Dillard University News January 2012 Dr. Henrietta Harris Wins Top Award Dillard University faculty member Dr. Henrietta Harris has been recognized for her hard work in making students' lives more enriched. Recently, she was notified of her winning the American College Personnel Association (ACPA)- College Student Educators International ...Outstanding Experienced Professional Award from the Commission for Admissions, Orientation, and First Year Experience. The ACPA leads the student affairs profession and the higher education community in providing outreach, advocacy, research, and professional development to foster college student learning. "I am so pleased," says Dr. Harris, Director of the Center for the First Year Experience. In her role at Dillard, Dr. Harris oversees First Year Programs. Here, she continues to place emphasis on the importance of the first year on campus as a critical key to overall student success and retention. In her role, she designed and implemented a program that allowed students to connect with the campus and begin to see themselves as leaders and most of all as scholars in their new educational journey. Under her leadership, first year students were encouraged to participate in community engagement, build relationships with their peers and most of all, form relationships with their professors. Dr. Harris' contributions to student life are well known and very much appreciated. Several DU students posted their congratulations to Dr. Harris on social media websites and shared her glory with others. Many staff members sang her praises in a formal letter to the Commission citing her major contribution in the lives of thousands of students. "Student Success (the program Dr. Harris is responsible for) is more than a term but a calling for her and the success of her students is evidence of her works and passion," says Dr. Dewain Lee, Dean of Students and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Development at the University of Alaska at Anchorage. The award comes at a particularly poignant time, as Dr. Harris finishes up her work at Dillard. "This comes as a very cherished moment for me as I prepared to retire from the university," she says. For more information about the award, contact Dr. Dawn Williams, Interim Assistant Vice President Student Affairs at dwilliams@dillard.edu<mailto:dwilliams@dillard.edu>. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 504-816-4914. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.