The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program has named Citrus College among the top 150 community colleges in the U.S., Campus officials announced.
Citrus was selected from a pool of 1,000 others nationwide according to an assessment of its institutional performance, improvement and equity. The Aspen Prize recognizes institutions with “exceptional student outcomes in … student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students,” according to campus officials in a written statement.
The college will now compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Excellence, which will be presented in 2017. The prize is awarded every two years.
This is the second consecutive invitation Citrus has received, campus officials said.
After applications for the $1 million prize are submitted, a committee of “higher education experts” will select 10 community colleges to advance to a second round of competition, when site visits will be conducted by the Aspen Institute to determine the winner.
“It is an incredible honor for Citrus College to once again be recognized by the Aspen Institute,” said Dr. Geraldine M. Perri, Citrus College superintendent/president. “The organization’s College Excellence Program works to identify practices and policies that significantly improve student outcomes.
“By naming Citrus College as one of the nation’s top community colleges, the Institute validates our outstanding record of degree completion and student success.”
