Southwest Wisconsin Technical College (SWTC) is the winner of the coveted 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.
The signature recognition was made possible in part by using assessment to create a strong and vibrant culture of learning, SWTC officials said.
The college located in Fennimore, Wisconsin, strives to prepare students for the workforce and in-demand careers in rural southwest Wisconsin. SWTC’s goal of fostering a culture of learning with a framework for continuous improvement began with accreditation-focused efforts in 2016.
To further progress, the institution joined HLC’s Assessment Academy in 2020 and initially applied for Aspen Prize consideration in 2021. First a finalist for the prize in 2023, the college achieved Aspen’s top-10 list of finalists for the second time in 2024. Aspen visited the campus in fall 2024 around the time a SWTC leadership team was completing and preparing to graduate from HLC’s Assessment Academy.
“A lot of work we did to win the prize was associated with accreditation and academic improvement work we had been doing,” said Mandy Henkel, director of college effectiveness and the institution’s Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO).
“We saw our Academy experience as an opportunity to expand assessment of student learning on campus and to take our college to the next level,” she said.
The Academy team of leaders from across the institution, including faculty members, used assessment data aimed at strengthening learning outcomes and developing plans for institution-wide accomplishments and sustainability.
In awarding the $1 million prize in April, Aspen Institute noted some of the college’s HLC accreditation efforts.
“The college revamped its teaching and learning improvement process after being cited by their accreditor in 2016 for failing to meet standards for using evidence to advance student learning,” Aspen noted.
The college was able to “reimagine what a stronger teaching and learning environment should look like…Now every semester, every faculty member looks to see if students meet course-based learning goals.”
When goals weren’t met, Aspen said it was impressed that faculty members were devising plans for course improvement, and that the plans were being entered into an assessment data base available to the entire community.
“Our Assessment Academy experience helped us break down silos,” said Cynde Larsen, chief academic officer for the institution. “We were able to engage college leadership in our assessment processes, and it supported everyone involved in our community.”
As the first community college in Wisconsin to win the prize, the institution was praised by Aspen for its efforts in preparing students for high-paying jobs in the southwest Wisconsin region, an initiative that was bolstered by assessment data.
Aspen noted that the institution’s effort to strengthen workforce offerings, boosting those that offer high-paying jobs and eliminating those with low-paying options, “is paying off for SWTC students.”
“Within five years of completing a credential, graduates earn nearly $14,000 more than all newly hired workers in the college’s service area,” Aspen concluded.
Since the award announcement, the institution has received regional and national attention, with colleges inquiring about best practices, invitations to present at conferences, hundreds of shares on social media and thousands of mentions, said Holly Clendenen, chief student success officer at SWTC.
“We’ve been able to share our best practices and brand with a lot of different audiences and that’s positive” at a time when the institution is considering earmarking the prize money toward student scholarships, she said.
HLC President Barbara Gellman-Danley called the institution’s recognition “very impressive and a strong representation of the value of community colleges.”
“The Aspen Prize is a highlight each year, acknowledging the critical importance of continuous improvement and change leadership. Awardees are clearly meeting the moment for their students and communities,” she said.
“At HLC, we are pleased to see the college’s national recognition and look forward to its future accomplishments.”
Applications for HLC’s Assessment and Student Success Academies are currently open through June 13. Learn more about applying.
More information on the 2025 Aspen prizewinner is also available at: https://highered.aspeninstitute.org/media/956