The CEC Outstanding Student Chapter Advisor Award
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is a professional association of educators dedicated to cultivating, supporting, and empowering education professionals who work with individuals with disabilities by:
- Advocating for education professionals and for individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents
- Advancing professional practice and scholarly research
- Promoting diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility
- Building networks, partnerships, and communities
Award Details:
The CEC Outstanding Student Chapter Advisor Award honors a college/university CEC Student Chapter Advisor who has demonstrated exemplary commitment to engaging students in their CEC Chapter and guiding their educational, personal, and professional development in the field of special education.
This award originally was initiated in 1982 to honor Dr. Susan Phillips Gorin and her contributions as coordinator of CEC student activities from 1975-1982.
The CEC Outstanding Student Chapter Advisor Award recipient must:
- be a current CEC member at the time of nomination and granting of the award;
- demonstrate CEC’s core values:
- Visionary Thinking: Demonstrated by forward-thinking and courageous decision-making dedicated to excellence and influence in an evolving environment.
- Integrity: Demonstrated by ethical, responsive behavior; transparency; and accountability.
- Inclusiveness: Demonstrated by a commitment to diversity, caring, and respect for the dignity and worth of all individuals.
- support CEC Student Chapter Members by:
- providing mentoring, and peer mentoring opportunities by chapter members, to recruit, retain, and support special education teacher candidates;
- designing and implementing service activities (e.g., tutoring, social engagement opportunities for students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents, after school programs, etc.);
- providing networking opportunities to enhance employment opportunities for special education teacher candidates;
- implementing culturally responsive/sustaining practices in recruiting diverse individuals as chapter members;
- conducting fundraisers to support students with disabilities and/or gifts and talents (e.g., supplies/programs for teachers; special activities/programs for students, etc.); and/or
- engaging in recruitment initiatives to encourage high school and other college/university students to consider becoming a special educator.
Nomination Instructions
- Nominations must be made by an individual who is currently, or has, been employed in the field of education/special education, or CEC-affiliated organization (i.e., Unit, Local or Student Chapter, Division, or Subdivision) that has direct knowledge of the nominee’s work supporting students and teachers, as described above.
- Self-nominations are not accepted.
- All nomination materials must be submitted online by 12:00 pm, October 23, 2023.
- The nomination form is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7BGS8ZR
- Supporting materials can be uploaded into the online nomination form as PDF (strongly preferred), doc, docx files or video link. If you are unable to upload any documents, please email them to Sharon Rodriguez. Alternatively, responses can be typed into the online form.
- Please use file name(s) to clearly indicate reference to the nominee and award.
- (e.g., “Smith_Chapter_Advisor_Award.docx” or “Smith_Chapter_Advisor_Nomination.docx”).
- All materials become the property of CEC and will not be returned.
- Posthumous nominations are NOT accepted.
Required Materials
- Letter/Video of Nomination from a colleague, supervisor, or other professional familiar with the nominee’s work addressing their efforts in meeting the award criteria, and the outcomes/impact.
- Letter word limit: 500 words
- Video time limit: 3.5 minutes
- Letter/Video of Support from a colleague, supervisor, or other professional familiar with the nominee’s work addressing their efforts in meeting the award criteria, and the outcomes/impact.
- Letter word limit: 250 words
- Video time limit: 2 minutes
- One letter/Video of Support from a current or recent former student (within the past three years) addressing the nominee’s efforts in meeting the award criteria, and the outcomes/impact.
- Letter word limit: 250 words
- Video time limit: 2 minutes
Selection Considerations
The CEC Honors Committee has the authority to give up to three Outstanding Chapter Advisor Awards or opt not to grant the award in any given year.
Recipient Recognition and Benefits
The award recipient(s) will be:
- provided with complimentary registration to attend the CEC 2024 Convention & Expo, March 13 – 16, 2024, in San Antonio, TX.
- recognized, and receive a commemorative plaque, at an Awards Luncheon during the CEC 2024 Convention & Expo on Thursday, March 14th, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm;
- given a $500 cash honorarium; and
- featured in a press release on the CEC website (https://exceptionalchildren.org)
Questions? Please contact Sharon Rodriguez.
2023 | Shamy Polychronis, Ph.D. – University of Utah | View Press Release |
---|---|---|
2023 | Jonté C. “JT” Taylor, Ph.D. – The Pennsylvania State University | View Press Release |
2022 | Not awarded | |
2021 | Not awarded | |
2020 | Not awarded | |
2019 | Not awarded | |
2018 | Not awarded | |
2017 | Not awarded | |
2016 | Raul Escarpio | |
2015 | Theresa Garfield Dorel | |
2014 | Suzanne E. Kemp | |
2013 | Andrea Hathcote | |
2012 | Diane Cavanagh | |
2011 | Erika Lembke | |
2010 | Elizabeth Leader-Janssen | |
2009 | Wendy Ehrensberger | |
2008 | Cynthia Simpson | |
2007 | Amy Childre | |
2006 | Joan Levine | |
2005 | Robin Brewer | |
2004 | Dan Ezell | |
2003 | Susan Salmon | |
2002 | Lesley P. Graham | |
2001 | Tamarah Ashton and Wendy Weichel | |
2000 | Maureen Norris | |
1999 | Betty Schultze | |
1998 | Lynn Ziraldo | |
1997 | Belinda D. Karge | |
1996 | Colleen Shea-Stump | |
1995 | Phyllis Froese | |
1994 | W. Bruce Mason | |
1993 | Joyce Meyer | |
1992 | Enid Baird | |
1991 | Louis Semrau | |
1990 | Leonard Rezmierski | |
1989 | Robert C. MacMillan | |
1988 | Betty Marrs | |
1987 | Mary Sue McCarthy | |
1986 | Linda Brown | |
1985 | Perry Leslie | |
1984 | Kathy Hargis | |
1983 | Pearl Yamashita | |
1982 | Susan Phillips Gorin |