Allan Hancock College has been named one of the nation’s top 150 community colleges, making it eligible to compete for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and $1 million in prize funds.
This is the fifth time that the Santa Maria-based college has been recognized by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.
The 150 eligible colleges have been invited to submit data and narratives as the next step in the intensive review process. The prize winner will be announced in spring 2023.
“Hancock is honored to be recognized for the amazing work that our faculty, staff and administrators do to support our students and ensure their success. This is further evidence that our college is truly changing the odds for our students and our community,” said Hancock Superintendent/President Kevin G. Walthers.
Colleges who are eligible for the Aspen Prize are recognized for exceptional outcomes in student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students.
The 150 eligible colleges were selected from more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide.
In the next stage of the selection process, Hancock will submit an application containing detailed data on degree/certificate completion (including progress and transfer rates), labor market outcomes and student learning outcomes. The 10 finalists will be named during summer 2022. The Aspen Institute will conduct site visits to each finalist to collect additional quantitative data during fall 2022. The grand prize winner and a few finalists will be selected in early 2023 and by a distinguished prize jury, who will announce the winner of the prize in the spring of 2023.
For more information, visit www.highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
