The Aspen Institute Names Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology one of 150 U.S. Community College Eligible for 2023 Aspen Prize
The Aspen Institute Names Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology one of 150 U.S. Community College Eligible for 2023 Aspen Prize
$1 Million Prize Recognizes Excellence in Equitable Outcomes for Students in and After College
The Aspen Institute named Thaddeus Stevens College one of the 150 institutions eligible to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the nation's signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America's community colleges. The colleges selected for this honor stand out among more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide as having high and improving levels of student success as well as equitable outcomes for Black and Hispanic students and those from lower-income backgrounds.
The 150 eligible colleges have been invited to submit data and narratives as the next steps in an intensive data and practice review process, culminating in the announcement of the Prize winner in spring 2023.
Thaddeus Stevens College is the only college in Pennsylvania to be named one of the top 150 community colleges, placing it in the top 15 percent of community colleges nationwide.
"It is a great honor to be recognized as a strong, diverse institution of higher education,” said Pedro A. Rivera, President, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. "By its very mission, Thaddeus Stevens College addresses economic barriers to accessing a college degree and commits to breaking down these roadblocks, including residential location and other socioeconomic factors that perpetuate educational inequity. The College is committed to the legacy of its benefactor, Thaddeus Stevens, in that our great institution is an instrument of change in the lives of our students, graduates, our community, and business and industry.”
The Aspen Prize spotlights exemplary community colleges in order to elevate the sector, drive attention to colleges doing the best work, and discover and share highly effective student success and equity strategies. Since 2010, Aspen has chosen to focus intensively on community colleges because they are—as First Lady Dr. Jill Biden stated at the 2021 Aspen Prize ceremony— “a powerful engine of prosperity.”
But student outcomes vary enormously among community colleges, and improving those outcomes is essential to securing our nation’s economic future, strengthening communities, and ensuring that diverse populations experience economic mobility and prosperity. With these goals in mind, 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.
“In an era of persistent inequity and workforce talent gaps, our nation’s best community colleges are stepping up to deliver more degrees to increasingly diverse students so they are prepared for the good jobs waiting to be filled,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. “Leaders of exceptional community colleges understand that achieving excellence requires expanding college access and increasing degree completion, but it doesn’t stop there. They are committed to ensuring that all students—including students of color and those from low-income backgrounds—graduate with the skills needed to secure a job with family-sustaining wages or successfully transfer to and graduate from a university. That same commitment that stands at the center of the Aspen Prize: to advance the goals of social mobility and equitable talent development.”
In this first round, eligibility for the Aspen Prize is based on publicly available data. Eligible colleges must show strong and improving student outcomes in key areas such as retention, completion, transfer, and equity. Nationwide, 15 percent of community colleges (150 of the approximately 1,000 public two-year colleges nationwide assessed for the Prize) have been invited to apply—the full list can be accessed on the Prize homepage.
The next steps in the process include:
- Selection of the top ten finalists by an expert panel of 15 experts in community colleges, higher education, and workforce training, to be announced in spring/summer 2022
- Fall 2022 site visits to each of the ten finalists, during which the Aspen Institute and partners will collect additional information, including employment and earnings data and insights about promising practices
- A distinguished jury will meet and make award decisions in the first quarter of early 2023
- Announcement of the Aspen Prize in late spring 2023
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Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology is a nationally-recognized, fully accredited two-year residential technical college offering 24 high-wage majors focused on technology, advanced manufacturing and construction trades, and several short-term certificate programs. Founded in 1905 by bequest from the will of Thaddeus Stevens, a US Congressman, PA attorney, and abolitionist, the College continues to provide no-cost education to eligible students, and is traditionally one of the lowest priced institutions in Pennsylvania for those who pay tuition. Learn more about Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology by visiting our website at stevenscollege.edu.
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.