PCC: One of Ten Finalists in National Prize Competition

INSIDE OUR SCHOOLS

Pasadena City College (Photo – pasadena.edu).

Once again, Pasadena City College (PCC) was recognized as one of 10 finalists for a $1 million award from The Aspen Institute for Community College Excellence.

PCC was honored in an award ceremony at the Newseum, for the notable way the school’s leadership, faculty, and staff have coalesced around a shared vision of equity and student success.

The $1 million Aspen Prize, awarded every two years since 2011, recognizes outstanding institutions selected from an original pool of more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide. With a singular focus on student success, the Aspen Prize assesses institutional performance in four areas: student learning, certificate and degree completion, high rates of employment and earnings for graduates, and equity in access and success for students of color and low-income students.

Joshua Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program said:

Pasadena City College is committed to building a culture of equity that permeates every aspect of the college, starting with its hiring practices and professional development for all faculty and staff.

As a result, the college achieves high and continually improving outcomes in completion and transfer.

The Prize winners, Rising Stars, and finalists were announced by Aspen Prize Jury co-chairs Ángel Cabrera, president of George Mason University, and Kathy Warden, chief executive officer and president of Northrop Grumman. Cabrera and Warden led a distinguished Prize Jury of higher education experts to select the top colleges, part of a rigorous review process that included the examination of extensive data on performance and improvements in learning, graduation, workforce, and equitable outcomes, along with multi-day site visits to each of the ten finalists.

Sources: PCC, Aspen Institute.