2011 SCUP Founders’ (Casey) Award for Distinguished Achievement in Higher Education Planning

George R. Boggs is Society for College and University (SCUP) 2011 Founder’s Award Recipient.

Boggs is president & CEO emeritus, American Association of Community Colleges and superintendent/president emeritus, Palomar College. Boggs served as president of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) for a decade and has been an ardent advocate for community colleges for more than 40 years. AACC represents over 1,100 associate degree-granting institutions and some 12 million students.

Boggs began his tenure at AACC late in 2000, in time to lead the centennial celebration of the founding of community colleges in 2001. Over the following decade, he helped lead an unprecedented period of achievement and recognition for this largest sector of higher education.

Boggs holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from The Ohio State University, a master's degree in chemistry from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a PhD in educational administration from The University of Texas at Austin.

This award is named after K.C. Parsons, charter member of SCUP and SCUP’s first president from 1966–68. His work always focused on contributing to the whole of the community or humanity. He measured his success by the positive impact his work had on the people using the space or facility that he helped plan. He was considered a true academician, an investigator and a good listener. He said that planning was not the key, but that the end result was what was most important. A strong proponent of mentoring, he always encouraged people to do what they do well.

Previous recipients of SCUP’s Founders’ Award include Jeanne L. Narum, David E. Hollowell, M. Perry Chapman, Rodney Rose, O. Robert Simha, Arthur J. Lidsky, Patrick O’Meara, John D. (Jack) Telfer, Dennis P. Jones, Harlan D. Bareither, Clark Kerr, Frederick W. Mayer, Jack E. Robinson, William F. Massy, Hideo Sasaki, Lyman A. Glenny, Richard P. Dober, Marvin W. Peterson, Robert C. Shirley, Thomas R. Mason, George C. Keller, Clinton N. Hewitt, Jack E. Freeman, and Raymond M. Haas.

This award will be presented to Boggs at SCUP’s Annual, International Conference and Idea Marketplace that will be held in National Harbor, MD, this July 23–27, 2011. He will also give a 60-minute concurrent session on Monday, July 25 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM.