Sustainability of Excellence in Access, Connection, and Engagement in Academic Nursing Award

• Cultivated and promoted initiatives that establish and foster a learning and work environment that supports access, connection, and engagement.
• Demonstrated outstanding advocacy for access, connection, and engagement at the institutional level.

Success in leading and enhancing access, connection, and engagement efforts can be demonstrated in many ways, including:

• Organizational commitment to key areas of access, connection, and engagement, such as mission, vision, policies, institutional environment and conditions, research, clinical practice, and/or community outreach.
• Demonstrated impact of activities designed to attract, recruit, retain, and professionally develop students, staff, and faculty from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
• Activities that demonstrate excellence through broad participation within the curriculum and teaching practices.
• Collaboration with campus or community groups in the creation, sponsorship, and implementation of programs, initiatives, or projects that promote broad participation and high-quality outcomes.
• Evaluation and quality improvement of access, connection, and engagement strategies.

Award Component Expectations

The winners will demonstrate excellence in nursing education in both of the following areas:

Creating Change

Influencing change and adapting academic environments, and/or raising awareness of the need to promote excellence through access, connection, and engagement in nursing education.

Nominations must:

• Clearly articulate the focus of the nomination
• State the impact of actions taken by the school
• Identify scope of change (e.g., partners, community engagement)
• Address sustainability

Influencing Others

Serves as an opinion leader and recognized advocate for broad participation, engagement, and sustainability, resulting in significant organizational or community impact.

Examples of Impact and Leadership

Below are examples of how the awardee might influence others and create change:

• Continual Learning – Develops educational programs, professional development opportunities, and/or awareness events that support this award’s triple aim of access, connection, and engagement.
• Collaborative Teams – Builds teams of faculty, staff, students, mentors, and partners that value varied perspectives, encourage participation, and support open exchange of ideas.
• Innovation and Risk Taking – Advances innovative solutions and decisive actions that strengthen participation, engagement, and sustainable excellence.
• Accountability for Excellence – Sets standards, advances strategies, and/or implements measures to ensure that goals related to access, connection, and engagement are achieved.
• External Leadership and Service – Plays a leading role in advancing participation, engagement, and sustainability in the nursing profession beyond the institution.
• Supportive Engagement – Fosters an environment of respect, support, and psychological safety that enables individuals to contribute fully, thrive professionally, and see their experiences reflected in institutional practices.

Belonging
A feeling of security and support that allows a person to bring their true authentic self and is welcomed and celebrated so they can thrive, contribute, and see themselves reflected in the culture.

Inclusion
Authentically and respectfully recognizing, welcoming, supporting, and valuing the talents of all members of the nursing school’s community and integrating them into processes, activities and decision/policy making in a way that shares power. 

Inclusive Excellence
The operational definition of Inclusive Excellence, as introduced by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, includes four primary components:

1. A focus on student intellectual and social development. Academically, it means offering the best possible course of study for the context in which the education is offered.
2. A purposeful development and utilization of organizational resources to enhance student learning. Organizationally, it means establishing an environment that challenges each student to achieve academically at high levels and each member of the nursing school to contribute to learning and knowledge development.
3. Attention to the cultural differences that learners bring to the educational experience and that enhances the whole nursing school.
4. A welcoming community that engages all its diversity in the service of student and organizational learning.

Call for applications for this award is now open. To apply, please fill out the online application. The deadline is May 15, 2026.

Applicant nursing schools must be an AACN member institution. The application letter should not exceed five pages in length and be single-spaced, 12-point font, with one-inch margins. All applications should be electronically submitted via the online application.

Letters of application must include the following:

• How the nursing school has been instrumental in advancing access, participation, engagement, and sustainability in nursing education.
• Description of the school’s programs, initiatives, and/or projects that fulfill the award criteria, using concrete examples.
• The impact of the nursing school’s efforts, including:
  • Numbers of individuals affected
  • Programs or policies implemented
  • Other relevant measures of success

Evidence may be both quantitative and qualitative.

Reference Letters: Two external letters of reference, from outside the nursing academic unit, must accompany the application. Both letters must address the nursing school’s contributions to advancing access, engagement, participation, and sustainability, including the impact and longevity of these efforts.

The winning school will receive a $1,000 award and plaque. The award and presentation opportunity will be presented annually at the AACN ACE Symposium.