Broward College Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Avis Proctor Named an Aspen Institute Presidential Fellow

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (May 2, 2018) –Dr. Avis Proctor, vice president of Academic Affairs and president of North Campus at Broward College, has been named to the 2018-2019 class of Presidential Fellows by the Aspen Institute's College Excellence Program.

The Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence is a leadership program aimed at preparing the next generation of community college presidents to transform institutions to achieve high and equitable levels of student success both in college and in the labor market.

Dr. Proctor is among a distinguished group of 40 Aspen Presidential Fellows selected from more than 1,000 institutions across the United States who will embark on a 10-month fellowship beginning in July 2018. Delivered in collaboration with the Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative, the Fellows will work with mentors as well as current and former community college presidents, who have achieved exceptional outcomes for students throughout their careers.

"We are exceptionally proud of Dr. Proctor and salute her on this well-deserved honor," said Broward College President J. David Armstrong, Jr. "We are thrilled she will be representing Broward College on a national stage and the fellowship will undoubtedly transform her into an even greater leader and set the stage for the next chapter of her career." 

The Aspen Fellowship responds to a specific and growing need for a new generation of leaders who are well-equipped to meet the challenges of the future. Nationally, nearly 80 percent of sitting presidents plan to retire in the next decade. The traditional pathway to the presidency has excluded women and people of color. Currently, 71 percent of sitting community college presidents are white and 64 percent are male. The incoming class of Aspen Presidential Fellows is composed of 65 percent women, 43 percent people of color and represents institutions of varying size and geographical spread.

With the average community college enrolling about 14,000 students, each Fellow who becomes a president has an opportunity to improve outcomes for hundreds of thousands of students over his or her career. To date, 22 Aspen Presidential Fellows are now sitting community college presidents at institutions that collectively serve more than 300,000 students nationwide.

-BC-