College recognized for One College philosophy.
Johnston Community College proudly accepted its 2017 Bellwether finalist award Jan. 30-31 at the Community College Futures Assembly in Orlando, Fla.
JCC was one of 10 community colleges in the nation selected as a finalist in the planning, governance, and finance category. JCC was selected for its One College organizational philosophy for student success.
Even though JCC did not win the category, JCC president David Johnson said he is proud of the College’s commitment to student success which led to the recognition.
“We were so privileged to be a part of the 2017 Community College Futures Assembly as a Bellwether Award finalist,” said Dr. David Johnson, JCC president.
“This independent policy think-tank is one of the premier organizations in the United States which recognizes and promotes effective college programs,” Johnson added. “JCC was honored to be selected from hundreds of applications as a Bellwether finalist for our One College philosophy. I was extremely proud of our team of presenters as they represented the entire institution’s work to fulfill student success.”
JCC initiated its One College model in 2010 with the restructuring of the curriculum division, which included combining continuing education with curriculum programming under the leadership of one vice president and five deans; a merger of registration staff; and creation of a Center for Academic Planning to develop skilled employee pipelines and give students a one-stop fashion of service delivery.
The Bellwether Awards are an integral part of the Community College Futures Assembly, established in 1995. The Assembly is sponsored by the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Florida and focuses on cutting-edge, trendsetting programs that other colleges might find worthy of replicating. The Bellwether Awards are given annually in three categories to colleges with outstanding and innovative programs or practices.
The Bellwether Award has been compared to football’s Heisman Award because it is competitively judged and is an award given by your peers in community colleges, with no cash award. It has also been called “the award of awards” because many institutions with programs that have won other awards apply for the Bellwether Award. Moreover, previous recipients of the Bellwether Award have said that it has been a springboard for other types of recognition and/or funding.
Earlier this year, JCC was named a top 150 Aspen Prize institution. JCC was the only North Carolina community college eligible to apply for the 2017 prestigious award, which recognizes two-year institutions that have demonstrated exceptional student results.
