The Aspen Institute Names 150 U.S. Community Colleges Eligible for 2023 Aspen Prize

WKCTC again in the top 15% of community colleges

Paducah, KY (11/02/2021) — Once again, West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) has been named one of 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation's signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America's community colleges. The colleges selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success and equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds.

WKCTC was the only college selected from Kentucky on the list this year. "The Aspen 2023 announcement continues to be a powerful affirmation of the culture of excellence we have intentionally built at West Kentucky Community and Technical College," said WKCTC President Anton Reece. "I would like to applaud and thank the faculty, staff, and supporters of the many years WKCTC has participated in the Aspen prize."

Today's announcement makes the seventh time WKCTC has been named an eligible college for the prize. The $1 million Aspen Prize, awarded every two years since 2011, recognizes outstanding institutions selected from an original pool of more than 1,000 public community colleges nationwide. The 150 eligible colleges have been invited to participate in the next step, an intensive review process, culminating in the announcement of the Prize winner in spring 2023.

Reece said WKCTC will not participate in the 2023 prize. "We will focus on the extensive preparation for our fifth-year Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accreditation to ensure the college remains on track to meet the various academic and non-academic operational standards and student success outcomes."

The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community colleges to elevate the sector, drive attention to colleges doing the best work, and discover and share highly effective student success and equity strategies. Since 2010, Aspen has chosen to focus intensively on community colleges because they are - as First Lady Dr. Jill Biden stated at the 2021 Aspen Prize ceremony - "a powerful engine of prosperity."

Offering more than 200 degree, diploma, and certificate options, WKCTC provides students with vital job training and continuing higher education opportunities, achieving high completion and transfer rates and providing strong employment results for its graduates. WKCTC has been recognized as an Aspen Prize Top 10 Community College five times by the Aspen Institute and has been named a Finalist with Distinction three times.

"WKCTC received $100,000 as an Aspen Prize Finalist with Distinction in May 2021, and after feedback from various campus constituents, the monies will primarily go toward overarching themes of transportation, childcare, and technology needs," Reece said. "Transportation is a top priority for students across the main campus and our downtown Paducah School of Art and Design (PSAD) location. That is why we will be purchasing a 13-seat shuttle van equipped to meet the needs of students with disabilities, and some of the monies will be used toward childcare vouchers and technology needs."

Reece added the college plans to have a community event in the spring to celebrate the college's Aspen Prize recognition.

Officials say student outcomes vary enormously among community colleges, and improving those outcomes is essential to securing our nation's economic future, strengthening communities, and ensuring that diverse populations experience economic mobility and prosperity. With these goals in mind, the Aspen Prize honors colleges with outstanding achievement in five critical areas: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor's attainment, workforce success, and equity for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.

"In an era of persistent inequity and workforce talent gaps, our nation's best community colleges are stepping up to deliver more degrees to increasingly diverse students so they are prepared for the good jobs waiting to be filled," said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. "Leaders of exceptional community colleges understand that achieving excellence requires expanding college access and increasing degree completion, but it doesn't stop there. They are committed to ensuring that all students-including students of color and those from low-income backgrounds-graduate with the skills needed to secure a job with family-sustaining wages or successfully transfer to and graduate from a university. That same commitment that stands at the center of the Aspen Prize: to advance the goals of social mobility and equitable talent development."

In this first round, eligibility for the Aspen Prize is based on publicly available data. Eligible colleges must show strong and improving student outcomes in key areas such as retention, completion, transfer, and equity. Nationwide, 15 percent of community colleges (150 of the approximately 1,000 public two-year colleges nationwide assessed for the Prize) have been invited to apply-the full list of the top 150 eligible institutions and to read more on the selection process, visit www.highered.aspeninstitute.org/aspen-prize.

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The Aspen Prize is generously funded by Ascendium and the Joyce Foundation.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 and www.linkedin.com/showcase/aspenhighered, and follow @AspenHigherEd on Twitter. The Aspen Prize hashtag is #AspenPrize. 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.

West Kentucky Community & Technical College

The Aspen Institute Names 150 U.S. Community Colleges Eligible for 2023 Aspen Prize

WKCTC again in the top 15% of community colleges

West Kentucky Community & Technical College

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