ORLANDO – Valencia College officials are pleased to announce that the college has been awarded a seat on the board of directors of the prestigious League for Innovation in the Community College, an international nonprofit dedicated to cultivating innovation in the community college sector.
“Valencia College has long demonstrated its commitment to innovation and is seen as one of the nation’s leading community colleges, setting the bar for building an inclusive culture of student success,” said League of Innovation board chair Anne Kress. “It is an honor to welcome such a dynamic and highly regarded institution to the League board.”
Valencia College will be represented on the Board by Valencia College President Sandy Shugart.
CEOs from 18 of the most influential and dynamic community colleges and districts in the world comprise the League’s board of directors and provide strategic direction for its ongoing activities. These community colleges and their leaders are joined by almost 500 colleges and institutions that hold membership in the League Alliance.
Shugart has served as president of Valencia College for 16 years. As winner of the first Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, Valencia College is one of the most celebrated community colleges in America. Serving about 70,000 students per year, Valencia is known for its high rates of graduation, transfer, and job placement, and has become a national laboratory for best practices in learning-centered education.
“For most of my career, I’ve looked at the League as a brain trust and laboratory for the community college movement,” said Shugart. “So I am delighted to be invited to engage with this wonderful organization and its team of thought leaders in a new way.”
Founded in 1968 by B. Lamar Johnson and a dozen U.S. community and technical college presidents, the League has served community college institutions for almost five decades. The colleges with seats on the board of directors are joined by almost 500 institutions that hold membership in the League Alliance.
With this core of powerful and innovative community colleges and 100 corporate partners, the League fulfills its mission to cultivate innovation in the community college environment through conferences and institutes; online resources; research; and projects and initiatives with member colleges, corporate partners, government agencies, and private foundations.
As the League approaches its 50th year, the league’s board of directors decided to expand in an effort to include additional outstanding community colleges. League President and CEO Rufus Glasper noted that, “The addition of Valencia College will only strengthen the organization.”
About Valencia College:
Valencia College, which has five campuses in Orange and Osceola counties, serves about 70,000 students each year. The college has gained recognition as a “national laboratory” for achieving improved outcomes with community college students. In 2001, Valencia was named a Vanguard Learning College by the League for Innovation in the Community College. In 2009, Valencia was named a Leader College by Achieving the Dream, and earned the first Leah Meyer Austin Award for Excellence in Student Success. In 2011, Valencia was named the inaugural winner of the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence as “the best community college in the nation.”
About the League for Innovation in the Community College
The League for Innovation in the Community College (League) is an international nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate innovation in the community college environment. The League hosts conferences and institutes, develops print and digital resources, and leads projects and initiatives with almost 500 member colleges, 100 corporate partners, and a host of other government and nonprofit agencies in a continuing effort to advance the community college field and make a positive difference for students and communities. Information about the League and its activities is available at http://www.league.org.