Greenville Technical College named only S.C. school in Aspen Institute’s Unlocking Opportunity initiative

Greenville Technical College has joined the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program’s expanded Unlocking Opportunity network—an initiative designed to help community colleges enhance programs in ways that improve student outcomes—ensuring students earn degrees that lead to good-paying jobs.

Greenville Technical College, alongside 54 other colleges, will join 10 pilot institutions in a growing national effort to align their programs and student advising with the two most important goals of community college students: leaving college with a credential and a good job or transferring and completing a bachelor’s degree. Through three years of focused work, these colleges will work with Aspen to assess current programs, set goals, and implement research-based changes to increase student success.

“Greenville Technical College is thrilled to expand our relationship with the Aspen Institute through the Unlocking Opportunity initiative to meet the most challenging element of our mission – reshaping communities by advancing the economic mobility of our students,” said Dr. Larry Miller, president of Greenville Technical College. “The chair of our Area Commission, Ray Lattimore, and vice chair, Jo Watson Hackl, are Aspen Fellows. Standing on the shoulders of these leaders of our college and in our community, we are prepared to unlock opportunity for all.”

The multi-year initiative will engage college leaders and teams through a series of virtual and in-person sessions focused on scaling changes that align their community college programs with available good jobs and bachelor’s degree pathways in their regions. Guided by lessons from successful changes implemented by the 10 Unlocking Opportunity pilot institutions, the new 55 colleges will set goals to increase student enrollment in and completion of high-value workforce and transfer programs, while reducing lower-opportunity pathways.

“Knowing from personal experience the ability of the Aspen Institute to drive meaningful change, I am excited to watch as Greenville Technical College’s participation in Unlocking Opportunity helps us advance our mission of empowering individuals through access for all, changing lives through success for all, and reshaping communities through shared economic prosperity,” said Ray Lattimore, chair of the Greenville Technical College Area Commission.

The 10 Unlocking Opportunity pilot institutions are on track to collectively move over 20,000 students into high-value programs of study that lead to good jobs. With this expansion, The Aspen Institute will (for at least the next three years) track and support progress for 65 participating colleges, including those 55 just selected. The Aspen Institute will use insights from this work to inform the broader field through fellowship programs, publications, and state partnerships to provide professional development to college leaders and teams.

Unlocking Opportunity, developed in partnership with the Community College Research Center, is supported by Arnold Ventures, Ascendium Education Group, Bank of America, ECMC Foundation, and JPMorganChase. The expansion of the Unlocking Opportunity network is made possible by the support of JPMorganChase.

To learn more about the network, visit https://highered.aspeninstitute.org/programs/unlocking-opportunity