PR2006 Dec 5 NCIA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: December 5, 2006

CONTACT: Brent Cejda, bcejda2@unl.edu

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION NAMES 2006 AWARD WINNERS

LINCOLN (NE) – The National Council of Instructional Administrators (NCIA), headquartered at the University of Nebraska--Lincoln, has selected winners in its 2006 Exemplary Initiatives Competition.

NCIA is a professional organization affiliated with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The awards recognize outstanding ways to enhance the quality of higher education provided at the two-year institutions in the United States.

Each year, community colleges submit a variety of “Best Practices” that correspond to annual award categories. This year, the 18th for the Exemplary Initiatives Awards competition, NCIA officials solicited entries in six broad areas; Student Retention and Success, Curriculum Innovation, Organizational Change, Assessment of Student Learning, Workforce Development, and Responding to Community Needs.

Mary Jean Thornton of Capital Community College in Hartford, CT submitted the winning program in the NCIA Exemplary Initiatives category titled “Student Retention and Success”. Honorable mentions in the category went to Central Arizona College in Winkelman, AZ and Snead State Community College in Boaz, AL.

In the “Curriculum Innovation” category, Deborah Ellington of Montgomery College in Conroe, TX submitted the winning entry. San Juan College in Farmington, NM and Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, IL received honorable mentions.

William Guerriero of Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, AZ authored the winning entry in the “Assessment of Student Learning” category. Runner-up in this category for 2006 is Dyersburg State Community College in Dyersburg, TN.

The winning entry in the “Organizational Change” category was authored by Leslie Warren of Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, IL. The honorable mention entry in this category was awarded to Kingwood College in Kingwood, TX.

Anthony Yaghjian of Butler Community College in El Dorado, KS submitted the winning entry in the “Workforce Development” category. Honorable mention was earned by Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, AL.

In the “Responding to Community Needs” category there are co-winners. One winning entry was submitted by Glinda Blackshear of Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, AL. The other winning entry was submitted by Marianela Manana of Durham Technical Community College in Durham, NC.

Awards will be presented at the NCIA Celebration Breakfast, on April 14, 2007 as part of the group’s Instructional Leadership Academy in Tampa, FL.