Two Community Colleges Win National Excellence Award

The Community College of Baltimore County in Maryland and South Texas College in McAllen, Texas, today received the 2008 MetLife Foundation Community College Excellence Award. The winners were announced at the 2008 annual convention of the American Association of Community Colleges.

The award winners were chosen based on their ability to demonstrate determined leadership, innovative programming, and attention to outcomes. The result: clear improvements in meeting the varied learning needs of low-income, first-generation, immigrant, and working students. As part of the award, each college receives a $30,000 grant to continue creating and implementing effective strategies for aiding underrepresented students, as well as using data to target and assess strategies to improve student outcomes.

MetLife Foundation created the Community College Excellence Award to recognize institutions that are helping low-skilled youth and adults enter college to achieve their educational goals. The 2008 winners were selected from nearly 1,200 community colleges nationwide.

Because global competitiveness and changing local economies demand more highly skilled and well-educated workers, community colleges are considered an important access point for students who aspire to higher education but are not adequately prepared to succeed at the college level. Community colleges enroll more than 11.5 million students, including 46 percent of all undergraduates and large proportions of students who are first-generation college goers, part-time and working students, minorities, career changers, low-income, and students of all ages.

Although community colleges have made significant progress in increasing access to their facilities, they face several challenges, including the ability to meet students wherever they are academically, increasing the number of students who are prepared at enrollment, and improving the likelihood that students will complete their studies, secure certificates and degrees, and ultimately obtain well-paying jobs. By receiving the Foundation Award, The Community College of Baltimore County and South Texas College have been recognized as innovators, collaborators, and achievers who are committed to increasing student success.

"Uniquely American and as different and distinctive as the regions they serve, community colleges open opportunity and add convenience, affordability, innovation, and flexibility to the broad spectrum of higher education," said Marlene B. Seltzer, president and CEO of Jobs for the Future, which administers the award for MetLife Foundation. "Both Community College of Baltimore County and South Texas College have embraced the challenge of serving today's students, and the leaders of both colleges are committed to infusing the collection and analysis of data throughout their institutions to see where students are struggling and help lift them up."

"The Community College Excellence Award brings national attention to the important role community colleges play in providing educational access and opportunity to students of all backgrounds," said MetLife Foundation president and CEO Sibyl Jacobson. "We commend the Community College of Baltimore County and South Texas College for their commitment, their increasing success, and the inspiring example they provide for colleges, communities, and the nation."

The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) is dedicated to achieving positive outcomes for underserved students through a combination of innovation, deliberate experimentation and analysis, focused leadership, and capacity-building. The college is the largest provider of higher education and workforce development in the Baltimore metropolitan area.

Under the leadership of President Sandra Kurtinitis, the institution has demonstrated a commitment to innovation and to results. Among its innovations, CCBC has increased the number of students who are prepared for college at enrollment by developing a strong partnership with the Baltimore County Public School System. It also works with high schools, particularly those serving high proportions of students of color, on sophomore-year placement testing, campus visits, career luncheons, and college-course enrollment for high school students.

Long committed to research and the evaluation of results, CCBC's current leadership has further strengthened its use of data and evidence to build success. The college collects information for decisions ranging from determining when courses are offered, to hiring priorities, to programmatic and budget reviews of all departments and services. Faculty, staff, and students rate the services of the college through various surveys. More than 85 percent of African-American students reported the college is effective in addressing their concerns. The institution also has a strong commitment to student satisfaction. To exceed expectations on this measure, it has increased faculty-student interaction and program advising.

South Texas College, led by President Shirley Reed, was established in 1993, and serves two Rio Grande Valley counties, Hidalgo and Starr, that are 85 percent Hispanic and among the poorest counties in the United States. A champion of opportunity, the college has grown rapidly from serving 1,000 students at one location, to more than 20,000 across five campuses.

From the outset, South Texas College has pursued two goals: improving workforce quality and economic competitiveness; and establishing high expectations, standards, and outcomes for its students. South Texas built on its commitment to access and made student success a top priority and goal. The leadership sees this as critical in a community where earning college credentials is not a common experience for residents.

To serve its mission, the college has become an effective collaborator, sponsoring annual summits on "College and Career Readiness" that bring together K-12 administrators, college representatives, and residents. It has initiated a range of effective programs to support the transition to college, including tuition-free college courses for more than 6,000 "dual enrollment" high school students.

Faculty and administrators have embraced a common agenda of improvement, using data from surveys, focus groups, and careful research studies of innovative programming. The agenda focuses on three crucial transition points: progression from developmental studies to credit courses; completion of gatekeeper courses; and degree completion. As a result, the number of students who have graduated from college or matriculated in subsequent academic years has been steadily improving-from 56 percent in 2002 to 65 percent in 2006.

A brochure describing the award program, the two winning institutions, and four other finalists are available, along with additional information about the MetLife Foundation Community Excellence Award, at: www.jff.org. For "Fast Facts" on community colleges, see the Web site of the American Association of Community Colleges: www2.aacc.nche.edu/research/index.htm.

MetLife Foundation, established in 1976, supports education, health, civic and cultural programs throughout the United States. In education, it places particular emphasis on initiatives that improve public schools, develop the leadership of teachers and principals, and involve parents and communities. Its grantmaking is informed by results from the annual MetLife Survey of the American Teacher. The Foundation is also committed to opening access and opportunity in education particularly through support to strengthen community colleges dedicated to lowering dropout rates, raising enrollment, and fostering the academic accomplishments of all students. For more information, visit: www.metlife.org.

Jobs for the Future is a leading innovator in strategies to accelerate education and career advancement for both young people and adults. JFF provides research, consulting, and technical assistance on education and workforce development issues to public and private organizations throughout the United States. For more information on JFF, please visit: www.jff.org.

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