24 Community Colleges Recognized for Visionary Work

American Association of Community Colleges to Spotlight Winners April 7 in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The extraordinary—often visionary—work being done at community colleges across the nation too often goes unrecognized. The American Association of Community College (AACC) is putting that work in the spotlight with the 2nd Annual AACC Awards of Excellence. Twenty-four community colleges have been named finalists in the program designed to recognize innovation and promising practices among two-year colleges.

The awards program is tied to the key recommendations of the 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, a national, blue-ribbon group of education experts. The Awards of Excellence finalists have put those recommendations into action and have made differences in the lives of the students on campus and the members of their community.

"These finalists are taking risks and forging the path to reimagining our institutions," said AACC President and CEO Walter G. Bumphus. "Through the Awards of Excellence, we're able to hold up their bold innovations as models that will benefit all community colleges."

Awards will be given in six categories: Emerging Leadership, Student Success, Faculty Innovation (new this year), Exemplary CEO/Board, Advancing Diversity and Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership.  The winner in each category will be announced April 7 during the Awards of Excellence Gala Dinner at the 2014 AACC Annual Convention in Washington, D.C. (www.aacc.nche.edu/convention)

The 2014 AACC Awards of Excellence finalists are:

Emerging Leadership
Howard Community College (MD)
Rhodes State College (OH)
Tallahassee Community College (FL)
Washtenaw Community College (MI)

Student Success
Cuyahoga Community College (OH)
Miami Dade College (FL)
Moraine Valley Community College (IL)
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (WI)

Faculty Innovation
Chattanooga State Community College (TN)
Halifax Community College (NC)
Los Medanos College (CA)
Montgomery College (MD)

Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership
Edison Community College (OH)
Midlands Technical College (SC)
Monroe Community College (NY)
Westmoreland County Community College (PA)

Advancing Diversity
Bluegrass Community and Technical College (KY)
Columbia State Community College (TN)
Highline Community College (WA)
Moraine Valley Community College (IL)

Exemplary CEO/Board
Halifax Community College (NC)
Harford Community College (MD)
Lansing Community College (MI)
Sinclair Community College (OH)

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Association of Community Colleges is a national organization representing the nation's close to 1,200 community, junior, and technical colleges and their over 13 million students. Community colleges are the largest sector of higher education, enrolling almost half of all U.S. undergraduates. For more information about AACC and community colleges, see www.aacc.nche.edu.

SOURCE American Association of Community Colleges