Given annually by the American Association of University Administrators to the author(s) judged to have written the overall finest manuscript published during the preceding year in the Journal of Higher Education Management, this award is named for Jerome L. Neuner, two-time elected-president and chairperson of the Board, and longest tenured Board member in the history of AAUA. Selection criteria include overall intellectual, scholarly, and professional quality; and the extent to which the manuscript advances (a) a discussion of the current issues, problems and challenges facing higher education; (b) an exchange of practical wisdom and techniques in the areas of higher education leadership, policy analysis and development, and institutional management; and (c) the identification and explication of the principles and standards of college and university administration.

Recipients of this award since its inception are:

2024

Shelly B. Wepner, William A. Henk, Herba S. Ali. “Examining Chief Academic Officers’ Reasons for Remaining or Exiting their Positions“

William L. Kelemen. “The Promise and Pitfalls of Campus-Wide Digital Access of Course Learning Materials in Post-Secondary Education“

2023

Nwanda Achebe, Carole Gibbs, Brian Johnson, Chiama Nwaiche & Daniel Valez Ortiz (Michigan State University), “Creating Sustainable University Structures for Offices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion“

Lelie D. Cramblet Alvarez (University of Denver), Renee P. Beeton (Fort Lewis College), Carol Guerrero Murphy (Adams State University) & Lea Ann “Beez” Schell (Colorado Mountain College), “CTLs As University Change Levers“

2022

Megha Answer & Rhonda Phillips (Purdue University), “Fostering an Anti-Racist and Inclusive Living-Learning Community“

Jeffrey L. Wilson (Virginia Commonwealth University), “Rethinking the Education Doctorate“

2021

Karen A. Longman (Azuza Pacific University), Susan R. Madsen (Southern Utah University), “Women’s Leadership in Higher Education: Status, Barriers, and Motivators“

David E. Bartz (Eastern Illinois University), “Higher Education Administrators Attaining Excellence“

2020

Rick Ginsberg (University of Kansas), Kathryn B. Chval (University of Missouri), & Donald Easton-Brooks (University of Nevada – Reno), “The Crises are Coming: Social Media Challenges Facing Higher Education Leadership“

2019

William G. Tierney & Raquel M. Rall (University of Southern California), “Lessons Not Yet Learned: Culture, Governance, and the Jerry Sandusky Case“

2018

William A. Henk (Marquette University), Steven A. Melnick (Pennsylvania State University), Sharon Lovell (James Madison University), and Shelley B. Wepner (Manhattanville College), “Education Deans’ Beliefs About Essential Ways of Thinking, Being, and Acting: A National Survey“

2017

Jana L. Bouwma-Gearhart (Oregon State University) and Matthew T. Hora (University of Wisconsin), “Supporting Faculty in the Age of Accountability: How Postsecondary Leaders Can Facilitate the Meaningful Use of Instructional Data for Continuous Improvement“

2016

Floyd F. Quinn, Brian K. Miller, Debbie M. Thorne (Texas State University), “Diversity Management and Public Orientation as Predictors of Service Orientation in Higher Education“

2015

Robert S. Balough and Rose M. Logue (Clarion University), “Strategies for Successful Implementation of Responsibility Centered Budgeting in Mid-Sized Universities“