Kirkwood Community College has joined a national initiative aimed at ensuring students earn degrees that lead to good-paying jobs or bachelor’s degrees.
According to a news release, the college is one of 55 institutions newly selected to participate in the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program’s expanded Unlocking Opportunity network. They will join 10 pilot colleges in a three-year effort to align programs and advising with students’ goals of employment or transfer.
“Kirkwood is proud to join the Aspen Institute’s Unlocking Opportunity network,” Kirkwood President Kristie Fisher said in a statement. “This initiative aligns perfectly with our mission and will help us strengthen our programs and advising, which will benefit all of our students. By working alongside colleges nationwide, we can share best practices, learn from one another and make an even greater impact on the lives of our students and the communities we serve.”
Through the initiative, colleges will assess current programs, set goals and implement reforms to expand access to high-value fields of study. The Aspen Institute said the work will focus on increasing student enrollment and completion in workforce and transfer programs while reducing lower-opportunity pathways.
“Every year, millions of students rely on community colleges for a low-cost pathway to what they assume will be a high-value credential,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program, in a statement. “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.”
The 10 pilot colleges already engaged in the program are on track to move more than 20,000 students into programs leading to strong career outcomes, according to Aspen. The initiative, developed with the Community College Research Center, is supported by Arnold Ventures, Ascendium Education Group, Bank of America, ECMC Foundation and JPMorganChase.
Kirkwood serves about 16,000 credit students annually in more than 140 programs and has one of the lowest tuition rates in Iowa.
