Broward College Named Among 10 Finalists for 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence for Third Year

$1 Million Prize Recognizes Excellence in Community College Student Success Outcomes. Winner to be Announced in April 2019

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (May 15, 2018) – Broward College is proud to announce it has been named a top ten finalist for the 2019 Aspen Award, the nation's signature recognition of high achievement and performance in America's community colleges. This is the third time Broward College has been recognized for its students' success within five years.

"Our recognition as a finalist for the third time confirms that the hard work of our dedicated students and staff does not go unnoticed, "said President J. David Armstrong, Jr. "Last year, Broward College used the winning prize money to fund 24 faculty-led classroom initiatives. The project-based and collaborative learning has helped our students achieve their goals in the classroom and beyond."

Broward College was selected from over 1,000 community colleges nationwide. Awarded every two years, the $1 million Aspen Prize identifies institutions for their outstanding outcomes in four areas: student learning; certificate and degree completion; employment and earnings; and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students.

"Congratulations to Broward College for being named as one of 10 finalists for the coveted 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence," said Florida College System Chancellor Madeline Pumariega. "This outstanding recognition is a testament of the dedication and commitment to excellence of the college faculty, staff and students, as well as Florida's collective priority on student success."

In the past, Broward College was also named a 2017 Aspen Prize Finalist-with-Distinction and a 2013 Aspen Prize Finalist. Broward College stands out as one of the nation's top community colleges for many reasons, including:

• Broward's graduation/transfer rate of 48 percent is eight percentage points above the national average. Impressively, Broward's 46 percent graduation/transfer rate for students of color is a full 12 percentage points above the national average; there is virtually no gap in three-year graduation/transfer rates between all Broward students and students of color.
• With strong relationships to four-year partner universities and tailored advising services, Broward achieves rates of student transfer to four-year schools that are significantly higher than the national average.
• Broward has developed clear course sequences for all of its programs – each aligned to one of eight "career clusters" and supported by strong advising systems – so that students understand the connection of their studies to their careers and can efficiently complete degrees with minimal excess credits.

"A three-time Aspen Prize Finalist, Broward College continues to improve student success rates, proving what is possible at a large, diverse community college," said Joshua Wyner, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute's College Excellence Program in Washington, D.C. "Broward's decade-long reform is built on a culture of results, with systems that link everyone's job to the goals of student success. Among the most impressive things the college has done is build clear program pathways that effectively connect students to good careers and four-year transfer."

During the remainder of 2018, the Aspen Institute will complete a rigorous review process that includes examination of data on learning, graduation, workforce, and equitable outcomes for all students as well as multi-day site visits to each of the 10 finalist institutions. In early 2019, a distinguished Prize Jury will select a grand prize winner, finalists-with-distinction, and a Rising Star.

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