The award was created to recognize institutions that have responded
to higher education challenges in innovative and creative ways and
achieved dramatic changes in a relatively brief period, and includes a
$10,000 prize. ACE invited nominations and applications for the award
from any U.S. college or university eligible for ACE membership.
The awards were presented at ACE2017,
ACE’s 99th Annual Meeting, and were accepted by Brandman University
Chancellor Gary Brahm and Agnes Scott College President Elizabeth Kiss
on behalf of their respective institutions.
The award is divided into two categories: the first for institutions
with student populations of 5,001 and more (Brandman University), and
the second for institutions with student populations of up to 5,000
(Agnes Scott College).
“Brandman University and Agnes Scott College represent the ways in
which American higher education institutions, and their leaders are
rising to the challenges of innovation and meeting the needs of 21st
century learners,” said ACE President Molly Corbett Broad. “We
appreciate the generous support of Fidelity Investments for this award,
which allows us each year to recognize institutions where this type of
dramatic transformation has occurred.”
In 2006, leaders at Chapman University (CA) decided that Chapman
University College (CUC), one of seven schools and colleges within the
university, would better serve its student population by undertaking a
different approach than a traditional institution. At the time, CUC was
serving more than 10,000 students, many of whom were first generation
students, a significant active military population and many students who
were taking courses online.
After a thorough analysis and exploration, on June 1, 2008, CUC
became a separate, accredited institution with its own board, faculty
and administration. In September 2009, the name was formally changed to
"Brandman University" to honor a significant founding gift. The school
completely reinvented its approach from the ground up, including its
core student services and academic advising, instruction delivery and a
new curriculum based on the needs of the modern workforce.
Today, Brandman University serves more than 12,000 students (a 20
percent increase in enrollment in five years) through a network of 27
campus locations throughout California and Washington (with six of those
located directly on military bases), and nationally through the highly
ranked online campus.
“Innovation is the backbone of Brandman University. It’s our
foundation. By becoming a separate university, we created an institution
that enables us to focus on the needs—and successes—of our students. We
have developed the mission, vision and values that unified the energy
and excitement of our new enterprise to adopt best practices and
implement innovations to better serve our non-traditional student body,”
said Brahm. “We are gratified all this hard work from our team has
resulted in seeing 70 percent of our students graduate, and that our
success has been recognized by our peers.”
In 2011, Agnes Scott, a liberal arts college for women, found itself
confronted with an unsustainable business model. Members of the Board of
Trustees knew they had to chart a new course for the college, and so
they adopted a strategic financial plan called the Roadmap to 2020. But
they soon realized cost-cutting by itself was not a workable strategy.
Over the next three years, the school developed, market-tested and
launched a signature initiative, SUMMIT, that serves to reinvent a
liberal arts education for the 21st century by providing students,
regardless of their major, with a robust focus on global learning and
leadership development integrated with a digital portfolio and supported
by a personal Board of Advisors.
SUMMIT was soft-launched in fall 2014 and fully launched in fall
2015. The impact was immediate and dramatic: enrollment increased 21
percent. Retention also increased and hit an all-time high of 87
percent, with dramatic increases in levels of student satisfaction.
"All of us at Agnes Scott are thrilled to receive this wonderful
award. It took a tremendous amount of creativity, commitment and courage
on the part of trustees, faculty and staff for us to launch an
initiative as ambitious and innovative as SUMMIT. We knew we had to
respond with urgency to the changing landscape of higher education and
to address the challenges facing all liberal arts colleges, especially
women’s colleges, in offering a distinctive value proposition that
aligns with our mission and is compelling to prospective students and
their families," said Kiss. “We are excited to have charted a bold, new
course for our institution through offering our students an education
that will enable them to engage, lead and succeed in a complex global
society."
“Together with ACE, Fidelity is honored to celebrate higher education
leaders creating innovative programs to help their students succeed on
campus and in their careers,” said Alexandra Taussig, senior vice
president, Tax-Exempt Market, Fidelity Investments. “Brandman University
and Agnes Scott College exemplify how a commitment to continued
progress can have significant impact throughout their communities—and
ultimately drive academic achievement that provides a foundation for
ongoing success.”