GOVERNOR WARNER TO RECEIVE AWARD FROM AAUP

Richmond (January 10)- Governor Mark R. Warner will receive the Colonel Michael S. Harris Award from the Virginia Conference of the American Association of University Professors this Thursday, January 12, at 11:00 in a presentation in the Governor’s Conference Room, Room 3032, 3^rd Floor, Patrick Henry Building. 

This is the inaugural grant of this annual award given by professors in the state to the public official for exemplary service in support of higher education in the Commonwealth.  The award will be presented by Kay Jordan, President of the Virginia AAUP, and received by Secretary of Education Peter Blake on behalf of Governor Warner.

Governor Warner is commended by the AAUP for his leadership in restoring state funds for higher education, obtaining voter support for bonds to support capital projects on state campuses, his concern for addressing the problems of student access to and persistence in our colleges and universities, and for his appreciation of the role higher education plays in the economic and civic life of the Commonwealth.

The Harris Award will be presented by the AAUP during its fourth annual Higher Education Advocacy Day, during which faculty members from across the state will make visits to members of the General Assembly to discuss legislative issues affecting higher education.

Colonel Harris (Ph.D.) was a beloved professor of French at Virginia Military Institute and a long-time activist, including a term as president, in the state branch of the AAUP until his untimely death in 2004.  The award honors his memory and his commitment to higher education in Virginia.

Contact Brian Turner, 752-3743, bturner@rmc.edu, for more information.