For our 50th year, ASHE will recognize the inaugural class of ASHE Fellows for their integrity, advancement of knowledge, mentoring, and service. Fellows programs are a pillar of most academic associations, and we are excited to introduce this program for the field of higher education scholarship. For the inaugural class in 2025, up to 25 Fellows will be selected who are representative of the diversity of ASHE membership and the field of higher education. Each subsequent year, no more than five (5) Fellows shall be selected from an open nomination process from the current ASHE membership.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for nomination, nominees must*:

1. Have achieved the rank of Full Professor or Associate Professor for faculty members or a leadership role in a higher education institution or an organization for scholars outside of the academy

2. Have a career in higher education spanning more than 20 years, inclusive of graduate school.

3. Be a member of ASHE for a cumulative 10 years, and ideally throughout their time as a higher education scholar.

Nomination Review Criteria

When reviewing nominations, the Fellows Committee will make decisions based on the following preferred and demonstrated attributes*:

1. Integrity. Conducts research and professional engagement in such a way as to maintain the integrity of the work, the people involved in the work, and the field of higher education. This includes meeting the requirements of the ASHE Ethics Policies.

2. Advancement of Knowledge. Consistently advances knowledge through rigorous, original scholarship that significantly informs higher education research, policy, and/or practice. Actively fosters intellectual exchange and collaboration across diverse contexts and communities, including global perspectives. Contributions may include but are not limited to peer-reviewed publications, applied research, public scholarship, policy briefs, creative works, or other forms of scholarly dissemination.

3. Mentoring. Actively and consistently mentors emerging scholars with intention, care, and generosity. Demonstrates a long-term commitment to developing future senior scholars and/or organizational leaders and sustaining the field. Creates inclusive, supportive, and growth-oriented environments.

4. Service. Demonstrates a sustained and meaningful commitment to service within the field of higher education, including contributions through ASHE leadership roles. Provides thoughtful, equity-minded, and collaborative leadership that advances the Association’s mission and strengthens the broader scholarly community. Service is clearly impactful, visible, and aligned with the values of the field.

*There may be cases in which a member meets nearly all of the criteria and would otherwise qualify for recognition; in these cases, the Fellows Committee can make a recommendation for an exception to the criteria to the Executive Committee. Exceptions can be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee. Nominators should note the request for an exception in their nomination materials.

In rare instances, posthumous designation as an ASHE Fellow may be granted. . In most instances, this will be for an individual who has passed away in the previous year.

Review Process

For the first year of the program, the committee will serve as reviewers. In each subsequent year, previously selected ASHE Fellows will be asked to serve as reviewers. Each application will be reviewed by at least three reviewers. The review is not a masked process, however, each nomination and nominee should be kept confidential by reviewers and the committee.  Once reviews are complete, the Fellows Committee will develop a slate of recommendations. The slate of Fellows shall consider the representation of the diversity of ASHE membership and the field of higher education.  The committee shall provide the slate and a report on the selection process for review and voting by the Executive Committee.

Fellows Timeline

• May 23: Fellows  Nominations Open

• July 24, 2025, 12:00pm Mountain/Denver Time: Awards Nominations close. Due to the number of submissions and the review process, no late submissions will be accepted; as such, nominators are encouraged to submit their nominations well in advance of this deadline. 

• August: Committee review of nominations

• Late September: Notification to nominators of committee decisions

• Mid-October: Association-wide announcement of recipients

• November: Fellows Luncheon during ASHE 2025 Annual Conference

Nomination Requirements

To submit a nomination, you will need the following:

Coordinating Nominator Information (Note: Self-nominations are welcomed)

• Name

• Title

• Position

• Institution/Organization

• Email

• Phone Number

• ASHE Membership Expiration Date (Note: The coordinating nominator, as well as the nominee(s) (and subsequently recipient(s)), must be current members of ASHE)

Nominee Information:

• Name (Note: The review process is not masked; however, each nomination and nominee will be kept confidential by the reviewers and the committee)

• Title

• Position

• Institution/Organization

• Email

• Phone Number

• Gender and Race. Providing this information allows the committee to ensure the Fellows class is representative of the diversity of ASHE membership and the field of higher education

• ASHE Membership Expiration Date (Note: The coordinating nominator, as well as the nominee(s) (and subsequently recipient(s)), must be current members of ASHE)

• ASHE Membership Join Date

• Agreement to the ASHE Ethics Policies and disclosure of required events

• Agreement that the Nominee is aware of their nomination and commitments required: (Note: We will send a notification to all nominees prior to the review period to ensure they agree to the terms outlined)

  • The nominee is aware of their nomination

  • The nominee will attend the ASHE 2025 Annual Conference in Denver

  • The nominee agrees that if selected they will serve as a reviewer for future Fellows classes

  • The nominee will maintain continued membership and engagement with ASHE

• A 500-word nomination statement about how the Nominee meets the criteria of ASHE Fellows, specifically:

  • Integrity

  • Advancement of Knowledge 

  • Mentoring

  • Service

• Up to 3 letters of support. For upload into the nomination form, these should be combined into one pdf document.

  • The Fellows Committee suggests (but does not require) that one letter would come from a colleague(s)/collaborator(s), one would come from an advisee(s)/mentee(s), and one from a senior leader in the nominee’s institution/organization (e.g., department chair, dean, organization President/CEO/Board Chair/Executive Director)

  • The Coordinating Nominator (except for self-nominations) can also be a signatory or letter writer

• One artifact that illustrates the nominee’s exemplary advancement of knowledge. This can be a peer-reviewed article, book, report, scholarly work, or another item that showcases their contribution. Please upload this document as a PDF; if the item is unable to be uploaded as a PDF, please upload a PDF with instructions on how to access this document.

• The nominee's CV

Each nominee will be limited to one nomination. In the event multiple nominations are submitted, the committee chair will notify the coordinating nominators, requesting they consolidate their nominations.

Questions about the award process can be sent to awards@ashe.ws.

Submit a Nomination

Fellows Recognition

The Association will annually recognize each Fellow:

• during an Induction Ceremony to be held during the Annual Conference each year. 

• with a medal which they are encouraged to wear as part of their academic regalia. 

• with a lapel pin which they are encouraged to wear during the Annual Conference and other conferences. 

• with a certificate which they are encouraged to display in a prominent location. 

• with a letter of acknowledgement to each Fellow’s Dean, Provost, and President/Chancellor (for faculty members) or appropriate organizational leadership (for scholars outside of the academy).