President Schapiro to Receive Student Affairs Award

EVANSTON, Ill. --- NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education has named Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro the recipient of its 2015 NASPA President’s Award for his dedication to improving the lives of Northwestern students.

Each year, NASPA recognizes members who are doing outstanding work in the student affairs profession. The award to President Schapiro gives special recognition to a college or university president who has, over a sustained period of time, advanced the quality of student life on campus by supporting student affairs staff and programs.

The national organization for student affairs administrators will present President Schapiro with the award in March, when he will be honored at the 2015 NASPA Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

“I am honored to receive this award,” President Schapiro said, ”especially because I have made it an absolute priority for University leadership to work intentionally to improve opportunities and access for all our students. My goal is for Northwestern students to pursue their passions and dreams here and to thrive in an educational environment that is welcoming, inspiring and inclusive.”

In recognizing President Schapiro for the award, NASPA summarized his accomplishments and impact as follows:

President Schapiro, Northwestern’s 16th president, is a leading economist and expert on the economics of higher education. In addition to his responsibilities as president, he teaches economics with great passion to undergraduate students every year. President Schapiro is a prolific author of seven books and more than 100 articles primarily focused on access to higher education and financial aid.

Access is a major priority for President Schapiro. He has raised considerable funds for financial aid and has dedicated additional institutional funds toward that purpose. Since his arrival, the amount of available funds has increased from just over $90 million to more than $150 million. This substantial increase has changed the demographics of the Northwestern student body.

In addition, President Schapiro is accessible to the students at Northwestern. Each year more than 700 students dine at his home, along with 1,500 faculty, staff, alumni and other members of the Northwestern family. He is a regular participant at fireside chats in the dorms, fraternities and sororities and meets with students on a daily basis. 

His colleagues in the office of student affairs say they have a true partner in President Schapiro.

“Parents of students trust him and relate to his genuine and informal style, and our students feel as if ‘Morty’ is not just their president but their advocate and champion,” according to a statement from Northwestern’s student affairs leadership team.

“It is this accessibility to and advocacy for the student experience that helps define President Schapiro’s philosophy and approach with our students. In short, he cares about our students and is beloved by them.”

About NASPA 

NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health and sustainability of the student affairs profession. NASPA work provides high-quality professional development, advocacy and research for 13,000 members in all 50 states, 25 countries and eight U.S. territories.

For more information about NASPA and its award, contact Kristal Griffith, NASPA director of communications and marketing, in Washington, D.C., at 202-719-1177 or email: kgriffith@naspa.org