PRESS RELEASE: NISOD’S 2022 Conference Celebrates and Inspires Community and Technical College Educators

For Immediate Release

NISOD’S 2022 Conference Celebrates and Inspires Community and Technical College Educators

Austin, Texas—June 8, 2022— Over Memorial Day weekend, May 28-31, the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) welcomed more than 600 community and technical college teachers, administrators, staff, and their family members to Austin, Texas, for the 44th International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence.

NISOD’s conference offered 200-plus educational presentations—including preconference seminars, general sessions, breakout sessions, and roundtable discussions—with topics ranging from creating a classroom culture and reengaging disengaged learners, to erasing barriers to student success. Through these informative sessions, conference participants engaged with colleagues to discuss nearly every aspect of teaching and learning excellence.

“Our first in-person conference since 2019 went off without a hitch,” said Edward Leach, NISOD’s executive director. “I’m so proud of everything our staff and partners accomplished to make the conference a success! The event was full of energy and it was obvious everyone was thrilled to be back in person and engage in high-quality professional development and celebration.”

Additionally, Western Governors University and StraighterLine sponsored an invitation-only, day-long Administrator Series at the conference for upper-level community and technical college administrators. Presidents, chancellors, and other executive leaders shared their experiences and ideas for driving innovation through continuous improvement and exploring what new possibilities for community and technical colleges could look like.

Excellence Awards
The 2022 conference also marked the 31st year of NISOD’s prestigious Excellence Awards, which honor faculty, administrators, and staff for the extraordinary work they do every day on their respective campuses. This year, 161 member colleges submitted the names of more than 850 awardees.

On Sunday, May 29, NISOD recognized the 2022 recipients in attendance at the Excellence Awards Dinner and Celebration. Award recipients were joined by former Excellence Awards recipients, their colleagues, families, and friends. “NISOD is proud to continue our long history of recognizing the outstanding work of community and technical college educators at our member colleges, especially on this 31st anniversary year of the Excellence Awards,” said Leach. “We are honored to be able to showcase outstanding colleagues for their good works during our annual celebration of Excellence Award recipients.” To date, more than 25,000 recipients have been honored with the prestigious award.

Student Essay Contest Winners
During the Sunday evening Excellence Awards Dinner and Celebration, NISOD showcased the 2022 winners of the Scott Wright Student Essay Contest. Chosen from over 100 outstanding entries, the three winning students wrote about a faculty member, staff member, or administrator who helped them achieve their educational goals. The 2022 student winners and the person who inspired them are:

  • Rebekah Wilson, student, and Dr. Patrick Arnwine, Senior Academic Advisor, St. Johns River State College
  • Katie Conte, student, and Melissa Krieger, Associate Professor, Education, Bergen Community College
  • Colleen McKay, student, and Tuan Dean, Professor, Mathematics, College Readiness, Triton College

Read their award-winning essays here.

Student Graphic Design Contest Winner
During Monday’s General Session Luncheon, the 2022 winner of NISOD’s Student Graphic Design Contest, Javier Zamarripa, a student at Wake Technical Community College, was recognized for his winning design. Javier received $1,000 and five poster-size copies of his work. Javier’s design will also be featured as the front cover of NISOD’s 2023 International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence conference program.

Most Promising Places to Work In Community Colleges Awards
During Tuesday’s Closing General Session, NISOD and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education bestowed the 2022 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges (MPPWCC) awards, which recognize community and technical colleges with an exceptional commitment to diversity. The 2022 MPPWCC awardees included:

  • Blinn College
  • Broward College
  • Central Carolina Technical College
  • Chemeketa Community College
  • Community College of Allegheny County
  • Florida State College at Jacksonville
  • GateWay Community College (AZ)
  • Gateway Technical College (WI)
  • Harrisburg Area Community College
  • Hudson County Community College
  • Joliet Junior College
  • Lorain County Community College
  • Malcolm X College
  • McLennan Community College
  • Northeast Lakeview College
  • Northwest Vista College
  • Pierpont Community & Technical College
  • Prince George’s Community College
  • Renton Technical College
  • San Antonio College
  • San Jose City College
  • South Arkansas Community College
  • St. Philip’s College
  • Tallahassee Community College

Each college received an engraved acrylic award and a specially-designed logo that can be used to promote their institution’s commitment to diversity in the workplace.

Keynote Speakers
NISOD’s 2022 Conference keynote speakers offered new perspectives on the business of education through thought-provoking addresses, much to overwhelming audience acclaim. Dr. John E. Roueche discussed the importance of his personal history, and how impactful instructors and colleagues paved the way for his success. Dr. Roueche emphasized that it is the role of faculty and staff to stimulate and facilitate student progress in our institutions to make sure our open door doesn’t continue to be a “revolving” door.

On Tuesday, Dr. Yolanda Watson Spiva, President, Complete College America and the recipient of NISOD’s 2022 John E. Roueche International Leadership Award, addressed the special roles community and technical colleges play in the college completion movement. She also identified barriers and solutions to ensuring positive, postsecondary outcomes for students of color, students with disabilities, first-time college students, and students from low-income communities.

NISOD’s 45th International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence will be held May 27-30, 2023, at the JW Marriott Austin. Save the date! In addition, presentation proposals are now being accepted for NISOD’s 2022 Fall Annual Virtual Conference, being held October 19-22, 2022.

About NISOD

The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) is a membership organization committed to promoting and celebrating excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership at community and technical colleges. For community and technical colleges that want to make the most of their professional development dollars, NISOD provides budget-friendly, high-quality, and faculty-focused programs and resources. For more than 40 years, NISOD’s customer-focused approach has helped align our wide array of benefits with the needs of our members, which explains why the American Association of Community Colleges named NISOD, “The country’s leading provider of professional development for community college faculty, staff, and administrators.” For more information about NISOD, visit www.nisod.org.

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If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Edward J. Leach at ed@nisod.org.