WCC has been named a finalist for an award that recognizes exceptional work among the nation’s two-year colleges.
WCC will vie with two other colleges for an American Association of Community Colleges 2020 Award of Excellence in the “student success” category.
The student success practice for which WCC has been recognized is its CAPPS (Clearing a Path to Student Success) initiative. CAPSS embraces a “guided pathways” approach to supporting students as they progress to completion. Faculty and staff were involved in the redesign of academic programs and student support services. Those changes resulted in measurable improvements in student completion and increased employability skills.
WCC’s CAPSS initiative was a finalist for this award last year, too. As the college accomplished more with this endeavor, it was encouraged to compete again with an emphasis on its further achievements.
The college was also honored for its CAPPS effort last year as a Bellwether Award Finalist. That award was provided by the Bellwether College Consortium and co-sponsored by the National Council of State Directors of Community Colleges.
The AACC’s Awards of Excellence bring national visibility to outstanding practices among the organization’s member colleges. Winners are chosen by a select committee of the AACC Board of Directors.
The finalists will be recognized and winners will be announced at the Awards of Excellence Gala on March 30 during the 100th Annual AACC Convention that will be held in National Harbor, Maryland.
The winning college will receive a trophy and mention in a story in the “Community College Daily.”
One other North Carolina community college is a finalist for a 2020 AACC Award of Excellence. Brunswick Community College is one of four institutions competing in the “advancing diversity” category. BCC’s president, Dr. Gene Smith, had recently served as WCC’s vice president for academic and student services at WCC.
As the voice of the nation’s community colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges delivers educational and economic opportunity for 12 million diverse students in search of the American Dream. Uniquely dedicated to access and success for all students, AACC’s nearly 1,000 member colleges provide an on-ramp to degree attainment, skilled careers and family-supporting wages. Located in Washington, D.C., AACC advocates for these not-for-profit, public-serving institutions to ensure they have the resources and support they need to deliver on the mission of increasing economic mobility for all.
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves 12,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 70 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.
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