RP Group Awards

Recognizing Excellence Among CCC IRPE Professionals

The RP Group Awards were established to recognize the varied contributions of institutional research, planning, and effectiveness (IRPE) professionals throughout the California Community Colleges (CCC) system.

Through a complement of seven awards, the organization strives to acknowledge the different ways in which professionals contribute to the IRPE field, their colleges and districts, and the CCC system broadly.

2026 RP Group Awards

The 2026 RP Group Awards recipients have been announced! Click the button below to read more about the exceptional contributions of current and past award recipients.

View All Award Recipients

The 2027 RP Group Award Nominations are open!

A reminder that The RP Group Award nominations are accepted throughout the year! Those received by 11:59 pm PST on Monday, January 11, 2027, will be considered for the 2027 awards to be presented at the RP Conference in April 2027.

Find out how to submit your nomination within each award category section below.

2027 RP Group Award Nominations

Nominations for the 2026 awards have closed. Thanks to all who submitted nominations in recognition of their colleagues! Award recipients will be notified in early March.

Award Recipient Recognition

All 2026 award recipients will be:

Posted on The RP Group’s website;
Celebrated in our RP Group communications and in a nationwide press release; and
Recognized publicly during the awards ceremony at the RP Conference on April. 15.

In addition, the Outstanding Project Award recipient will be invited to present their work at:

A breakout session at the RP Conference in April; and
A follow-up statewide webinar in May.

Anyone may nominate another person who meets the criteria outlined below. Eligibility for self‑nomination varies by award. Please refer to the criteria for each category to see whether self‑nominations are permitted. No one may self-nominate. Nominations will be accepted throughout the year. Those received by 11:59 pm PST on Monday, January 12, 2026, will be considered for the 2026 awards to be presented at the RP Conference in April 2026.

About The RP Group Awards

Click on the images below to learn more about each award.

Career Achievement Award

The Career Achievement Award acknowledges and celebrates the culmination of a person’s work as an IRPE professional who has had a significant and positive impact in their local and/or regional IRPE community.

EDI Champion Award

The EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Champion Award acknowledges and celebrates exemplary leadership in creating and sustaining a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion in IRPE.

Leadership Star Award

The Leadership Star Award (formerly known as the IRPE Professional Leadership Award) is presented to a mid-career IRPE professional whose work spans multiple projects, years, and/or initiatives and is focused on the practitioner’s holistic impact on institutional effectiveness, success, and equity.

Lifetime and Partner Achievement Awards

The Lifetime Achievement and Partner Achievement Awards celebrate the cumulative body of work, creativity, commitment, and passion of individuals working within the research and planning community of California community colleges. These awards are an end-of-career tribute to these individuals’ statewide impact on student success.

Outstanding Project Award

The Outstanding Project Award recognizes colleagues and organizations that have made extraordinary contributions to student and institutional success through community college research, planning, and institutional effectiveness efforts.

Rising Star Award

The Rising Star Award is presented to an individual who has shown promise and potential impact in the IRPE field within their first 10 years in the career.

The RP Group Awards