The Aspen Institute has named Orange Coast College as one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges. The colleges selected for this honor represent 15 percent of more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide, and are recognized as having high and improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds.
OCC has been invited to submit data and narratives as the next steps in an intensive data and practice review process, culminating in the announcement of the Aspen Prize winner in Spring 2023.
“We are honored to be recognized as a nationwide leader among two-year colleges,” said OCC President Angelica Suarez. “OCC would not receive such accolades without a tireless commitment to student success exemplified by our faculty, classified professionals and managers. We are thrilled to celebrate this distinguished honor once again and look forward to celebrating the success of our College and its students.”
According to a press release from the Aspen Institute: “The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community colleges in order to elevate the sector, drive attention to colleges doing the best work, and discover and share highly effective student success and equity strategies. Since 2010, Aspen has chosen to focus intensively on community colleges because they are — as First Lady Dr. Jill Biden stated at the 2021 Aspen Prize ceremony — ‘a powerful engine of prosperity.’
But student outcomes vary enormously among community colleges, and improving those outcomes is essential to securing our nation’s economic future, strengthening communities, and ensuring that diverse populations experience economic mobility and prosperity. With these goals in mind, the Aspen Prize honors colleges with outstanding achievement in five critical areas: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, workforce success, and equity for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.”
The four previous winners of the Aspen Prize are Indian River State College (FL, 2019); Santa Fe College (FL, 2015); Santa Barbara City College (CA, 2013); and Valencia College (FL, 2011).
The first round of eligibility for the Prize is based on publicly available data. Eligible colleges must show strong and improving student outcomes in key areas such as retention, completion, transfer, and equity. The full list of 150 colleges that have been invited to apply can be accessed at www.highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize
Selection of the top 10 finalists by a panel of 15 experts in community colleges, higher education, and workforce training, will be announced in Spring/Summer 2022. The Aspen Prize will be announced in late Spring 2023.