San Jacinto College named Top 10 in the nation

San Jacinto College has once again been named one of the top 10 community colleges in the nation by The Aspen Institute, which designated the College as a finalist for the prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.

Accepting the award in Washington D.C., San Jacinto College Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer said, “This award reflects the achievements and commitment of our faculty, staff, and administration who are focused on helping our diverse student population pursue and accomplish its goals. As a College, we hold ourselves to the ultimate measure of student success, and being recognized as one of the top 10 community colleges in the nation is proof that our mission to provide innovative, accessible education is being accomplished.” 

Launched in 2011, the $1 million Aspen Prize is awarded every two years to a community college achieving high marks in student learning, certificate and degree completion, employment and earnings for graduates, and access and success for minority and low-income students. From the more than 1,100 community colleges nationwide, San Jacinto College was first selected among the top 150 last spring. A selection committee then narrowed down those institutions to the top 10 and named two Aspen Prize winners and three Rising Star recipients. San Jacinto College was also a Rising Star Award recipient in 2017, placing the College among the nation’s top five community colleges. 

San Jac breaks ground on new campus

San Jacinto College has officially broken ground on its new Generation Park Campus, expanding its accessibility to residents of North Houston. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on April 23, with the College’s senior leadership in attendance to celebrate the milestone event.

College Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer said, “We know that growth is occurring more rapidly in that part of Houston, and we are committed to responding to the higher education needs of the residential and business populations.” 

Several of the fastest growing ZIP codes in the Houston area are adjacent to the new 55-acre
Generation Park Campus, and the population around Generation Park is growing at approximately twice the rate of the rest of the College district. 

To better serve these residents, the College is constructing a 50,000-square-foot facility that will house general education and academic classes and will be designed to fit the workforce needs of the businesses in the area. 

The Generation Park Campus is set to open for classes in fall 2020.