Leadership Award
About the Award
The Leadership Award is EDUCAUSE's highest recognition for individual achievement. This award acknowledges and celebrates exemplary leadership that has a significant and positive impact on advancing the theory and practice of information technology in higher education.
Awards are made at the discretion of the Recognition Committee, which may choose to grant one award, no award, or multiple awards in any one year. In general, EDUCAUSE awards are not intended to be given posthumously.
Nomination Requirements
Anyone may submit a nomination for the Leadership Award with the candidate's permission. Self-nominations are not accepted. It is the responsibility of the nominator to summarize the nominee's achievements in sufficient detail to document why this individual should be considered, above all others, for this distinguished award.
Nominations must contain sufficient information to inform the selection process without additional research. Complete nominations must include the nominee's curriculum vitae or resume. While a CV or resume provides the committee with a more comprehensive overview of the nominee's accomplishments and experiences, it is not a substitute for any of the required information listed below. After reviewing the initial nomination submissions, the committee may request reference letters to assist in the evaluation of the nominees under consideration.
The Recognition Committee reviews nominations for the leadership award against the following required criteria:
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Leadership in the institution or institutions where they have been employed
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Leadership in EDUCAUSE
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Leadership in the profession
In addition, the committee also considers evidence that supports:
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Leadership in the efficient and effective practice of supporting and using technology at an institutional level
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Leadership in managing IT resources (human, financial, and technology) within an organization or institution
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Leadership in areas of professional development within a professional association or society
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Leadership in influencing change or new directions in the application of technology
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Leadership in the creation of knowledge and collaborative scholarly work in the theory and practice of information technology in higher education
Guidelines and Eligibility
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An EDUCAUSE award is intended to be a rare recognition. No individual awards (vs. team awards) will be given more than once to the same individual. Preference for the Leadership Award and the Community Leadership Award will be given to candidates who have not received either of these awards previously. Preference for awards in general is given to those who have not recently received an EDUCAUSE award.
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Candidates must be or have been contributing members of our professional community, directly associated with managing information technology and resources in higher education, and individuals who have made significant and demonstrable contributions to the field.
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Candidates may not be currently serving on the EDUCAUSE Board, staff, or Recognition Committee.
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Anyone within or outside of higher education may submit nominations for the award.
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If an individual selected to receive an award will not be employed at an EDUCAUSE member institution at the time of the annual conference, the committee will re-evaluate and has the option to select another candidate.
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Retired nominees are eligible for the award if their retirement occurred within the calendar year of the awards cycle (i.e., 2024 for the 2024 awards program)
Unsure if the candidate you would like to nominate qualifies? Please reach out to us at [email protected] and we will be happy to answer questions about the nominations process, guidelines, or eligibility.
Recognition
Award recipients are recognized at the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference and receive complimentary registration, travel, and housing for the conference. Recipients are also given a session at the annual conference and a $3,000 honorarium toward another EDUCAUSE event or the option of donating the amount to the EDUCAUSE scholarship fund. Highlights of their accomplishments are also added to the award gallery on the EDUCAUSE website.
Recipients will also earn an EDUCAUSE microcredential as a way to digitally document and display their achievement.