NOVA Secures Two Nominations for AACC Awards of Excellence

NOVA is pleased to have two finalists for the American Association of Community Colleges’ annual Awards of Excellence. NOVA is a finalist in the Student Success category for the ADVANCE program, a nationally recognized model that was recently highlighted by the U.S. Department of Education and the Community College Research Center as one of the most effective transfer programs in the country. In addition, Woodbridge Campus English Professor Indigo Eriksen is a finalist for Faculty Member of the Year. 

President Kress’s commitment to ADVANCE makes the work by faculty, coaches and staff between NOVA and Mason possible. The program, which was founded in 2018 and currently enrolls more than 4,500 students, also owes a great deal to Director of University Transfer and Initiatives Jennifer Nelson and Director of ADVANCE Jason Dodge. In addition to streamlining the pathway from associate to bachelor’s, ADVANCE decreases students’ time to degree; helps eliminate excess credit hours; and alleviates student debt through the addition of the Mason Virginia Promise Grant, a last-dollar grant that covers tuition and fees for qualified students once they are at Mason.

Indigo Eriksen, finalist for AACC Faculty Member of the Year, expressed gratitude for her colleagues’ support that led to her nomination. Professor Eriksen’s innovative and inclusive teaching pedagogies, her work on Writing Ourselves In, her service on the Southern Regional Education Board and creation of NOVA Outdoors camping excursions for students are just some of the reasons why she was nominated. 

In her nomination letter for this well-deserved honor, President Kress noted, “Professor Eriksen is the model of an engaged faculty member. She finds time to mentor both students and colleagues with a brightness of spirit and a caring demeanor that are as authentic and impactful as she is. She is one of the strongest pillars supporting NOVA’s culture of inclusive excellence, and our College is the better for it.”

The AACC Awards of Excellence highlight the best of the best, nationally, among community college educators in 11 categories. Each category names three to five finalists, and the winners will be named at the AACC Annual Meeting and Gala in April.

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is the primary advocacy organization for the nation’s community colleges. The association represents more than 1,000 two-year, associate degree–granting institutions and nearly 12 million students.

NOVA’s stellar faculty, staff and administration provide an exceptional education for our students. President Kress and Professor Eriksen exemplify the highest level of excellence, and we are extremely proud of them.

Submitted by:
Kathy Thompson, NOVA Comms., KAThompson@nvcc.edu