Chandler-Gilbert Community College is proud to join Aspen Institute College Excellence Program's Unlocking Opportunity network, a national initiative dedicated to transforming community colleges to better serve students and local communities.
Over the next three years, CGCC will work with Aspen and peer colleges to assess and reform programs and advising, aligning them with labor market demands and transfer pathways. The focus is on increasing student completion of degrees and certificates that lead to good jobs and bachelor's degree opportunities.
This network offers a valuable chance to collaborate, share best practices, and implement proven reforms that improve student outcomes. CGCC is among the 55 institutions nationwide chosen for this three-year initiative designed to help community colleges reform programs and improve student outcomes.
“We are excited to have CGCC join this initiative,” said Dr. Steven R. Gonzales, Maricopa Community Colleges Chancellor. “The Unlocking Opportunity network’s strategic approach to systemic reform works to ensure students graduate with credentials or bachelor’s degrees that lead to high-demand careers, upward mobility, and generational change, which aligns with our system's mission.”
Why It Matters
The initiative addresses a growing national effort to align programs and student advising with what matters most to community college students—leaving college with a high-value credential that results in a good job or transferring and completing a bachelor’s degree, whether offered at CGCC or another traditional four-year college or university.
Through focused reforms, participating colleges will work with the Aspen Institute to assess current programs, set goals, and implement research-based strategies to increase student success.
How It Works
Over the next three years, leaders from CGCC, along with the other selected colleges, will participate in virtual and in-person sessions focused on scaling reforms that align with available high-demand careers and bachelor’s degree pathways in their region.
Using guided lessons from successful reforms implemented by the 10 Unlocking Opportunities pilot institutions, the new 55 colleges will set goals to increase student enrollment in and completion of high-value workforce and transfer programs, while decreasing lower-opportunity pathways.
The Outcome
The 10 pilot institutions from the original Unlocking Opportunity program are on track to collectively move over 20,000 students into high-value programs of study that lead to in-demand roles. For three years, Aspen will track and support progress for 65 participating colleges. Aspen will use insights from this work to inform the broader field through fellowship programs, publications, and state partnerships, providing professional development opportunities to college leaders and teams.
The complete list of colleges joining this expanded network is available here.
What Our Leaders Are Saying
“Chandler-Gilbert Community College is excited to join the Unlocking Opportunity network,” said Dr. CJ Wurster, CGCC President. “Through our partnership with the Aspen Institute, we look forward to delivering high-quality university transfer pathways for our students and preparing them for fulfilling careers by strengthening programs to ensure they meet employer and industry needs. CGCC is dedicated to advancing student success by providing an education that equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel in today’s workforce and rise to the demands of the future.”
About Unlocking Opportunity
Unlocking Opportunity, developed in partnership with the Community College Research Center, is supported by Arnold Ventures, Ascendium Education Group, Bank of America, ECMC Foundation, and JPMorganChase. The expansion of the Unlocking Opportunity network is made possible by the support of JPMorganChase. To learn more about the network, click here.