Book Talk: What Excellent Community Colleges Do by Joshua Wyner
The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program invites you to a lunchtime book talk for “What Excellent Community Colleges Do: Preparing All Students for Success” by Aspen Institute College Excellence Program Executive Director Joshua Wyner. The discussion will be moderated by Aspen Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson.
About the Book
In “What Excellent Community Colleges Do,” Josh Wyner makes the case for the vital importance of community colleges to the US economy and social mobility, and draws a vivid picture of how they can dramatically improve student success. Community colleges have received extraordinary attention over the past few years, in presidential debates, in state legislatures, and in the media, and for good reason: Nearly half of all undergraduates in this country — 7 million students — are enrolled in community colleges every year and working towards degrees and certificates. Drawing on insights and evidence gained in administering the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the book describes in rich detail how a group of community colleges have achieved exceptional outcomes in student learning and degree completion, leading gradua tes to strong job prospects. Wyner challenges the reader to consider how community colleges — and in some respects all colleges and universities — can better align what they do to the needs of tomorrow’s economy and today’s students, including the large and expanding number of minority and low income students on US college campuses. And, through concrete examples of real-world practice, he offers evidence that exceptional community college outcomes are within reach.
About the Author
Joshua Wyner is the Executive Director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. The Program’s first two initiatives are the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, which strives to shine a spotlight on community colleges that deliver exceptional student results, and the New College Leadership Project, which works to align the hiring and professional development of college presidents with goal of substantially improving student success. After several years as a program evaluator and an attorney, Josh has spent the past two decades as a nonprofit leader, initiating organizations aimed at improving and equalizing educational outcomes. He has a B.A. in History from Vassar College, a Masters in Public Administration from Syracuse University, and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.