Wayne Community College has been honored as a finalist for two national awards that recognize exceptional work among community colleges.
WCC was recognized as a finalist in the “student success” category and, along with Wayne UNC Health Care, in the “outstanding college/corporate partnership” category of the American Association of Community Colleges 2019 Awards of Excellence.
WCC was the only North Carolina school named a finalist in this year’s competition.
“It was truly an honor to be recognized as a finalist for both the Student Success and Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership Awards of Excellence by the American Association of Community Colleges,” said Dr. Patty Pfeiffer, interim vice president for academic and student services. “National validation from the AACC is one of the most prestigious compliments a college can receive.”
“This speaks to the hard work and dedication contributed by our faculty and staff every day to see students succeed and achieve their dreams of furthering their education,” Pfeiffer said.
“In addition, the college has developed numerous partnerships in the community to help support the college’s mission of meeting the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves,” she said.
The student success practice for which WCC was recognized is its CAPPS (Clearing a Path to Student Success) initiative. CAPSS embraces a “guided pathways” approach to supporting students as they progress to completion. Faculty and staff were involved in the redesign of academic programs and student support services. Those changes resulted in measurable improvements in student completion and increased employability skills.
The college was also honored for its CAPPS effort earlier this year as a Bellwether Award Finalist. That award was provided by the Bellwether College Consortium and co-sponsored by the National Council of State Directors of Community Colleges.
The partnership between the college and Wayne UNC Health Care was previously recognized with the 2018 State Board of Community Colleges’ Distinguished Partners in Excellence Award. The college and the county’s hospital have worked together for more than 50 years to insure a robust pool of highly skilled, ready-to-work, health care professionals.
The AACC’s Awards of Excellence bring national visibility to outstanding practices among the organization’s member colleges. The winners were chosen by a select committee of the AACC Board of Directors and the awards were presented during the 99th Annual AACC Convention in Orlando, Florida earlier this week.
As the voice of the nation’s community colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges delivers educational and economic opportunity for 12 million diverse students in search of the American Dream. Uniquely dedicated to access and success for all students, AACC’s nearly 1,200 member colleges provide an on-ramp to degree attainment, skilled careers and family-supporting wages. Located in Washington, D.C., AACC advocates for these not-for-profit, public-serving institutions to ensure they have the resources and support they need to deliver on the mission of increasing economic mobility for all.
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves 12,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 70 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.