MINNESOTA’S ANOKA-RAMSEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE NAMED ONE OF TEN FINALISTS FOR 2017 ASPEN PRIZE FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE EXCELLENCE

September 13, 2016

Issued by: The Aspen Institute, 12:01 AM EASTERN SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
Contact: Gingle Lee, Senior Program Manager
Aspen College Excellence Program, 202-736-3504 | gingle.lee@aspeninstitute.org

Minnesota’s Anoka-Ramsey Community College Named One of Ten Finalists for 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence
$1 Million Prize for Excellence in Four Areas: Learning, Degree Completion, Employment and Earnings, and Access and Success for Minority and Low-Income Students; Winner to be Announced in March 2017

Washington, D.C., September 13, 2016 – Minnesota’s Anoka-Ramsey Community College was named today one of ten finalists for the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s preeminent recognition of high achievement and performance in America’s community colleges.

The $1 million prize fund will be awarded in March 2017 in Washington, D.C. to the winner and up to four finalists with distinction. (See complete list of finalists below.)

The Prize, awarded every two years since 2011, 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 assesses community colleges’ achievements in four areas: student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings for graduates, and access and success for minority and low-income students.

“We were incredibly impressed by the efforts of Anoka-Ramsey Community College faculty and staff to nourish a deep culture of support for students,” said Joshua Wyner, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program in Washington, D.C. “That, paired with an unusually strong undergraduate research program and a clear focus on teaching and learning, makes ARCC a uniquely supportive educational environment for Minnesota students.”

Anoka-Ramsey Community College stands out as one of the nation’s top community colleges for many reasons, including:

• Excellent three-year graduation/transfer rate of 56 percent
• Distinctive programs to provide college-going opportunities to students who are first in their family to go to college and for those still in high school students, including not just high-achieving students but also those in the middle of their class
• The lowest cost tuition and fees of any public or private higher education institution in Minnesota
• High success rates that are virtually identical for white populations and students of color—especially notable in a state with one of the largest achievement gaps in the nation

Community colleges today enroll nearly half of all US undergraduates—7 million students—working toward degrees and certificates. This includes rapidly growing numbers of low-income and minority students. While fewer than 40 percent of all community college students graduate, Aspen Prize finalist institutions demonstrate that every community college can help more students achieve success while in college and after they graduate.

This fall, the Aspen Institute will conduct a rigorous review process that includes examination of extensive data on performance and improvements in learning, graduation, workforce, and equitable outcomes for all students as well as multi-day site visits to each of the ten finalist institutions. Then, a distinguished Prize Jury of higher education experts will select a grand prize winner and up to four finalists with distinction.

The 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence was awarded to Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida. In 2013, Santa Barbara City College (California) and Walla Walla Community College (Washington) were co-winners. In 2011, Valencia College (Florida) was the inaugural Prize winner. According to the Prize rules, former winners were not eligible to reapply this cycle. 

The Aspen Prize Finalists selected today reflect the diversity and richness of American community colleges.

The 2017 Aspen Prize Finalists (listed in alphabetical order):

Two colleges have been named finalists in four consecutive Prize cycles (indicated with *) and two others were finalists for a second time (indicated with #)

• Anoka-Ramsey Community College – Coon Rapids, MN
  • Contact: Mary Jacobson, 763-433-1315, mary.jacobson@anokaramsey.edu
• Broward College – Fort Lauderdale, FL#
• Chaffey College – Rancho Cucamonga, CA
• Indian River State College – Fort Pierce, FL#
• Lake Area Technical Institute – Watertown, SD*
• Northeast Community College – Norfolk, NE
• Odessa College – Odessa, TX
• Pasadena City College – Pasadena, CA
• San Jacinto College – Pasadena, TX
• West Kentucky Community and Technical College – Paducah, KY*s

####

The Aspen Prize is funded by the Joyce Foundation, the Siemens Foundation, and the Kresge Foundation.

The Aspen Institute's 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 New College Leadership Project, 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 www.aspeninstitute.org/college-excellence.

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.