The Aspen Institute of College Excellence Program announced yesterday that Dr. Randall
J. VanWagoner, President of Mohawk Valley Community College, was selected for the
inaugural class of the Aspen Presidents Fellowship. This program, made possible with
support from JPMorgan Chase, focuses on developing a sustainable and comprehensive
reform agenda that advances excellence and equity in student outcomes at scale.
This class of fellows represents the diversity of our nation’s community colleges. They lead institutions across 14 states that collectively educate over 280,000 students in incredibly varied settings, from a rural college of 700 students to an urban one with enrollment over 24,000. The incoming class of Presidents Fellows is 56% women and 44% people of color.
Selected through a competitive process, the fellows will, over 12 months, work closely with a faculty of leading community college presidents and senior staff from the Aspen Institute. They will learn about and compare their practices to those of field-leading colleges, analyze their students’ graduation and post-graduation outcomes, and advance their priority reforms aimed at delivering excellent and equitable student outcomes.
“Scaled improvements in student outcomes at our nation’s community colleges requires excellent leadership,” said Josh Wyner, Executive Director of the College Excellence Program. “I am continually inspired and motivated by the dedication and expertise that our fellows bring to the work of advancing excellence and equity on their campuses, and I look forward to supporting them as they improve outcomes for their students.”
Dr. Randall J. VanWagoner has been president of Mohawk Valley Community College since July 1, 2007. He has spoken on community college campuses around the country and his book, “Competing on Culture: Driving Change in Community Colleges,” provides insight into how organizations can thrive in uncertain times. Since 2016, VanWagoner has been the co-facilitator of the national Strategic Horizon Network for community colleges, nine community colleges in seven states that bring teams of faculty and staff together twice a year around the country to learn about disruption, vibrant cultures, and equity outside of education. He is past chair of the New York Community College Association of Presidents and currently chairs the New York State Student Success Center Advisory Board. Since 2018, he has served on the national Policy Leadership Trust for Jobs for the Future, and recently became co-chair of the national Community College Workforce Consortium.
Prior to his time at MVCC, VanWagoner was the chief academic officer at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha and the chief student affairs officer after serving as registrar and director of research and planning at Red Rocks Community College in Lakewood, Colo. He started his career as a research analyst at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Mich. A Michigan native, VanWagoner started college as a two-sport athlete at Mott Community College and went on to receive his bachelor’s in communications from Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., and his master’s and doctorate in higher education, with an emphasis in community college administration, from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. He and his wife, Jennifer, who is director of Grants and Community Engagement at the Mohawk Valley Refugee Center, have been married for 29 years and have two adult daughters.
Learn more about the 2023-24 class of Aspen Presidents Fellows.
About the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program
The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program supports colleges and universities in their quest to achieve a higher standard of excellence, delivering credentials that unlock life-changing careers and strengthen our economy, society, and democracy. They equip visionary college leaders with the knowledge, skills, and research-backed tools to inspire change, shift practice, and advance the capacity of colleges to deliver excellent and equitable student outcomes. For more information, visit highered.aspeninstitute.org.
About the Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colo., and an international network of partners.
About JPMorgan & Chase
JPMorgan Chase’s philanthropic support for the Aspen Presidential Fellowship is part of the firm’s New Skills at Work initiative to prepare young people for the future of work and meet the growing demand for skilled workers, and the $30 billion commitment to advance racial equity and drive an inclusive economy.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $3.7 trillion and operations worldwide. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of customers in the United States and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan and Chase brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.