CONTACT: Doug Schultz
Communications Supervisor
626‐852‐6497
dschultz@citruscollege.edu
Citrus College Selected to Compete for Prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence
Glendora, Calif. (Oct. 13, 2017) - Citrus College is among the top 150 United States community colleges invited to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
The prize, awarded every two years by the Aspen Institute's College Excellence Program, is America's premier recognition of achievement and performance by the nation’s community colleges. This is the third consecutive invitation to compete that Citrus College has received.
"Each time Citrus College has learned that it is eligible to compete for the Aspen Prize, it has served as a source of pride for the college community and validated our commitment to increasing college completion rates," said Dr. Geraldine M. Perri, superintendent/president of Citrus College. "It is a distinct privilege for the college to once again be recognized by the Aspen Institute. We look forward to sharing with the organization the innovative educational opportunities we provide our students to enrich their lives and help them achieve their academic goals.”
Citrus College was selected from a national pool of more than 1,000 public two‐year colleges based on an assessment of its achievement in four areas: learning; certificate and degree completion; employment and earnings; and high levels of access and success for minority and low‐income students. Only 16 of California's 114 community colleges received an invitation to compete.
Citrus College will advance to the next round of the competition by submitting an application that will be reviewed through a rigorous evaluation. The ten finalists for the Aspen Prize will be named in May 2018.
"Through this competition, we hope to inspire other institutions across our country to ensure that more students succeed in college and in their lives beyond those campuses," said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute's College Excellence Program.
"Being invited to participate in the most prestigious community college competition in the United States is a tremendous honor," said Dr. Barbara R. Dickerson, president of the Citrus Community College District Board of Trustees. "The faculty, staff and students of Citrus College have overwhelmingly embraced the institutional commitment to student success – a fact that is reflected in recognitions such as this. Together, the college community will continue its efforts to increase the number of students who achieve academic success and reach their educational and professional goals."
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http://www.citruscollege.edu/pio/NewsRoom/Documents/2017/10.13.2017Aspen.pdf
