Western Dakota Technical College is honored to announce its submission, "Moving the Needle: Implementing an Action-Based Strategic Enrollment Management Plan," is a Top 10 Bellwether Finalist in the Governance, Finance, and Planning award category. This is the third time WDTC has had an entry accepted as a finalist in the national two-year college excellence competition for the Bellwether Award.
The Bellwether College Consortium announced Bellwether Finalists will compete for the 2023 Bellwether Award at the 29th Annual Community College Futures Assembly (CCFA), in San Antonio, Texas, in February 2023. This nationally recognized award identifies and honors outstanding and innovative community college programs in three award categories, with 10 finalists in each category.
“The significance of the Bellwether Award is that the winning programs are replicable, scalable, equity-focused, and demonstrate evidence-based success,” said Rose Martinez, Ph.D., director for the Bellwether College Consortium. “With the complexity of issues facing our community colleges today, these finalists are extraordinary examples of colleges providing scalable solutions to tough challenges.”
A Bellwether Finalist is a community college with a program that scores highest in the first round of competition and is invited to compete in the final round of award competition. The Bellwether Award categories are Instructional Programs and Services, Workforce Development, and Planning, Governance and Finance.
Finalists in the Planning, Governance, and Finance category, which recognizes programs or activities that improve college efficiency and effectiveness are:
- Alamo Colleges District (TX)
- Blinn College District (TX)
- Clark State College (OH)
- Hudson County Community College (NJ)
- Lakeshore Technical College (WI)
- Lamar State College - Port Arthur (TX)
- Pima Community College (AZ)
- Polk State College (FL)
- Sinclair Community College (OH)
- Western Dakota Technical College (SD)
The Bellwether College Consortium issued a call for nominations in the summer of 2022. Finalists representing 14 states and 24 community colleges were selected to compete from a large pool of submissions. College teams will conduct presentations to a jury of anonymous judges and fellow community college practitioners and CEOs and share how they significantly addressed a critical issue affecting community colleges. Event co-sponsors include the National Council of Instructional Administrators, the National Council for State Directors of Community Colleges, and the National Council for Continuing Education and Training.
The Community College Futures Assembly convenes annually as an independent national forum for innovators to work as a think tank. It identifies successful responses to critical issues facing the future of community colleges and hosts its national award competition annually.
Visit the Bellwether College Consortium website for more information, www.bellwethercollegeconsortium.com.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Western Dakota Technical College
Western Dakota Technical College (WDTC) was established in 1968 and is the only technical college serving the western South Dakota region.
WDTC offers more than 40 programs in a variety of fields, including Business and Computers, Construction and Manufacturing, Energy and Environmental Technologies, Health Sciences, Legal and Public Services, and Transportation Technologies.
Ninety-nine percent of Western Dakota Tech's most recent graduates are working, continuing their education, or are enlisted in the military, per the WDTC 2021 Placement Report. There were 326 respondents out of 380 graduates surveyed. [*Placement information is derived from graduate surveys, faculty-collected data, placement surveys started six months after graduation, and the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation. Overall placement rate is figured by: (responding graduates employed, continuing education, or in military service)/(responding graduates who are seeking employment). The number of program graduates are unduplicated by CIP code.]
Western Dakota Technical College faculty, staff, and administration focus their efforts on helping students gain the skills and experiences they need to succeed. Through hands-on learning, internships, and industry partnerships, Western Dakota Tech students graduate ready to make a real and immediate contribution to their employers and to their communities.
For information about WDTC, call (800) 544-8765 or (605) 718-2565 or send an email to Admissions@wdt.edu. Visit us on the web at wdt.edu.
