Hazard Community and Technical College named as one of top 150 in the country
Washington, DC, January 23, 2014 Highlighting the critical importance of improving student success in America s community colleges, the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program today named Hazard Community and Technical College as one of the nation s top 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million dollars in prize funds.
The Prize, awarded every two years, is the nation s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America s community colleges and recognizes institutions for exceptional student outcomes in four areas: student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students.
HCTC President Dr. Steve Greiner said he was pleased that HCTC was named for the honor. Our faculty and staff are so very committed to student success and I m so glad to see their efforts recognized. Their excellence has led us to this honor, just as in 2011 and 2013 when we were also recognized by Aspen.
The Aspen Institute identified the top 150 community colleges through an assessment of institutional performance, improvement, and equity on student retention and completion measures. Together, the 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the Prize represent the diversity and richness.
Community colleges have tremendous power to change lives, and their success will increasingly define our nation s economic strength and the potential for social mobility for every American said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. This competition is designed to spotlight the excellent work being done in the most effective community colleges, those that best help students obtain meaningful, high-quality education and training for competitive-wage jobs after college. We hope it will raise the bar and provide a roadmap for community colleges nationwide.
The selection process includes three perspectives:
Performance (retention, graduation rates including transfers, and degrees and certificates per 100 full-time equivalent students)
Improvement (awarded for steady improvement in each performance metric over time)
Equity (evidence of strong completion outcomes for minority and low-income students)
Ten finalists will be named in fall 2014. A distinguished Prize Jury will select a grand prize winner and a few finalists with distinction in early 2015.
