Last fall we announced that Clovis Community College was selected as one of the Aspen Institute's 150 community colleges nationwide that are eligible to compete for the 2023 Aspen Prize. Clovis Community College was selected for this honor from 1,000 community colleges across the nation based on our strong student outcomes. The college joins a prestigious community college group that demonstrates improved student outcomes in critical areas, including retention, completion, transfer, and equity.
Last week, we received a letter from the Aspen Prize selection committee letting us know that CCC was not selected as one of the 25 semifinalist institutions. We were acknowledged for “our efforts to advance student success, and importantly, the outcomes we have achieved.” While this was not the news we were expecting, to be nominated as such a new college is remarkable and worth celebrating. Thank you to the writing team who worked tirelessly on the application and thank you to everyone for your dedication throughout this pandemic.
The $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, awarded every two years, is the nation’s signature recognition for America’s community colleges—as President Obama called it, “basically the Oscars for great community colleges.” 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 Aspen Institute Website.
