SANFORD - Central Carolina Community College is one of eight North Carolina community colleges chosen for The Aspen Institute Roadmap to Excellence program. The mission of the program is to advance student success.

In a news release announcing the project, Aspen Institute College Excellence Program Executive Director Josh Wyner said, "We've chosen North Carolina community colleges that have already demonstrated great promise and capacity for trying new things to help students succeed. We'll work together with these colleges to advance strategies that help students stay the course and earn credentials that confer the high-level skills needed for the jobs of today's workforce."

The "North Carolina Roadmap to Excellence project'' seeks to improve outcomes in five areas - student learning, certificate and degree completion, transfer and bachelor's degree completion, employment and earnings, and access and success for minority and low-income students, according to the project announcement.

The Aspen Institute also awards the $1 million Aspen Prize for Community College every two years. According to the Aspen Institute website, the prize is "the nation's signature recognition of high achievement and performance among America's community colleges and recognizes institutions for exceptional student outcomes in four areas: student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings, and high levels of access and success for minority and low-income students."

Dr. Linda Scuiletti, CCCC Associate Vice President, Student Learning & Strategic Planning, will be the liaison/coordinator for the Aspen Institute project.

"Central Carolina faculty and staff are united in and inspired by the pursuit of our common goals in support of student learning and success," said Dr. Scuiletti. "We embrace a shared vision, as expressed in our Strategic Plan, to become a 'world-class leader' in enhancing student learning and success. In this quest, it will be tremendously helpful to have input from previous Aspen Prize winners and other national experts on how best to reach our goals.

"We are poised to take a leadership role in the future of higher education, and we have a remarkable level of passion and energy amongst our faculty and staff," she said. "With the help of this generous grant, we will create a brighter future for our students and community."

The other community colleges chosen for the project are Brunswick, Cleveland, Coastal Carolina, Davidson County, Guilford Tech, Halifax, and Pitt.

The project has received funding from the Charlotte-based John M. Belk Endowment.

For more information on Central Carolina Community College, visit www.cccc.edu.