40 Exceptional
Leaders Tapped to Participate in
Highly Selective Program Amid Looming Shortage
of Community College Presidents
Dr. Kimberly Britt, vice president of academic
and student affairs at Reynolds Community College, has been selected by the
Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program to join the 2019-2020 class of the
AspenPresidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence, a
leadership program aimed at preparing the next generation of community college
presidents to transform institutions to achieve higher and more equitable
levels of student success, both in college and in the labor market.
Dr. Britt and the 39 other Aspen Presidential
Fellows will embark on a 10-month fellowship beginning in July 2019. Delivered
in collaboration with the Stanford Educational Leadership Initiative, the
fellows will work with mentors – current and former community college
presidents – who have achieved exceptional outcomes for students throughout
their careers. Fellows will also learn from national experts about ways to
harness data to assess student success outcomes, strategies for internal change
leadership, and how to create strong external partnerships with K-12 schools,
four-year colleges, and employers.
The Aspen
Presidential Fellowship responds to a specific and growing need for a new
generation of leaders who are well-equipped to meet the challenges of the
future. Nationally, nearly 80 percent of community college presidents plan to
retire in the next decade. The pathway to replace them has traditionally
excluded women and people of color. The incoming class of Aspen Presidential
Fellows is 65 percent female and non-binary, 43 percent are people of color,
and their institutions vary widely in size and location.
“Evidence shows that substantial improvements
in student success are achieved only when presidents have the commitment and
skill needed to lead change within their institutions and through partnerships
in the community,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s
College Excellence Program. “These fellows have been chosen because they embody
that commitment and, we believe, will build their skills even further to become
transformational presidents.”
Dr. Britt was selected through a rigorous
process that considered her abilities to take strategic risks, lead strong
teams and cultivate partnerships, and focus on results-oriented improvements in
student success and access.
For a bio of Dr.
Britt and a list of the 2019-2020 class of Aspen Presidential Fellows, visit: http://as.pn/1ky.
* * *
The Aspen Presidential
Fellowship for Community College Excellence is supported by the Charles and
Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, College Futures Foundation, Greater Texas
Foundation, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Kresge Foundation,
and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
