SDCCD : Dr. Ricky Shabazz Chosen For Aspen Institute's New Presidents Fellowship

Press release from San Diego Community College District:

September 20, 2021

New leaders of colleges educating more than a quarter-million students to participate
in program to advance student success

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program today announced that Dr. Ricky Shabazz,
president at San Diego City College, is one of 25 leaders selected for the 2021-22
class of the Aspen New Presidents Fellowship. This program supports community college
presidents in the early years of their tenure as they aim to achieve higher and more
equitable levels of student success. The Fellowship’s philanthropic partner is JPMorgan
Chase.

The 25 Aspen Fellows, who lead colleges that collectively serve more than 280,000
students, were selected through a highly competitive process. Starting later this
year, the Fellows will engage over nine months in residential sessions and virtual
learning to develop strategies to meet their goals for student success and equity
with data to assess challenges and progress.

“We continue to learn how the best community colleges improve outcomes for students
and close persistent race- and income-based equity gaps,” said Josh Wyner, executive
director of the College Excellence Program. “This year’s fellows have demonstrated
their commitment to achieving excellent and equitable student outcomes, and we are
eager to work with them as they join Aspen’s network of more than 100 fellows who
serve as community college presidents.”

“I am grateful for this opportunity to join the Aspen Institute’s New Presidents Fellowship
to advance student success,” said Dr. Ricky Shabazz, who provides leadership to San
Diego City College which is the flagship of the San Diego Community College District.
“I love my job, I love my colleagues, and I love that San Diego City College is committed
to social justice and academic excellence for our students. Being part of this fellowship
will continue to advance our mission of improving the lives of our students and our
community.”

As community colleges grapple with the impact of COVID and enrollment declines, turnover
among presidents remains high. Aspen is committed to helping prepare the next generation
of exceptionally capable and highly diverse leaders through its fellowship programs
for new and rising presidents. This new class of Aspen Presidential Fellows is 52
percent female, and 64 percent are people of color. Located in 17 states, their institutions
too are diverse, from a tribal college with fewer than 500 students to an urban college
that educates more than 35,000 each year.

“Community colleges play a critical role in helping to prepare young adults and incumbent
workers for in-demand jobs of the future,” said Monique Baptiste, Vice President and
Head of Jobs & Skills for Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase. “Ensuring that the
leaders of these institutions are equipped with the support and training they need
to develop equitable student success is an integral part of building capacity over
the long-run. JPMorgan Chase is proud to partner with the Aspen Institute to build
the next generation of exceptional college leaders as they work to advance the prosperity
of the diverse communities and students they serve.”

JPMorgan Chase’s philanthropic support for the Aspen Presidential Fellowship is part
of the firm’s New Skills at Work initiative to prepare young people for the future
of work and meet the growing demand for skilled workers, and the $30 billion commitment
to advance racial equity and drive an inclusive economy.

Rebecca Ashford, Chattanooga State Community College (TN)Seher Awan, Los Angeles Southwest College (CA)Vincent Bowhay, Independence Community College (KS)J.B. Buxton, Durham Technical Community College (NC)Karin Edwards, Clark College (WA)Angélica Garcia, Berkeley City College (CA)Veronica Garcia, Northeast Lakeview College (TX)Tracy Hartzler, Central New Mexico Community College (NM)Greg Hodges, Patrick Henry Community College (VA)Stephanie Kashima, West Valley College (CA)Georgia Lorenz, Seminole State College of Florida (FL)Kimberlee Messina, Spokane Falls Community College (WA)Rachel Pokrandt, Umpqua Community College (OR)Christy Ponce, Temple College (TX)Omid Pourzanjani, San Joaquin Delta College (CA)Monte Randall, College of the Muscogee Nation (OK)Anton Reece, West Kentucky Community and Technical College (KY)Ángel Reyna, Madera Community College (CA)Claudia Schrader, CUNY Kingsborough Community College (NY)Ricky Shabazz, San Diego City College (CA)Ron Slinger, Miles Community College (MT)Willie E. Smith, Baton Rouge Community College (LA)Russell Swagger, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College (WI)Justina Wilhelm, Iḷisaġvik College (AK)Jermaine Williams, Nassau Community College (NY)

This press release was produced by San Diego Community College District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.