UA’s Graduate Parent Support Program Wins Leadership Award

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The American Council on Education has named The University of Alabama’s Graduate Parent Support program as the 2014 recipient of its State Network Leadership Award for the Advancement of Women in Higher Education.

Dr. Cori Perdue, director of GPS and UA Graduate School programs, will receive the award at the Women’s Network Leadership Council reception, part of ACE’s 96th annual meeting in March in San Diego.

The ACE State Network Leadership Award recognizes an outstanding and innovative program that is sponsored by an ACE State Network or by a college or university that has helped advance or support women or women’s issues in higher education.

UA’s Graduate School launched the support program in 2009. The program provides graduate students who have children with an innovative and accessible academic, social and emotional support system. Perdue also serves as the director of the Undergraduate Parent Support program.

“The Graduate Parent Support program at the University of Alabama is a prime example of how an institution can nurture educational excellence and ease the path toward a degree for  post-traditional students, in this case graduate students who have children,” said Kim Bobby, director of ACE’s Inclusive Excellence Group. “GPS is working to both nurture educational excellence and to expand the pipeline of potential higher education leaders.”

For more information on the Graduate Parent Support program, go to http://www.gps.ua.edu/.

Founded in 1918, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, representing more than 1,600 college and university presidents, and more than 200 related associations, nationwide. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy. For more information, please visit www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on Twitter @ACEducation.