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Awards

Community colleges provide educational opportunities for all and have been in the forefront of preparing America’s future leaders. AACC offers a variety of awards to those individuals who have excelled in their fields and who have given back to their communities. We also feature a list of retiring community college presidents and honor new and retiring community college presidents at the Hail and Farewell Luncheon at our annual convention.

The association offers the following awards and recognitions:

AACC Awards of Excellence

AACC’s Awards of Excellence underscores the association’s priorities and brings national visibility to promising practices among its member colleges. Nominees will be judged by a select committee of the AACC Board of Directors and the 2020 winners will be announced at the Awards of Excellence Gala at the AACC Annual Convention in Washington, DC.

Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty

Named in honor of former AACC President and CEO Dale P. Parnell, this designation has been established to recognize individuals making a difference in the classroom.

Leadership Awards

AACC’s Leadership Award, an annual tradition since 1982, is presented to individuals whose accomplishments and professional contributions to the community college field have been outstanding. All awards will be presented at the 100th Annual Convention in Washington, DC.

Harry S. Truman Award

The Truman Award is the highest award given by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to a leader who has had a major, positive impact on community colleges. The award is named for President Harry S. Truman who commissioned a study on higher education in 1947 that first introduced the term “community college.”

Outstanding Alumni Awards

The Outstanding Alumni Awards recognize community college alumni who have excelled in their chosen fields.