Central Oregon Community College’s (COCC) Alicia Moore, Ph.D., vice president of student affairs, was named this week as the 2021-22 recipient of the Oregon Community College Association’s (OCCA) Cam Preus Award for extraordinary commitment to community colleges. The statewide honor recognizes an Oregon community college employee, current or former, who has made a significant impact in the community college sector on both a local and larger level, with at least 15 years of career service. Moore will receive the award at the organization’s 2022 conference in Sunriver next April.
The award announcement highlighted Moore’s “unflinching commitment” to student access and success, her proven leadership and an extraordinary work ethic. “She has had a positive impact that reaches well beyond Central Oregon to community colleges across the state and nation,” read the official OCCA remarks.
The OCCA’s board recognized Moore’s 27 years of commitment to COCC, which spans from her early role as a campus housing manager to serving as dean of student and enrollment services to being named vice president early last year. The award referenced her part in developing key partnerships with high schools and universities, her steering of the college’s strategic plan and her design of COCC’s first-year experience program for student persistence, a key contributor to the success of the college’s first federal Title III grant. Moore has also served staff and students as an equity trainer and diversity committee chair.
Additional achievements include serving as a project manager for the development of the Coats Campus Center and the Wickiup Residence Hall, and creating and teaching an introduction to community colleges course for Oregon State University’s student affairs master’s program. Moore also serves as a senior consultant with the consulting branch of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and currently holds a site-visit chair position with the Northwest Commission on Colleges & Universities.
“Oregon has so many people who provide extraordinary leadership for our community colleges,” Moore said. “I’m incredibly humbled to receive this award, and more importantly, to work with so many incredible professionals dedicated to our students’ success.”
The award is named for Camille (Cam) Preus, current executive director of the OCCA, a former president of Blue Mountain Community College and past director of the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development.
