Dr. Roger Davis
professor of history, 308.865.8771
A University of Nebraska at Kearney history professor has been appointed to serve a three-year term on the National Education Association (NEA) Higher Education Membership Advisory Committee.
Dr. Roger Davis, a member of the UNK history faculty since 1986, is one of only seven higher education faculty from across the nation on the committee. Members are appointed by the NEA president.
The committee, which meets at least three times a year at NEA headquarters in Washington, D.C., advises the NEA national council on issues and policies of concern to higher education. Further, the higher education committee members serve as the higher education subcommittee liaison to the NEA National Council on Higher Education (NCHE) Board of Directors.
Dr. Davis, currently president of UNKEA, is the higher education representative on the Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA) Board of Directors.
“As the higher education representative on the NSEA board, I represent the more than 1,000 higher ed NSEA members across the state,” Dr. Davis said.
Of his nomination to the national committee, Dr. Davis said: “The NSEA board was kind enough to nominate me. However, it was a real surprise to me that I received an appointment. All states may nominate, so while I appreciated the nomination, it was truly a long shot.”
Although states nominate candidates for committee positions, the candidates are not to represent narrow regional interests. Rather, they are to take a national perspective on issues.
Dr. Davis has held numerous leadership roles in the education association. On the local level, he has been a negotiator, secretary and vice president for UNKEA. Now in his third term as UNKEA president, he was elected to the NSEA Board of Directors in 2002 by the Nebraska Higher Education caucus, which meets at the NSEA Delegate Assembly each spring. He is in his second term on that board. In addition, he has attended a number of the NEA national higher education conferences and is a member of the NEA National Council on Higher Education.
In his new role as one of seven members of the NEA Higher Education Membership Advisory Committee, he will be working with policy and recommendations on issues ranging from membership services to academic freedom and legal due process.
“I certainly appreciate the opportunity to work with colleagues from across the country to research and address the growing number of issues that are challenging and changing higher education in this country,” Dr. Davis concluded.
