An award winning program, the Teacher-Research Institute of the Maryland Writing Project at Towson State University, is described, along with six other state college programs that received special commendations by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). Towson State University won AASCU's G. Theodore Mitau Award for Innovation and Change in Higher Education. The Towson Teacher-Research Institute offers teachers at all levels (primary, secondary, and postsecondary) the opportunity to improve their instruction by conducting research in their classrooms. At the institute, teacher-researchers and other specialists train faculty participants in classroom research techniques. Participants then form teams to discuss the techniques, share insights, and plan research projects. Six other AASCU institutions received commendations for their innovative approaches to excellence in education: Illinois State University, Normal, for its Onarga Project; Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas, for its Four-Year Undergraduate Chemistry Research Program; Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina, for WCU Micronet; Murray State University, Murray, Kentucky, for its Center for International Programs; the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, for its Adult Retention Mentor Program; and Western Oregon State College, Corvallis, for its "Quality Assurance Program: Warranty of First-Year Teachers." (SW)