. It spoke of those who throw themselves into the tasks at hand, “who do what has to be done, again and again,” and find satisfaction in work that is real and necessary. Her life and legacy mirror these lines—Val embodied a relentless drive to make a difference, whether advocating for farmworkers' rights or uplifting higher education professionals.

From her work in the Peace Corps to her role as a tireless advocate in the labor movement, she touched many lives and left an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing and working alongside her.

Val passed away on August 31, 2024, just one day before her planned retirement. Her unwavering dedication to higher education will continue to inspire us as we move forward, remembering her not just for her achievements, but for her passion, heart, and commitment to real, meaningful work.