2024 AAHHE Awards Call for Nominations

Submission Deadline: September 8, 2023, 11:59pm EDT

The American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education is proud to sponsor the 2024 AAHHE Awards. The AAHHE Awards have been developed to honor individuals who, through their expertise, energy, productivity, and contributions, have improved the conditions of Hispanic community members pursuing post-secondary education or a career in higher education. The awards are presented annually at the AAHHE National Conference.

The 2024 AAHHE Awards Call for Nominations is open to any Hispanic leader, scholar, teacher or artist who has advocated, supported, and champion Hispanic community members in higher education in the following award categories:

The Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr. Distinguished Leadership Award is given to an outstanding administrator in the field of higher education who has demonstrated excellence in academe and its related professions. Sponsored by The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education.

The Community College Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated excellence in advocacy, teaching, or leadership and has provided significant contributions to the community college enterprise. The Community College Award has previously been sponsored by UPS.

The Doctoral Student Award recognizes current doctoral students who aspire to join the academy and demonstrate their academic accomplishments and servant leadership at their university.

The Early Career Award recognizes faculty or administrators who demonstrate commitment and promise via their actions, research, and service to the Hispanic higher education community.

The Mildred García Founders' Award is given in the spirit of the extraordinary leadership, stewardship, and courage evidenced by the founding members of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education. This award honors an individual or organization demonstrating an exemplary commitment to advancing access and success of the  population in higher education; evidencing a pioneering spirit in forging transformational avenues and inclusionary opportunities that support and promote Hispanic issues; and achieving outstanding accomplishments aligned with AAHHE’s mission.

The Outstanding Support of Hispanic Issues Award is given to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments and support of AAHHE’s mission. This individual need not be an educator but one who has made significant contributions to higher education as a community leader, civic leader, elected or appointed official, etc.

The Sylvia Hurtado University Faculty Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated excellence in both research and teaching and has provided significant contributions to their respective academic disciplines.

The William Aguilar Cultural Arts Award recognizes individuals who have contributed significantly to the understanding of the national Latino community and/or culture through the fine, creative, and performing arts.


Nomination Process

The call for nominations for the 2024 AAHHE Awards opens on May 8, 2023. The deadline for submission of nominations via the AAHHE submissions portal is September 8, 2023. Nominees are encouraged to be AAHHE members, but membership is not required to apply. Self-nominations are encouraged. Current AAHHE Board of Directors members are ineligible to be nominated to the AAHHE Awards. Nominees will be notified by October 10, 2023.

How to Apply

A nomination form must be completed via the AAHHE submissions portal no later than Friday, September 8, 2023, by 11:59 pm ET. At the end of the nomination form, individuals will be required to upload a 2-page max nomination letter (PDF) and the nominee’s resume or CV (PDF) as separate documents. The completion of the nomination form and the submission of nominations document need to be completed sequentially no later than Friday, September 8, 2023, by 11:59 pm ET. Please ensure that you have all nomination materials ready as PDF documents before starting the nomination form on the portal.

Important Dates and Deadlines

The schedule below, in addition to providing important dates and deadlines, provides additional information about the process.

May 8, 2023
2024 AAHHE Awards Call for Nominations opens via the AAHHE submissions portal.

September 8, 2023, 11:59pm ET
2024 AAHHE Awards Call for Nominations closes. By this date, the nominee’s nomination letter and resume (or curriculum vitae) have been submitted via the AAHHE submissions portal.

October 10, 2023
Notifications are sent to award winners.

October 17, 2023
By this date, a 200-word biography (MSWord) and a professional photo (JPEG) have been submitted for the award winner via an AAHHE submission portal.

February – March 2024
Announcements will be posted on the AAHHE website and press releases will go out to the AAHHE membership at large.

March 2024
Award winners will be recognized at the awards luncheon at the 2024 AAHHE National Conference and are required to be available either in-person or virtually to receive the award.

What recognition will be given to the winners?

Award winners will be presented with an AAHHE Award in March 2024 as they are recognized at the awards ceremony of the 2024 AAHHE National Conference.  Award winners are required to be available either in-person or virtually to receive the award. Awardees unable to attend the awards ceremony will be linked virtually to the conference. If traveling to the 2024 AAHHE National Conference, no compensation will be provided for the registration fee, travel, lodging, etc.

If you have any questions about the competition, please contact [email protected].