Student Success
The AACC Student Success Award recognizes a community college that has demonstrated, through evidence, a sustained commitment to and proactively advances the cause of student success at a community college.Criteria used to evaluate applications are as follows:
- Has developed a comprehensive, bold and strategic completion plan.
- Has achieved measurable and significant increases in:
- On-time degree completion.
- Certificate completion.
- Transfer from 2-year to 4-year institution(s).
- Has developed innovative programs that support student success in areas such as developmental education, student support services, K-12 partnerships/collaboration, transfer, and a pipeline to employment for workforce students.
- Has substantially contributed to integrating completion goals and principles across the institution.
- Suggests scalable promising practices to advance student success.
Exclusions:
- Colleges that have previously won the award are eligible to apply five years after winning.
Exceptions:
- Award finalists in a previous year can apply in the same category for the subsequent year. However, the finalist must submit an enhanced application. Enhanced means that the applicant must show further improvement in student success outcomes.
General Guidelines and Nomination Instructions:
- Nominee must be a current AACC member college and pay next year's membership fees.
- The CEO of the nominating institution must sign the nomination form.
- Each award is given annually, and the honoree(s) will be recognized at AACC Annual.
- Nominating packages (including required photos) must be submitted through the nomination form AND include the following:
- Visit the Awards Application page to access the nomination form.
- Minimum two letters of support on official letterhead, one signed by the nominating college CEO.
- Additional support materials (i.e., news coverage, fact sheet, descriptions) NOT TO exceed five (5) pages. All personal identifiers must be redacted.
- Five publication-quality photos (No PDFs): (1) publication-quality head shot of the CEO [300 dpi resolution or higher], (1) publication-quality photo of the college (signature building), and (2) photos of students in class.