Excelencia in Education Congratulates Finalists for 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence

WASHINGTON, DC — The Aspen Institute has announced that two community colleges previously recognized through the Examples of Excelencia initiative have been selected as finalists for the 2015 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

The two Texas schools, El Paso Community College, the 2011 Example of Excelencia in the Associate category for its Early College High School Initiative, and Brazosport College in Jackson, TX, a 2011 Finalist in the Associate category for its Learning Frameworks Program, could be chosen as the grand prize winner or one of the four finalists-with-distinction by the Washington-based Aspen Institute in March of 2015.

In response, Sarita Brown, president of Excelencia in Education, and Deborah Santiago, chief operating officer and vice president for policy of Excelencia in Education, released the following statement:

“Today we congratulate all 10 Aspen Prize finalists, and especially want to recognize Brazosport College and El Paso Community College for their incredible work improving Latino student success.  In 2011, we identified and recognized Brazosport College as a Finalist and El Paso Community College as an Example of Excelencia for programs with clear evidence of helping Latino students prepare and succeed in higher education.  We are thrilled to see these two effective community colleges sustaining their work to improve educational outcomes for Latino students and all students.

“Every year, Excelencia in Education selects Examples of Excelencia, programs that, emerge from a national search and rigorous review process as significant for their impact on Latino student success.  Like the Aspen Institute, Excelencia in Education believes that, by sharing what has worked for other institutions, we can inform, inspire and equip decision makers to accelerate Latino student success.”

Conceived and run by Excelencia in Education, Examples of Excelencia is the only national initiative to systematically identify, recognize, and catalogue evidence-based programs that improve Latino college success.

Excelencia in Education is a Washington, DC-based national nonprofit organization whose mission is to accelerate Latino student success in higher education. For more information, visit www.EdExcelencia.org.

Featured

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part I

    We asked, you answered, and the results are in! Last year, we put out a call for submissions to collect our readership’s opinion on trends and predictions for K–12 and higher education facilities in 2026.

  • blurry image capturing students navigating crowded hallways between classes

    How Human Behavior Data Is Reshaping Campus Facilities Management

    The ebb and flow of students, faculty, and administrators across a campus have a larger impact on maintenance, cleaning, and sustainability than many realize.

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.

  • Preparing for the Next Era of Healthcare Education, Innovation

    Across the country, public universities and community colleges are accelerating investments in healthcare education facilities as part of a broader strategy to address workforce shortages, modernize outdated infrastructure, and expand clinical training capacity. These projects, which are often located at the center of campus health and science districts, are no longer limited to traditional classrooms.

Digital Edition