What are the Innovation of the Year Awards?
The League’s Innovation of the Year Awards recognize significant innovations at Board and Alliance member colleges. These innovations reflect significant achievements and the continuing renewal of the spirit of innovation and experimentation upon which the League was founded. The award honors faculty, staff, and administrators at member colleges who have created and implemented innovative programs, practices, partnerships, policies, and activities that improve the institution’s ability to serve students and the community. Participation in these awards is a League membership benefit.
How are Innovation of the Year Award winners chosen?
Participating institutions announce the Innovation of the Year Awards competition internally. It is recommended that each member college or district* create a committee to establish local eligibility criteria and selection protocol. Applications should be encouraged from all areas of the college: full- and part-time instructors, student services staff, administrators, and support personnel. (While we recognize that industry partners, community representatives, and students may be involved in college efforts, these awards is strictly for college employees.)
- Winning Innovations: After choosing a winning innovation according to its own guidelines, each League Board or Alliance college or district submits its selection via the online application. One winning innovation will be accepted from each college/district.
- Local Finalists: Districts or systems with multiple colleges or campuses are also encouraged to email information about college-based finalists for the district award.
*A district may hold League membership for all the colleges in the district; the overall winner selected from among the district colleges is the Innovation of the Year winner and the remaining college winners are local finalists. Similarly, a college may hold League membership, which extends to all its campuses; the overall college winner is submitted to the League and the remaining campus winners are the local finalists.
Who can submit Innovation of the Year Award winners?
The designated Innovation of the Year Award contact at each League Board and Alliance institution is responsible for administering this award and submitting a winning innovation online. Only this individual has access to the submission portal.
If a college has not designated a Innovation of the Year Award contact, the primary contact for the institution (typically the president) is automatically designated as the award contact and may submit.
I am the designated Innovation of the Year Award contact. How do I submit information about the winning innovation from my institution?
When the awards are open, designated awards contacts will receive email communications with submission instructions.
What is the deadline for the award contact to submit Innovation of the Year Award winners?
The 2023-2024 Innovation of the Year Awards closed on April 12, 2024. The 2024-2025 awards will open in January 2025.
At which Innovations Conference will Innovation of the Year Award winners be celebrated?
The 2022-2023 award winners were celebrated at the 2024 Innovations Conference. The 2023-2024 award winners will be celebrated at the 2025 Innovations Conference. Please look for notices about the next conference on our website this summer.
If I am planning to attend the Innovations Conference, do I have to register?
Yes. Anyone attending the conference is required to register and pay the conference registration fee. Member discounts apply, plus League member institutions qualify for an additional 20% registration discount when at least five (5) participants from the same member institution are registered in a single transaction. Register before the early registration deadline, and there are significant savings to be had. (Please note: Neither honoraria nor expenses are provided to award recipients.)
If I am unable to attend the Innovations Conference, do I still qualify to receive my award?
Yes. Innovations Conference attendance is optional, although we encourage you to come and celebrate your achievement. If you are unable to attend, your pin, certificate, and League Awards Program will be mailed to your college president/chancellor for distribution after the conference.
Our college would like to place a congratulatory ad in the League Awards Program. How do we do this?
Participating colleges and systems are encouraged to submit an ad for inclusion in the League Awards Program. The purpose of the ads is to highlight and congratulate Innovation of the Year Award* and Excellence Award recipients from your college, and to bring attention to League Board and Alliance member institutions. Submissions may include photos of recipients and/or a special congratulatory message.
Click here for ad requirements and pricing; downloadable submission instructions will be available while congratulatory ads are being accepted: September 16-December 1, 2024.
