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Rockland Community College Aims For 'Excellence' Prize

SUFFERN, N.Y. -- Rockland Community College in Suffern has been selected one of 150 community colleges to compete for the 2017 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

Rockland Community College will compete for Aspen Prize funds and scholarships.

Rockland Community College will compete for Aspen Prize funds and scholarships.

Photo Credit: Skip Pearlman

The prize includes $1 million dollars in prize funds and Siemens Technical Scholars Program student scholarships.

Awarded every two years, the prize recognizes high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges and recognizes institutions for exceptional student outcomes in the following:

  • student learning
  • certificate and degree completion
  • employment and earnings
  • access and success for minority and low-income students

The colleges were selected using publicly available data on student outcomes in three areas:

  • Performance (retention, graduation rates including transfers, and degrees and certificates per 100 full-time equivalent students)
  • Improvement (awarded for steady improvement in each performance metric over time)
  • Equity (evidence of strong completion outcomes for minority and low-income students)

Rockland Community College will supply detailed data on degree and certificate completion, labor market outcomes and student learning outcomes.

Ten finalists will be named in fall 2016.

The Aspen Institute will then conduct site visits to each of the finalists and collect additional quantitative data.

A distinguished Prize Jury will select a grand prize winner and a few finalists with distinction in early 2017.

The colleges selected are also invited to nominate exceptional students enrolled in STEM programs for scholarships. 

Click here to read the full list of selected colleges and details.

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