Aspen Institute Selects Santa Fe College as a Top Community College

April 25, 2011

Washington, D.C. - Santa Fe College was Monday named by the Aspen Institute to the top 10 percent of community colleges in the country.

This honor qualifies Santa Fe eligible to compete for a grant from $1 million in prizes awarded by the institute to increase the rates at which students remain in and graduate from college.

SF was one of 120 out of more than 1,200 community colleges nationwide chosen to compete for the grant scheduled to be announced in December by the Washington, D.C. institute that fosters values-based leadership.

"This honor is a clear message Washington recognizes community colleges as essential for the restoration of the national economy by educating knowledge employees necessary for us to compete in global markets," said SF President Jackson Sasser, who attended the meeting in Washington.

Santa Fe will develop and submit to the Aspen Institute a detailed plan showing data about the success of its students now and as it improves in the future.

Sasser said the profile of community colleges has been heightened by the advocacy of Jill Biden, the vice president's wife and community college educator, and Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter, a former community college president.

The competition for the Aspen Prize was announced at the White House Community College Summit hosted by President Obama and Dr. Biden in October. The award would fund practices and programs for replication at other community colleges.

The Aspen Award website: http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/aspen-prize