The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) is an independent organization for the higher education faculty and support staff within the National Education Association (NEA). NCHE seeks support and membership from all categories of NEA members and higher education affiliates.

NCHE is the advocate for higher education services and programs within the NEA. It:

• identifies and focuses the interests and concerns of NEA higher education members and affiliates;
• promotes NEA as the representative agent for higher education; and
• recommends programs within NEA to address the problems faced by college and university faculty and staff. NCHE is committed to promoting academic justice and excellence.

What Does NCHE Do?

NCHE works directly with the higher education members on the Membership 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.