Get Ready for Family Engagement in Higher Education Awards in 2023!

In 2022, the AHEPPP Board of Directors, with support from AHEPPP’s Equity, Belonging, and Inclusion (EBI) Council, decided to pause our Family Engagement in Higher Education Awards in order to spend some time intentionally reviewing and updating the program. Board of Directors members along with a workgroup of select AHEPPP members met multiple times a month throughout the summer and fall to:

1. Simplify the award application process
2. Create a sustainable and equitable review process and scoring rubric for award submissions
3. Establish an official Awards Committee separate from the National Conference Committee
4. Update award descriptions and/or create new awards that align with AHEPPP’s values and programs
5. Reimagine the award recognition process

While we are still working on a few last minute details, we are so excited to be able to launch the new Family Engagement in Higher Education Awards Program at the end of February. So, start getting ready! It’s almost time to apply and nominate yourself, your colleagues, and students for the Family Engagement in Higher Education Awards.

The new program will include:

• A new Awards Committee that will oversee the award nomination, review, and recognition process led by Jennifer Wetli from Purdue University
• A new award nomination/application timeline that will begin in late-February and end on May 31, 2023
• A new application form that will allow nominators/applicants to submit a person, program, initiative, or research for multiple awards at one time
• New award categories designed to highlight AHEPPP’s values and promising practices - Magnificent Mentor, Friends of Family, Rising Star, Creative Communication, and more!

The new Awards Committee will be seeking award applications/nominations for events, programs, communication, etc. that occurred from January 2021 - April 2023 within our AHEPPP community. Even though we did not distribute awards in 2022, we know that there have been many “wins” that are award-worthy and we want to hear about all of them from the last two years!

Nominators/Applicants for awards will not have to officially be part of a traditional parent and family program; they can come from any office, department, or program from an AHEPPP member institution that engages with parents and families of college students.

More information and details about the new Family Engagement in Higher Education Awards will be available in late-February.