Norco College was one of the 10 finalists for a Bellwether Award in the category of Planning, Governance and Finance.

 

Ultimately, the award went to Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, WI. The College, however, was acknowledged for its groundbreaking work on its program - Holistic Student Supports - A Foundation for Equity in Guided Pathways. Norco College has a history of Bellwether Award success, having previously been honored in 2015 when the institution received the Bellwether Award in the Instructional Program and Services category for the Summer Advantage Program.

 

The nationally recognized Bellwether Award focuses on cutting-edge, trendsetting programs worthy of replication. Annually, 30 community colleges are deemed finalists from a large group of applicants in the United States and its territories. The selected colleges compete for one of three Bellwether Awards.

 

The College’s nominated project focused on the implementation of a holistic student support process based on Achieving the Dream’s Holistic Student Supports Redesign Toolkit. Through the efficient utilization of existing technology and personnel, Norco College successfully launched a program at scale for incoming students. This initiative has led to the creation of customized support plans for each student and improved student services throughout the campus.