The Aspen Institute has named each of the technical colleges that serves Northeast Wisconsin as eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
Fox Valley Technical College, Lakeshore Technical College, Moraine Park Technical College and Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College were selected from more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide for improving student success as well as equitable outcomes for underrepresented students and those from low- income backgrounds.
Colleges must show strong, improving, and equitable student outcomes in first-to-second year retention, credentials awarded, and completion and transfer rates to be nominated for the Aspen Prize.
The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community colleges in order to drive attention to colleges achieving post-graduate success. The 150 eligible colleges have been invited to submit student success data and narratives about strategies to achieve better and more equitable student outcomes as the next step in an intensive review process that culminates in the naming of the Aspen Prize winner in spring 2025.
“The Aspen Prize is rooted first and foremost in an assessment of whether colleges are walking the walk,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “The best community colleges are continuing to focus on advancing the core mission: making sure as many students as possible graduate with credentials that lead to fulfilling careers and reflect the development of diverse talent that communities, states, and our nation need.”
The next steps include:
- April 2024: Announcement of 25 semifinalists based on the assessments of the Prize selection panel, a group of 16 experts in community colleges, higher education, and workforce training.
- June 2024: Announcement of 10 finalists, selected by the Prize selection panel.
- Fall 2024: Site visits by the Aspen Institute to each of the ten finalists.
- Spring 2025: Announcement of the Aspen Prize winner and celebration of 10 finalists in Washington DC.
For a full list of the top 150 eligible institutions and to read more on the selection process, visit https://highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize/.
