Washington, DC, March 19, 2013 – The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced today that Santa Barbara City College (CA) and Walla Walla Community College (WA) are co-winners of the 2013 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The two winners, along with the two finalists-with-distinction, were selected from the nation's more than 1,000 public community colleges. Santa Barbara City College and Walla Walla Community College will each receive a $400,000 prize to support their programs, while finalists-with-distinction, Kingsborough Community College – CUNY (Brooklyn, NY) and Lake Area Technical Institute (Watertown, SD), will each receive $100,000.
As the nation's signature recognition of high achievement and performance in America's community colleges, the Prize recognizes institutions for outstanding achievement in four areas: student learning outcomes, degree completion, labor market success in securing good jobs after college, and facilitating minority and low-income student success.
The Washington Economic Development Commission joined in the congratulations for this prestigious award. Steve van Ausdle, president of Walla Walla Community College, serves as the commission's vice-chair.
Dr. Jill Biden, Second Lady of the United States, joined John Engler, president of Business Roundtable and former Governor of Michigan, Richard Riley, former US Secretary of Education and South Carolina Governor, and Rich Karlgaard, publisher of Forbes magazine, at the Newseum in Washington, DC in celebrating the program and the hard work of the applicants. The winners were selected by a Prize Jury of 12 prominent leaders in education, business, civil rights, and public service.
"Santa Barbara City College and Walla Walla Community College offer outstanding models for achieving exceptional levels of student success at a time when our nation needs community colleges to do even more than they have in the past. The Prize co-winners are especially strong in two key areas every community college aims to achieve: preparing students for jobs and to transfer to four-year colleges," said Josh Wyner, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute's College Excellence Program. "At Santa Barbara City College, faculty and staff are providing students just what they need to transfer and complete a four-year degree – a rigorous classroom education surrounded by first-rate supports from remedial math to college level writing. Walla Walla Community College's visionary leaders stay on top of local economic job trends and job growth, and the entire college provides the kind of excellent training that students need to access well-paying jobs and that employers know will ensure future investments in the regional economy will pay off."
Nearly half of America's college students attend community college, with more than seven million students – youth and adult learners – enrolled across America, working toward degrees and certificates.
LINK: http://www.wwcc.edu/CMS/index.php?id=2782&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=331&tx_ttnews[backPid]=2771&cHash=9c35b27af57270df4685b800627b14d8
