Selection of Academy Members

Academy members are nominated and selected each year by the Founding Members, Board of Directors, ACES Members, and Supporting Organizations.

Definition of Community Engagement Scholarship

Community engagement scholarship, including the arts and humanities, is the collaborative generation, refinement, conservation, and exchange of mutually beneficial and societally relevant knowledge that is communicated to and validated by peers in academe and the community.

Criteria for Identification of nominees

Distinguished persons from higher education and society at large are elected to membership in ACES in recognition of the documented contributions of three distinctive aspects of their professional work:

1. The excellence of his/her past contributions to the theory and practice of community engagement scholarship (including creative work);
2. The excellence of his/her past successes in collaborative work that resulted in significant improvements for society; and
3. The capacity and willingness of the nominee to join actively within ACES to develop policy-focused studies and analysis of major social, economic, and environmental issues in contemporary societies.

To fulfill its objectives and purposes, the membership of ACES shall comprise engaged scholars, artists, scientists, and community members demonstrating notable contributions to the theory and practice of working collaboratively to address societal needs, advance community-university engagement, and advance the scholarship of community engagement.

Nomination of an individual to ACES honors past achievement and empowers future engagement advocacy.

Nomination Guidance

The nomination form will be approved by the Board of Directors as changes are recommended by the nomination committee. A copy is attached as an appendix. The nomination process follows.

1. Nominations shall be made through an official nomination form in the nomination packet distributed only to members and supporting institutions. Supporting references must be provided from two co-nominators.
2. Individuals may be nominated who are community engagement scholars. Community representatives as well as college or university faculty may be nominated.
3. Individuals may be nominated in one of the following categories: University faculty, staff, or administrator; Non-profit administrator; Foundation administrator; Engaged citizen; Government; or Industry.
4. Nominees must demonstrate community engagement scholarship, including creative work in the case of artists and performers, according to the bylaws. They must also show scholarship as demonstrated by peer-reviewed publication and/or other methods of dissemination of information to benefit the community and university. Nominators and referees are requested to maintain confidentiality with regard to those being nominated for membership in the Academy.

Nomination Timeline

Nominations shall be received once annually by the Nominations Committee. The Nominations Committee consists of Members in good standing including at least one board member and shall be appointed by unanimous vote of the Board of Directors. The Nominations Committee will review all recommendations for membership according to the principles of community engagement scholarship. Scholarship includes creative work (in the case of artists and performers), discovery, and research, as described in the bylaws.

Nominations Committee members shall recuse themselves from voting on Nominees they have brought forward, for whom they have provided reference support, or who come from their home institutions. Nominees whom the Nominations Committee feels represent ACES’ ideals of engagement and scholarship will be admitted to the final list of nominees.