CCBC Receives 2021 Ellucian Impact Award for Efforts to Support Students During Pandemic
Apr 16, 2021 | by Lisa Harlow | 443.840.4668 (office) | 443.610.3246 (cell)
Ellucian, the leading higher education technology solutions provider has announced that Community College of Baltimore County has won a 2021 Ellucian Impact Award. CCBC was honored for its “CCBC Cares” program to support students impacted by the pandemic. The college will receive a $25,000 grant.
The annual Ellucian Impact Awards celebrate visionaries who are inspiring others to push the boundaries of higher education technology and innovation. The announcement was made during Ellucian Live, the industry’s top global technology conference. This year, Ellucian recognized six institutions that represent excellence across the categories of student well-being, innovation and digital transformation. CCBC won in the student well-being category.
The other winners include University of Southampton (United Kingdom), Ajman University (United Arab Emirates), University of Hartford, University of the West Indies-Cave Hill and New Jersey Institute of Technology.
“It has been inspiring to see how these Ellucian customers are using technology to operate more efficiently, overcome challenges and offer a unique student experience. This year’s Impact Award Winners truly exemplify what it means to be a transformational, digitally focused and student-centered institution. I’m honored to recognize them for their remarkable efforts and look forward to continued partnership in navigating the future together,” said Laura Ipsen, President and CEO, Ellucian.
“CCBC is extremely proud to be a recipient of this year’s Ellucian Impact Award,” said CCBC President Dr. Sandra Kurtinitis. “Our students are the heart of our college, so when the pandemic hit, we made every effort to assist them and provide them with the tools they needed to manage their education. This grant from Ellucian will go toward continuing our student support efforts.”
When CCBC campuses closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic, the college launched CCBC Cares, a multi-pronged initiative that made a big impact on access, retention and success for its widely diverse student population. It was especially crucial for vulnerable students who needed technology to switch easily to remote learning. Initiatives under the CCBC Cares umbrella addressed the academic, technological and financial needs of students. New instructional methods were put in place to make on-campus learning safe and give students options beyond on-campus classes to include remote, hybrid and simulcast course formats. Technology supports enhanced the students’ ability to utilize student-facing pages and forms to access vital college information. And, CCBC distributed CARES Act funds directly to targeted groups of students impacted by the pandemic, such as those who needed laptops or Wi-Fi to work remotely.
The combination of targeted messaging using the Ellucian Banner Student System and knowledgeable staff who knew how to deliver support were critical components to the success of CCBC Cares. The initiative touched close to 10,000 students and resulted in summer and fall enrollment numbers that surpassed the enrollment budget by 108 percent and 104 percent, respectively.
More information on Ellucian’s Impact Awards can be found at https://www.ellucian.com/impact-award.
# # #
About the Community College of Baltimore County (www.ccbcmd.edu)
Since 1957, CCBC has opened the doors to accessible, affordable, high-quality education empowering generations of area residents to transform their lives and the lives of others. Each year, more than 50,000 students enroll at the college’s main campuses, extension centers and online to make their starts, earn degrees, launch and build careers. CCBC offers the region’s most expansive selection of degree, certificate and workplace certification programs that prepare students for transfer, job entry and career advancement in such industries as business, education, health care, information technology, cybersecurity, construction and transportation. Designated as the “Best Community College” among the Maryland Daily Record’s 2020 Reader Rankings, CCBC is also nationally recognized as a leader in innovative learning strategies and among the nation’s top associate degree producers.
CCBC is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.