Harper president chosen for the Aspen Institute’s Presidents Fellowship

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced October 22 that Dr. Avis Proctor, Harper College president, is one of 25 innovative leaders selected from across the country to participate in the second cohort of the Aspen Presidents Fellowship.

The fellows will engage in a unique, yearlong professional development experience that will help them refine and enact a reform agenda to help more of their students succeed both during and after college.

“Community colleges educate millions of diverse students every year who are relying on them to deliver the education and credentials they need for a fulfilling life and career,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program. “I am delighted that these 25 accomplished presidents have committed to strengthening their institutions’ strategies to ensure that more students achieve those aims.”

Fellows will work with highly accomplished community college presidents, Aspen leaders and each other to analyze their college’s outcomes and develop concrete plans inspired by field-leading practices. They will engage in a curriculum that will include exemplars from the field, data reports on available, good jobs and student outcomes in completion and transfer, and qualitative reports about how well their current practices align with research findings that have contributed to high and equitable levels of student success at other colleges.

This second cohort of Aspen Presidents Fellows reflects our country’s diverse talent: 52% are women and 44% are people of color. They join a network of 375 fellowship alumni, 176 of whom are community college presidents today. Aspen connects and supports this growing network of community college reform leaders with opportunities for targeted professional development, research briefings and convenings at national conferences. 

“I am deeply honored to be selected for the Aspen Presidents Fellowship,” Dr. Proctor said. “Harper College is committed to creating pathways for student success and advancing economic mobility for our diverse student body. This fellowship provides a valuable opportunity to collaborate with other leaders who share a passion for transforming higher education. Together, we will work to strengthen our nation, one community at a time, as we ensure that our students not only complete their programs but are prepared for family-sustaining careers that contribute to an inclusive and thriving economy.”

Prior to her role at Harper, Dr. Proctor was selected for the 2018-19 class of the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence, a leadership program aimed at preparing the next generation of community college presidents.

The Presidents Fellowship is made possible with philanthropic support from JPMorgan Chase through the firm’s New Skills at Work initiative, which aims to prepare young people for the future of work and meet the growing demand for skilled workers, and JPMorgan Chase’s $30 billion commitment to advancing racial equity and driving an inclusive economy.  

For bios and photos of the Aspen Presidents Fellows, visit https://highered.aspeninstitute.org/news-and-media.