27 April ICC selected among 25 semifinalists nationwide for prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence April 27, 2022 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Today, Itawamba Community College was selected among the 25 semifinalists for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, a milestone in the award selection process. ICC and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College were the only public two-year institutions in the state to be selected for this prestigious honor. The $1 million Aspen Prize is the nation’s signature recognition of community colleges that are achieving high, improving and equitable outcomes for students. In years past, only 10 finalists have been named, and this change is designed to highlight the increased number of colleges across the country doing excellent work, according to the announcement from the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “Being selected as a semifinalist from among eligible community colleges across the nation is not only an honor, but it is monumental for ICC to be chosen among the top two-year institutions across America to continue to compete for the significant Aspen Prize,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College, its continuing status as a premier community college and a testament to our exceptional faculty, staff and students, without whom it would not be possible.” Awarded every two years, the Aspen Prize honors colleges with outstanding performance in five critical areas: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, workforce success and equitable outcomes for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. The winner will be announced in the spring of 2023. ICC was also selected as a top community college in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021, but this is the first time it has achieved semifinalist status. The prize selection process began in October 2021, when the Aspen Institute invited 150 community colleges to apply based on data showing strong and improving student outcomes in key areas such as retention, completion, transfer and equity. Applications went to a diverse selection committee of 16 higher education experts who reviewed extensive data and application narratives. Next, the committee will review interviews with leadership teams and narrow this selection of 25 semifinalists to 10 finalists to be announced in early June. In the fall, multi-day site visits will be made to each of the 10 finalists, when teams of experts collect more student outcomes data and gather insights about effective practices. In the winter of 2023, a distinguished jury will decide who wins the Aspen Prize based on quantitative data and qualitative information from each of the 10 finalists. The winner will be announced in late spring 2023. “We are thrilled to see America’s community colleges making meaningful and measurable progress, educating people from all backgrounds and preparing them for good jobs,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. He cited graduation rates that have risen more than six percent from all students since 2015, and five percent for students of color. “These 25 colleges represent our dreams for a better country and reinvigorated democracy.” ### The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program aims to advance higher education practices, policies and leadership that significantly improve student outcomes, especially for the growing population of low-income students and students of color on American campuses. For more information, visit www.highered.aspeninstitute.org. The Aspen Institute is a community-serving organization with global reach whose vision is a free, just and equitable society. For 70 years, the Institute has driven change through dialogue, leadership and action to help solve the world’s greatest challenges. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Institute has offices in Aspen, Colorado and New York City, and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org. Related Articles Aspen Institute names ICC as one of nation's top 150 and eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence Today, the Aspen Institute named Itawamba Community College as one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among two-year colleges. The institutions selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation and to afforded the opportunity to compete for the significant Aspen Prize,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College, its continuing status as a premier community college and a testament to our exceptional faculty and staff, without whom it would not be possible.” ICC was selected as a top community college in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021 and as a semifinalist in 2023. The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community ... Itawamba Community College receives $100,000 and joins 41 other schools across the US as All Within My Hands' Metallica Scholars Initiative expands in year five Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands, continues its multimillion-dollar investment in critical workforce programs at community colleges nationwide. Among the schools, Itawamba Community College was selected from a competitive pool of applicants to receive $100,000 to transform the futures of students in the community. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the recipients of the prestigious All Within My Hands grant, which will significantly impact our career education programs, providing funding for students to pursue a pathway and their best start,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College and reinforcement of the mission that students and their success are our top priority.” The Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI) was launched in 2019 by Metallica’s foundation, All Within My Hands (AWMH), in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The workforce initiative marks its fifth year with an ambitious expansion into new curricula. MSI now directly supports 42 community colleges across 33 states, and by the end of this year, it will have helped ... Aspen Institute names ICC as a Top 150 U.S. Community College Aspen Institute Names Itawamba Community College as a Top 150 U.S. Community College Eligible for 2021 Aspen Prize $1 Million Prize Recognizes Excellence in Equitable Outcomes for Students in and After College The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program today named Itawamba Community College as one of 150 community colleges eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America's community colleges. Based on strong and improving in student outcomes—including in learning, completion rates, employment rates and earnings and equity—15 percent of community colleges nationwide have been invited to apply for the Aspen Prize. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation and the opportunity to compete for the significant Aspen Prize,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College, its status as a premier community college and a testament to our exceptional faculty and staff.” The 150 community colleges named today as eligible to compete for the ... ICC named one of nation's top 150 community colleges Today, the Aspen Institute named Itawamba Community College one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation’s signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges. Those selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds. The 150 eligible colleges have been invited to submit data and narratives as the next steps in an intensive data and practice review process, culminating in the announcement of the Prize winner in spring 2023. “It is a tremendous honor for Itawamba Community College to be selected as one of the top 150 community colleges in the nation and to be afforded the opportunity to compete for the significant Aspen Prize,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “It is another indication of the success of the College, its continuing status as a premier community college and a testament to our exceptional faculty ... ICC's Holloway completes prestigious Mississippi Community College Policy Fellows Program Itawamba Community College’s Michael Holloway of Saltillo, director of recruiting and orientation, is among the 2023 graduates of the Mississippi Community College Policy Fellows Program. Holloway, who is a native of Amory, attended Itawamba Community College on a soccer scholarship. His educational background includes the associate’s degree from ICC and the bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Mississippi. He has worked in higher education for 15 years, all in enrollment management. Before joining the ICC staff 11 years ago, Holloway was a regional admissions counselor for the University of Mississippi for four years. He and his wife, Erin, a teacher for the Tupelo Public School district, are the parents of three children, Emma, 10; Bennett, 6, and baby John Michael. They are members of the First United Methodist Church of Saltillo. “It was an honor to be a part of this (CPFP) experience,” Holloway said. “I appreciate Itawamba Community College for providing me with the opportunity to participate and learn more about advocating at the state and national levels and to collaborate with colleagues across Mississippi for ... ICC's Salinas awarded prestigious Community College Transfer Scholarship Diana Salinas, Itawamba Community College sophomore, is one of 72 recipients of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s prestigious Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The highly competitive national scholarship will provide Salinas with up to $40,000 a year to complete her bachelor’s degree. Salinas is majoring in computer science at ICC, where she is vice president of the Student Government Association, president of the Computer Science Club, Diamond Girl, member of the Honors College and vice president of leadership and regional reporter for Phi Theta Kappa. Her honors include Hall of Fame, Dean’s and President’s lists, SGA Scholarship, Dean’s Scholarship, All-Mississippi Academic Second Team, NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars, Delta Scholar, Tennessee Valley Authority Scholarship and Lyceum Scholarship from the University of Mississippi, where she will transfer. Her community and church activities are translating, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and tutoring. She is the daughter of Gabriela Cortes and Santos Vazquez. “We know how much exponentially harder this past year has been on students. It’s an honor to award this group of individuals as they have achieved so much both in the classroom and in their ... Comments are closed.