February 3 , 2000

CCBC Wins National Bellwether Award, Recognized as "Trend setter" Among Community Colleges

The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) has received this year's prestigious Bellwether Award. CCBC is among only three colleges nationwide to receive the award, which was presented Feb. 1 by the Institute of Higher Education, University of Florida during its 2000 Community College Futures Assembly. The awards were established to recognize outstanding and innovative programs that are successfully leading colleges in the 21st century. Bellwether award winners demonstrate the results and impact of their programs for their institutions, as well as for other colleges considering replicating their initiatives.

CCBC earned the 2000 Bellwether Award in the category of Planning, Governance and Finance. The award recognizes CCBC as a "Trend setter" and national model for its success in improving efficiency and effectiveness in the community college through the implementation of its five-year strategic plan, LearningFirst.

"The Community College of Baltimore County has been recognized as a college that is on the cutting-edge of the learning college revolution," said Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, Chancellor, who accepted the award in Orlando, Fla. "This award affirms the significant progress CCBC has made in achieving our vision as the nation's premier, learning-centered, single college, multi-campus institution."

Upon assuming chancellorship of CCBC in February 1998, Dr. McPhail immediately established a vision for CCBC which places student learning at the core of all planning and operations. That vision, as set forth in the strategic plan, LearningFirst, and advanced by the Chancellor's Council on Innovation and Student Learning, promotes learning opportunities "anyplace, anytime, anyway."

LearningFirst has shaped the College's transformation from a tri-college system into a single college with campuses at Catonsville, Dundalk and Essex, and extension centers in Hunt Valley, Owings Mills, White Marsh, Towson and Eastern Boulevard. Annually, the college serves about 60,000 students with its credit and non-credit course offerings, and more than 175 companies with customized employee development training.

CCBC was competitively chosen among 30 Bellwether Finalist colleges after a nomination process by the University of Florida Institute of Higher Education. Ten finalists were selected in the categories of: Instructional Programs and Services; Planning, Governance and Finance; and Workforce Development. The other two award recipients were Delaware Technical & Community College, Dover, Del., in the Instructional Programs and Services category and Central Community College - Platte Campus, Columbus, Neb., in the Workforce Development category.

The Community College Futures Assembly convenes annually as an independent national policy forum for key opinion leaders to work as a "think tank" in identifying critical issues facing the future of community colleges and to recognize Bellwether Finalist colleges as trendsetting institutions.

For more information, contact Mary De Luca, Senior Director, Public Relations, CCBC, 800 S. Rolling Rd., Baltimore, Md. 21228, phone 410-898-1218.