EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION. CVTC president Sunem Beaton-Garcia chats with students at the college. (Submitted photo)

Chippewa Valley Technical College was recently named one of the top 150 institutions out of the country to compete for the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence – the nation’s signature recognition for high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges.

“We are honored to be recognized as a leader throughout the nation of equitable outcomes,” CVTC President Sunem Beaton-Garcia said in a press release. “Our instructors and staff are dedicated to fostering lifelong learning for our students – not only while they are learning with us, but well beyond graduation.”

The purpose of the Aspen Prize is to spotlight top-ranking community colleges and drive national attention to colleges doing the best work.

The prize examines the following criteria:

• teaching and learning certificate and degree completion
• transfer and bachelor’s attainment
• workforce success
• equity for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.

However, the race isn’t over yet. The next steps in the process will include the selection of the top 10 finalists from a panel of 15 experts, which will be announced in the spring/summer of 2022. Once announced, the finalist colleges will be visited by experts who will collect additional information, with the final award decision and announcement slated for the late spring of 2023.

To view the list of the eligible institutions and for more information on the Aspen Prize click here.