Today, the Aspen Institute named the winners of its excellence prize. Walla Walla Community College and Santa Barbara City College, were selected as the winners, and we extend our congratulations to them and to all the community colleges that have been identified as the top ten in the nation and most dedicated to student success –
the recognition is impressive and adds to the value of the degrees conferred by these institutions, including Broward College.
At Broward College, we are committed to a focused approach to student engagement and we have seen unprecedented increases in the retention of students enrolled in peer mentoring programs and in holistically advised students. According to Josh Wyner, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, “Broward College has achieved, by every measure, rapidly improving graduation and transfer rates for its students, including the large number of minority students enrolled at the institution. Broward College drives program improvements forward by analyzing data and then making campus-wide changes aimed squarely at closing gaps in student success, including entirely restructuring its remedial education programs. This focus on student success has led to significant changes that help students succeed, leading not just to a significant increase in the number of degrees awarded over the past five years, but strong labor market outcomes for students after they graduate."
“The District Board of Trustees is very proud of Broward College’s accomplishments during the past few years, and the recognition by the Aspen Institute is among the greatest of these,” said Broward College BOT Chair Sean Guerin. “The successes of each student, faculty and staff member make a lasting impact on our community and beyond, and we look forward to the continued evolution of this top 10 institution of higher learning.”
Our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community are proud that Broward College is a top 10 institution and that we have twice been recognized by the Aspen Institute as being in the top 10 percent of community colleges in America in previous years. We are committed to continuing our work that is leading to even greater student success outcomes and to positively transforming the lives of our students and the fabric of our community.