The Aspen Institute College Excellence Programnamed all four Illinois Eastern Community Colleges–Frontier Community College, Lincoln Trail College, Olney Central College, and Wabash Valley College–as fourof 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’ssignature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges.Based on strong and improvingstudent outcomes—including in learning, completionrates, employment rates and earnings, and equity—15percentof community colleges nationwide have been invited to apply for the Aspen Prize.“The Board of Trustees is exceptionally proud that all four of the IECC Colleges –Frontier,Lincoln Trail,Olney Central,and Wabash Valley–have been selected to be eligible for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence,”said Marilyn Holt, Interim CEO at IECC. “We thank the faculty, staff, students,and communities for all of their work and support! What an honor!”
The 150 community colleges named on November 5thas eligible to compete for the 2021Aspen Prize were selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 public two-year colleges nationwide using publicly available data on student outcomes. Located in 39states in urban, rural, and suburban areas, serving as few as 500 students and as many as 75,000 students, these colleges represent the diversity and depth of the community college sector.
Data show that over the last two years, student retention, graduation rates, and degree completion have improved at the top tier of 150 Aspen Prize-eligible colleges.
“Community colleges play a vital role in developing talent and enabling social mobility across the country, and it’s critical for them to get better at what they do,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “We’re pleased to see evidence that these institutions are improving, that more are delivering on their promise. We’re also pleased to play a role in honoring outstanding community colleges and sharing what works to ensure great outcomes for students—through graduation and beyond.
”The top ten finalists for the 2021Aspen Prize will be named in May 2020. The Aspen Institute will then conduct site visits to each of the finalists and collect additional quantitative data, including employment and earnings data. A distinguished jury will make award decisions inspring 2021.
Previous winners of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence are: Miami Dade College (FL) and Indian River State College (FL), 2019; Lake Area Technical College (SD), 2017; Santa Fe College (FL),2015; Santa Barbara City College (CA) and Walla Walla Community College(WA),2013; Valencia College (FL),2011.
For a full list of the top 150 eligible institutions and to read more on the selection process, visitwww.highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize.
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The Aspen Prize is generously funded by ECMC Foundation, Joyce Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and Siemens Foundation.
The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program aims to advance higher education practices, policies, and leadership that significantly improve student outcomes, especially for the growing population of low-income students and students of color on American campuses. For more information,visithttps://highered.aspeninstitute.org/andwww.linkedin.com/showcase/aspenhigheredand follow@AspenHigherEdon Twitter.
The Aspen Institute is a community-serving organization with global reach whose vision is a free, just, and equitable society. For 70 years, the Institute has driven change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the world’s greatest challenges. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Institute has offices in Aspen, Colorado, and New York City, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
