黑料正能量 (SCC) recently joined the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program鈥檚 expanded Unlocking Opportunity network鈥攁n initiative designed to help community colleges reform programs in ways that improve student outcomes鈥攅nsuring students earn degrees that lead to good-paying jobs.
SCC, alongside 54 other colleges, will join 10 pilot institutions in a growing national effort to align their programs and student鈥� advising with the two most important goals of community college students: 鈥媗eaving college with a credential and鈥嬧�嬧�� 鈥嬧�媋 good job or 鈥媡ransferring and 鈥媍ompleting a bachelor鈥檚 degree. Through three years of focused reforms, these colleges will work with Aspen to assess current programs, set goals, and implement research-based reforms to increase student success.
鈥満诹险芰� plays a vital role in preparing the workforce our region needs to thrive,鈥� said Dr. John Enamait, President of SCC. 鈥淏eing part of the Aspen Institute鈥檚 Unlocking Opportunity network strengthens our ability to connect students with high-value credentials that meet the demands of local employers and contribute to the economic vitality of Stanly County and beyond.鈥�
鈥淓very year, millions of students rely on community colleges for a low-cost pathway to what they assume will be a high-value credential,鈥� said Josh Wyner, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. 鈥淭hey rightly assume that the degree and certificate programs their colleges offer will deliver a good job and fulfilling career either directly after community college or after transferring and earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree. The leaders at each of the 55 colleges that have signed up for Unlocking Opportunity have made clear that they will spend the next three years working towards the kinds of reforms needed to make that assumption a reality for thousands more students.鈥�
The multi-year initiative will engage college leaders and teams through a series of virtual and in-person sessions focused on scaling reforms that align their community college programs with available good jobs and bachelor鈥檚 degree pathways in their regions. Guided by lessons from successful reforms implemented by the 10 Unlocking Opportunity pilot institutions, the new 55 colleges will set goals to increase student enrollment in and completion of high-value workforce and transfer programs, while reducing lower-opportunity pathways.
The 10 Unlocking Opportunity pilot institutions are on track to collectively move over 20,000 students into high-value programs of study鈥� that lead to good jobs鈥�. With this expansion, Aspen will (for at least the next three years) track and support progress for 65 participating colleges, including those 55 just selected. Aspen will use insights from this work to inform the broader field through fellowship programs, publications, and state partnerships to provide professional development to college leaders and teams.
The full list of colleges joining the expanded network is available .
Unlocking Opportunity, developed in partnership with the Community College Research Center, is supported by Arnold Ventures, Ascendium Education Group, Bank of America, ECMC Foundation, and JPMorganChase. The expansion of the Unlocking Opportunity network is made possible by the support of JPMorganChase.
To learn more about the network, visit