The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program (Aspen) has announced the inaugural participants in the Presidents & Trustees Collaborative—an initiative designed to strengthen board-president alignment in support of lasting reforms that improve community college student outcomes.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC) is among just ten community colleges nationwide invited to participate in this first cohort. The Collaborative also includes statewide partnerships with the Texas Success Center and the Michigan Community College Association. Together, participants will work with Aspen to scale high-impact board development and advance governance reforms that embed student success as a core priority.
This multi-year initiative will engage college leaders through in-person and virtual sessions focused on aligning governance practices with student success priorities. Guided by Aspen’s trustee framework and insights from Aspen Prize-winning institutions, participants will explore proven strategies for boards and presidents to collaborate effectively, build strong governance structures, and drive long-term student success.
“Over the last decade, we’ve seen that community colleges make the most progress when presidents and trustees are unified in purpose and aligned in strategy,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program. “Through the Presidents & Trustees Collaborative, we’re advancing the field by working with colleges and statewide partners to strengthen that alignment—grounding governance in student success priorities, sustaining reforms through leadership transitions, and ultimately driving improvements in student outcomes.”
NWTC President, Dr. Kristen Raney, shared, “We are honored to be invited to participate in the Aspen Presidents & Trustees Collaborative. This is a tremendous opportunity for our Board and leadership team to build on our commitment to putting students first and to learn alongside other leading colleges across the country. Strengthening our governance and leadership practices ensures we can continue to deliver the highest level of education and opportunities for our students and the communities we serve.”
In its first phase, the Collaborative will partner with the Texas Success Center and the Michigan Community College Association to expand statewide cohorts. Additional participating colleges include:
- Cerritos College, CA
- El Camino Community College District, CA
- Forsyth Technical Community College, NC
- Monroe Community College, NY
- Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, WI
- Santa Rosa Junior College, CA
- Tulsa Community College, OK
- UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ
- Vance-Granville Community College, NC
- Wor-Wic Community College, MD
By fostering deeper collaboration between presidents and trustees, the Presidents & Trustees Collaborative aims to embed student success into the fabric of college governance. Participating institutions will serve as national models for sustaining transformational change and setting a new standard for leadership and accountability across community colleges.
The Aspen Presidents & Trustees Collaborative is made possible by support from Ascendium.
To learn more, visit highered.aspeninstitute.org/programs/presidents-trustees-collaborative.
