Olney Central College
ABOVE LEFT: Administration of Justice Professor DeWayne Morris demonstrates finger printing techniques. ABOVE RIGHT: Nursing Professor Shirley Smithenry works with students participating in clinicals at Carle RMH.
are continuing to focus on advancing the core mission: making sure as many students as possible graduate with credentials that lead to fulfilling careers and reflect the development of diverse talent that communities, states, and our nation need.” While community colleges are an essential contrib- utor to our nation’s success, student outcomes vary substantially among institutions. Aspen measures those variances using multiple data sources and honors colleges with outstanding achievement in six critical areas: teaching and learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor’s attainment, work - force success, equitable access to the college, and equi - table outcomes for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds. “These 150 colleges have achieved high and improv - ing levels of student success for all students, including those who are often failed by our institutions,” Wyner said. “We’re excited to learn over the coming months how they achieved that success so we can share the most impressive practices with others in the field.” Simpson said Olney Central College’s selection as an Aspen Prize Top 150 U.S. Community College affirms OCC’s exceptional instruction and provides students with yet another reason to make OCC their first choice.
“Not only will students have outstanding educational opportunities at OCC, but they will also have smaller class sizes and a variety of student support services, all at an affordable cost that will not leave them with a large amount of student debt,” he added. In this first round, eligibility for the Aspen Prize is based on publicly available data. Colleges must show strong, improving, and equitable student outcomes in first-to-second year retention, credentials awarded, and completion and transfer rates.
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