Membership
WAGS Innovation in Graduate Education Award for WAGS Members
AWARD DESCRIPTION
The WAGS Innovation in Graduate Education Award recognizes a faculty member or administrator of a member institution of the Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS) who has in the last two years developed and implemented an innovative initiative that significantly enhances graduate student enrollment, success, academic excellence, professional development, inclusivity, well-being, or the overall graduate education experience.
The WAGS Innovation in Graduate Education Award celebrates creative approaches that address emerging or continued challenges and new opportunities in graduate education and can demonstrate a measurable impact. Nominated innovations may include advancements in student support services, mentoring, curriculum design, professional development, community engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, technology-enhanced learning, career preparation, or other practices that advance graduate education.
ELIGIBILTY
- Individual faculty or staff members
- Administrative Leaders
Individuals who would like to be nominated should submit the nomination materials in a single PDF document to the leadership in their Graduate Schools/Graduate Studies Office. This office will then decide which institutional nomination should be passed on to the Westerns Association of Graduate Schools (wagsofficer@gmail.com).
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Nominations will be evaluated on:
- Innovation and originality
- Impact on graduate student enrollment, well-being, graduation and career outcome/advancement
- Possible Scalability
- Sustainability
- Potential to serve as a model for other institutions
NOMINATION MATERIALS
- Names and College/Department affiliation of key contributors
- A nomination letter describing the innovation and its impact, including supporting evidence of outcomes and effectiveness (maximum 3 pages, Arial 11, 1-inch margins, references not included)
- Support letter from Department Chair of College Dean.
AWARD PRESENTATION
The recipient(s) will be recognized at the WAGS Annual Meeting and awarded free conference registration. We encourage graduate deans, faculty, and administrators to nominate deserving colleagues and programs whose work is shaping the future of graduate education.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: November 30, 2026
The Value of WAGS Membership
The Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS) is an active regional organization focusing on all aspects of graduate education and graduate students in the western region of the United States. We have many impactful benefits to offer our valued members.
Benefits include a discounted registration fee for the WAGS Annual Conference. Throughout the year, we host ‘WAGS Wednesdays,’ a casual late afternoon virtual meeting focused on particular topics of interest to members. In conjunction with our annual conference, we offer the annual WAGS Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition as a culminating event celebrating our outstanding students.
We organize a WAGS networking event at the annual Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) conference in December, and each year we partner with our colleagues at ProQuest to offer competitive student awards for outstanding theses in STEM and non-STEM fields and outstanding theses/dissertation in technology and innovation.
Member Benefits:
Membership has many benefits, including but not limited to:
- Annual Conference: Discounted registration rates for all employees from member institutions at our annual WAGS Conference.
- Three Minute Thesis student competition: The winner of the university or regional level 3MT® competition can compete at our WAGS Regional 3MT for prizes and recognition; the winner and audience choice awardee or runner-up will be invited to compete at the CGS National 3MT competition.
- Awards: Ability to nominate students, faculty and graduate administrators for WAGS awards.
- Leadership: Each year WAGS holds an election to seat our Board; members are encouraged to run and participate in the leadership of WAGS. This is a great chance to help shape the future of the organization.
- Networking Opportunities: Smaller, more intimate meetings, such as WAGS Wednesdays, support strong collegial friendships and provide great opportunities to share resources and problem-solve around regionally relevant issues.
July 1, 2026—June 30, 2027 Fees
- $500* institutional membership fee per College or University
- Member institutions’ graduate leadership and staff enjoy all member benefits.
- To update names, titles, or emails for your institutional members after renewing your dues, please email ex@uwlax.edu.
- This cycle's membership renewals and new member fees cover July 1, 2026—June 30, 2027 and can be paid online with a credit card.
*Graduate units that serve less than 500 students can reach out to the WAGS President (iwefes@msudenver.edu) to inquire about special pricing. Include "WAGS Membership" in the subject line.
WAGS is contracted with University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Graduate & Extended Learning to provide conference services. Communication regarding WAGS membership and the annual conference will come directly from University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Graduate & Extended Learning.