For Immediate Release

Contact: Anthony Twyman
Public Relations Coordinator
Community College of Philadelphia
Office: (215) 751-8082
atwyman@ccp.edu

COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF PHILADELPHIA A FINALIST FOR NATIONAL BELLWETHER AWARD

PHILADELPHIA, January 25, 2007 – Community College of Philadelphia’s Center for Law and Society was selected as a national finalist and will present its innovative practices from Jan. 27 to Jan. 30 at a conference in Orlando, Florida, that will determine the winners of this year’s prestigious Bellwether awards.

Bellwether awards recognize outstanding and innovative programs and practices that are successfully leading community colleges into the future. The awards are an integral part of the 2007 Community College Futures Assembly, which is sponsored by the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Florida.

Representatives from the College’s Center for Law and Society will showcase their innovative approach to student retention and success that has empowered students pursuing law-related degrees, helped increase the College’s overall graduation rate, assisted students transferring to four-year institutions of higher education and provided regional employers with the skilled professionals they need to succeed.

“We are honored to have been recognized a third time as a national finalist for our innovative programs,” said Community College of Philadelphia President Stephen M. Curtis, who will represent the College in Orlando. In previous years, the College was a finalist for its Ford Maintenance and Light Repair program and its Biomedical Technician Training program.

“This is a wonderful honor for the Center for Law and Society and for the College,” said Kathleen Smith, Esq., acting assistant dean for the College’s Division of Liberal Studies and director of the College’s Center for Law and Society. Smith will be the College’s lead presenter at the conference, along with David Freeman, an assistant professor and coordinator for the College’s Justice program. Community College of Philadelphia was among 30 community colleges from across the nation selected as finalists.