Join us! Aspen Institute to award $1 million prize for Community College Excellence during live Watch Party

March 07, 2017

***WATCH PARTY AND LIVE WEBCAST: as.pn/prize*** 

Prize Recognizes Excellence in Learning, Degree Completion, Graduate Employment and Earnings, and Success for Minority and Low-Income Students; Anoka-Ramsey Community College named top 10 finalist

WHEN: Tuesday, March 14, 11:15 am to 1:15 pm CST
WHERE: Legacy Room at Coon Rapids Campus and Cambridge Campus Rm G202
ADMISSION: Free and open to the public

Watch live webcast: as.pn/prize

SPEAKERS:         

• Ellen Alberding, president, Joyce Foundation
• Mitch Daniels, president, Purdue University; former Governor of Indiana (Aspen Prize Jury Co-Chair)
• Judy Marks, CEO, Siemens U.S.
• The Honorable George Miller, former U.S. Representative, State of California (Aspen Prize Selection Jury Co-Chair)
• A panel of community college students, advisors, and employers         

On March 14, Anoka-Ramsey Community College will hold a Watch Party on both the Coon Rapids and Cambridge campuses, in cooperation with the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, as the organization announces the winner of the Aspen Prize, live from the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

The Aspen Prize, which includes a $1 million award, recognizes colleges in four areas of excellence, including Learning, Degree Completion, Employment and Earnings of College Graduates, and Success for Minority and Low-Income Students. Last fall, Anoka-Ramsey was named a top 10 finalist for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

During the live stream, the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program will name the recipient of the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, as well Rising Stars and Colleges of Distinction. The national award is the nation’s preeminent recognition of high achievement and improvement in America’s community colleges.

The Watch Party at Anoka-Ramsey will offer administrators, faculty, staff, students and members of the community a chance to gather and share in the excitement as they watch the live announcement. In addition to the live stream from Washington, D.C., the college will post success stories on social media channels in the weeks leading up to the event, using the hashtag: #AspenPrize

Awarded every two years since 2011, the $1 million Aspen Prize recognizes outstanding institutions selected from an original pool of more than 1,000 public community colleges nationwide. With a singular focus on student success, the Prize rigorously assesses institutions’ achievements in four areas: learning; certificate and degree completion; employment and earnings; and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students.

Anoka-Ramsey was named among the Top 150 in the country in early 2016, ranking alongside six community colleges from Minnesota. In October 2016, Anoka-Ramsey celebrated the achievement of being named a Top 10 community college.

Nationwide, fewer than half of all community college students graduate. Despite this low rate, Aspen Prize finalist institutions demonstrate that community colleges can help students achieve higher levels of success while in college and after they graduate. Community colleges today enroll more than 40 percent of all U.S. undergraduates – seven million students – working toward degrees and certificates.

For a complete list of 2017 Aspen Prize Finalists and more details, visit http://highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize/.

ABOUT THE ASPEN COLLEGE EXCELLENCE PROGRAM
The Aspen College Excellence Program aims to advance higher education practices, policies, and leadership that significantly improve student outcomes. Through the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the Siemens Technical Scholars, and other initiatives, the College Excellence Program works to improve colleges’ understanding and capacity to teach and graduate students, especially the growing population of low-income and minority students on American campuses. For more information, visit http://highered.aspeninstitute.org/.