Member commitment has been the key to AACRAO's success as a national higher education association. Participation in the Association's programs enriches both the profession and the individual; it is because of the contributions of members through service on committees and special projects that AACRAO has become a strong professional association.
AACRAO first began recognizing outstanding individuals in the profession in 1926 with the Honorary Membership award. In the nearly 90 years since Honorary membership was first given AACRAO Awards have expanded to cover a wide variety of fields and types of service. For the awards to be presented at this year’s Annual Meeting in Denver individuals can be nominated for 9 distinct categories. Ranging from the longstanding Honorary Membership to Leadership based awards, to International Education, and State and Regional Association activities AACRAO looks to recognize the long-term service, innovation and collaboration of its members.
These awards serve not only to honor members but also as a working history of the Association and the people who have helped to shape it over the years. The Thomas A Bilger Citation for Service, for example, is named to honor a Past President of AACRAO. Mr. Bilger is an ideal poster child for service to the Association; he remained steadfastly committed to AACRAO and the advancement of higher education even through personal illness. In his closing remarks as President, Bilger took the time to recognize that it is “you, the members of AACRAO [that] are the producers of knowledge—writing publications, giving sessions, leading on-line classes, developing seminars, working on committees, and working on task forces. You are the life and blood of this association.” It was in an effort to promote and reward individuals with commitment similar to Mr. Bilgers that AACRAO created and named this award. The Thomas A Bilger Citation for Service has been awarded since 2006. AACRAO’s other service based award, the Distinguished Service Award, has been given out since 1959 to recognize service over extended periods of time.
Another award that was created to recognize a burgeoning field within the Association is the Award for Excellence in International Education. This category was first awarded in 2004 and has had at least one recipient for every year since its induction for their commitment to internationalism and collaboration between nations.
Offering awards cements the legacy of members that have helped to define the character of the Association. Those individuals are just as important today as they were in AACRAO’s early years. Please help us to recognize the achievements of your colleagues by nominating them for an AACRAO Award. All nine Award categories can be found on our Awards homepage. This is also the place where you can log in and submit your nomination. Take a moment to acknowledge a deserving colleague with a nomination.
Questions can be addressed to awards@aacrao.org or 202-263-0282.