The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program has announced that Deborah Casey, Ph.D., president of Wor-Wic Community College, is one of one of 23 community college presidents selected to participate in the third cohort of the Aspen Presidents Fellowship. The fellows will engage in a year-long professional development experience that will help them develop strategies to help more of their students graduate into good jobs, either directly after community college or following transfer and bachelor’s degree attainment.
“I’m honored to participate in the Aspen Presidents Fellowship,” Casey said. “Over the next year, I’ll work alongside 22 fellow presidents and leading experts to examine our institutions’ outcomes, identify opportunities for innovation and develop strategies that help more students earn a valued credential and advance in their careers, building economic resilience whether they pursue a job on the Eastern Shore or transfer to earn a bachelor’s degree. This fellowship is an incredible opportunity to strengthen the practices that drive post-completion success and upward mobility for Wor-Wic students and our communities.”
Through the program, fellows will work with highly accomplished community college presidents, Aspen leaders, and each other to analyze local labor markets, their colleges’ outcomes, national models of excellence, and lessons from highly successful presidents. The reform agendas they draft are then pressure-tested during multi-day residential sessions, multiple webinars, and feedback from peers and experts.
“We know from 15 years of intensive research how the best community colleges equip students with the skills and credentials that lead to good jobs and flourishing lives,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program. “These 23 presidents have committed to strengthening their institutions so those outcomes become the norm for every student.”
This cohort of Aspen Presidents Fellows represents community college leaders serving students and communities across the country. The fellows lead institutions in 14 states, spanning rural communities, suburban regions, and urban centers. They represent colleges with a wide range of missions, from comprehensive and technical institutions to tribal-serving colleges. They join a growing network of 433 fellowship alumni, including 202 community college presidents, committed to strengthening student success and economic mobility in their communities. Aspen supports this network of community college reform leaders through targeted professional development, research briefings, and convenings at national conferences. The fellowship is supported by JPMorganChase.
