NCHE works directly with the higher education members on the Membership Advisory Committee, the NEA Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Program & Budget Committee, and other committees to refine and expand NEA higher education policy and programs. Please see our constitution and bylaws for more detail.

NCHE participates actively in the NEA Representative Assembly and other governance meetings to influence decisions important to higher education. In recent years, NCHE has secured the adoption of policies and items that:

• establish a Higher Education Research Center to collect information and data for dissemination to local faculty and staff organizations, especially salary and contract data;
• instruct NEA lobbyists to Congress to increase funds for student aid, inclulding the Pell grant program;
• establish a position for NEA regarding sexual harassment on college and university campuses;
• support and encourage the development of mentoring programs for minority students and faculty;
• outline an expanded role for faculty in the governance of two-year and four-year colleges and universities;
• provide funds to conduct annual professional seminars on issues of concern to the higher education community;
• advocate for higher education NEA governance positions.

NCHE interviews and endorses candidates for elected NEA office. NCHE also annually recognizes outstanding higher education NEA leaders by presenting the James M. Davenport Memorial Award.

The NCHE Minority Caucus is composed of NCHE members who seek to focus the Council on issues of concern to minority members.