Wednesday, April 27, 2022 (Bronx, NY) — Eugenio María de Hostos Community College has been named as one of 25 semifinalists for the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
The $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, awarded every two years, is the nation’s signature recognition for America’s community colleges. Hostos was one of 150 community colleges across the country invited to compete for the prize based on performance in student outcomes and improvement over time.
Hostos was a finalist for the prize in 2015.
“This is terrifically exciting news,” said Hostos President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, “and a real testament to the individual and collective strength of the institution’s faculty — and its students. Together we forge futures we couldn’t have dreamed of alone.”
Based in Washington, District of Columbia, the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program aims to advance higher education practices and leadership that significantly improve student learning, completion, and employment after college — especially for the growing population of students of color and low-income students on American campuses.
The Aspen Prize honors colleges with outstanding achievement in five critical areas: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, workforce success, and equity for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. By focusing on student success and lifting up models that work, the Aspen Prize aims to celebrate excellence, advance a focus on equitable student success, and stimulate replication of effective culture and practice.
“I congratulate the other semifinalists and wish them all the best,” said President Cocco De Filippis. “We are all striving, each in our own way, to fulfill the promise and the potential of the community college system.”
The winner will be announced in the spring of 2023.
About Eugenio María de Hostos Community College
Hostos Community College is an educational agent for change, transforming and improving the quality of life in the South Bronx and neighboring communities since 1968. Hostos serves as a gateway to intellectual growth and socioeconomic mobility, and a point of departure for lifelong learning, success in professional careers, and transfer to advanced higher education programs. The College’s unique "student success coach" program, which partners students with individualized guidance, is emblematic of the premier emphasis on student support and services.
Hostos offers 28 associate degree programs and 2 certificate programs that facilitate easy transfer to The City University of New York (CUNY) four-year colleges or baccalaureate studies at other institutions. The College has an award-winning Division of Continuing Education & Workforce Development that offers professional development courses and certificate-bearing workforce training programs. The Hostos Center for the Arts & Culture (HCAC) is one of the pre-eminent Latino arts centers of the northeast. The HCAC has distinguished itself for showcasing traditional art forms as well as emerging and internationally renowned artists.
The Aspen Prize
The Aspen Prize is generously funded by Ascendium, the Joyce Foundation, JPMorgan, and the Kresge Foundation. Previous winners are:
● 2021: San Antonio College (TX)
● 2019: Indian River State College (FL) and Miami Dade College (FL)
● 2017: Lake Area Technical Institute (SD)
● 2015: Santa Fe College (FL)
● 2013: Santa Barbara City College (CA) and Walla Walla Community College (WA)
● 2011: Valencia College (FL)
The Aspen Institute is a community-serving organization with global reach whose vision is a free, just, and equitable society. For 70 years, the Institute has driven change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the world’s greatest challenges. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Institute has offices in Aspen, Colorado, and New York City, and an international network of partners.
For more information, visit
www.aspeninstitute.org |
@AspenHigherEd on Twitter.
###