Winners of Kaplin and Facilitator Awards announced at Stetson’s National Conference on Higher Education Law and Policy

Higher education leaders were presented with this year’s Kaplin and Facilitator Awards during Stetson University’s 39th National Conference on Law and Higher Education, Feb. 1-3, in Clearwater Beach, Florida.

E. Gordon Gee.

E. Gordon Gee.

West Virginia University President E. Gordon Gee received the William A. Kaplin Award on Feb. 3. The award, named for Professor William A. Kaplin, recognizes outstanding scholars who have published works addressing the intersection of higher education law and policy. Gee chairs the 2017-18 Big 12 Board of Directors Executive Committee and has served as university president at several prestigious public and private institutions during the past three decades. He presented a keynote luncheon on Feb. 3 on higher education law and policy issues on college campuses.

Annie E. Clark.

Annie E. Clark.

End Rape on Campus Executive Director Annie E. Clark received the Facilitator Award on Feb. 2. The Facilitator Award was created for educators who embody the values and principles articulated by professors Peter Lake and Robert Bickel in their book, “The Rights and Responsibilities of the Modern University.” The Facilitator Model urges educators to be proactive about safety and risk-management and to develop organization environments that are reasonably safe, educationally relevant, and developmentally sound. Clark is a former administrator at the University of Oregon who presented her work on interpersonal violence prevention to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and helped write the bi-partisan Campus Safety and Accountability Act. Featured in the award-winning documentary, “The Hunting Ground,” Clark is co-author of the book, “We Believe You,” a collection of 36 stories of campus sexual assault.

This year’s National Conference on Law and Higher Education also featured a session with Liz McMillen, editor of the Chronicle of Higher Education.