The deadline to submit a proposal for this award has passed.

In recognition of Terry O’Banion’s many contributions to thought leadership and innovation in the community college field, the League for Innovation in the Community College has created the Terry O’Banion Legacy Award. Throughout his six decades in community college education, O’Banion has been a thought leader who pushes faculty, staff, and administrators to think differently about their work, their institutions, their students, and the communities they serve. With close to 300 publications, including 18 books, he is a long-time community college champion whose steadfast efforts to expand opportunities for current and prospective students have had a major influence on the field.

O’Banion has described himself as a provocateur in the field of education: someone who proposes what can enhance learning, exposes what reduces learning, and challenges what is to create what can be. As a provocateur, he is an advocate, reformer, provoker, proponent, and challenger.

In this provocateur spirit, the Terry O’Banion Legacy Award supports preparation of a paper that presents an innovative and thought-provoking examination of and response to a major issue or challenge facing community and technical colleges. The issue or challenge may or may not be one that is widely recognized by the community and technical college field, but it must have impact across the range of public community and technical colleges and across international borders.

The $10,000 award also includes presentation of the work during a Special Session at the League's Innovations Conference, complimentary conference registration, travel expenses up to $1,500 to attend the conference, and a commemorative plaque.