Charlottesville, Va. – March 4, 2022 – Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) has been named a finalist in two categories of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) national awards of excellence: “Advancing Diversity” and “Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership.” The awards of excellence spotlight higher education institutions that are unwavering and intentional with key initiatives and stand out as models of exemplary practices. PVCC is the only community college in Virginia to be named a finalist and earned these distinctions from within a pool of 1,000 colleges that comprise AACC membership. Winners will be announced at the Awards of Excellence Gala in New York on May 2.

“We are extremely excited to be named finalist in these two categories of the AACC awards. This is an incredible validation of the outstanding work by PVCC staff and faculty and the innovative approaches that we take to education,” shared PVCC President Frank Friedman.

The Advancing Diversity category recognizes the college that has contributed significantly, over a sustained period of time, to advancing diversity in community college leadership, the community and within higher education as a whole. Selection as a finalist indicates a demonstrated ongoing commitment with dedicated resources and measurable outcomes to increase diversity within the college and the greater community.

For PVCC, access to education and an allegiance to diversity are two of seven core values, and efforts in support of these values are exercised daily. The College’s programs and initiatives demonstrate its dedication to delivering on core values. Examples of the institution’s awareness and action include: implementation of a search advocate process to increase diversity and reduce implicit bias in search and hiring procedures; the formation in 2017/18 of a Diversity and Inclusion Committee to focus on employee recruitment and retention; professional development and campus culture; faculty engagement in a process of designing transparent assignments for equitable learning experiences and the establishment of a Division of Community Self-Sufficiency Programs, including Thomas Jefferson Adult Career Education (TJACE@PVCC) and Network2Work@PVCC, which provide education, training and wrap-around support services for some of the area’s most at-risk community members.

The Outstanding College/Corporate Partnership honors local, regional and national collaboration between a college and corporate partner that has achieved demonstrable, multi-year success in advancing the mission of the institution, the economic prosperity of a community, region or the nation, and the learning excellence of students.

PVCC’s submission for this category spotlights its partnership with University of Virginia Health, and collaboration on addressing the critical shortage of nurses in the community. Through the partnership, and with philanthropic support, PVCC expanded its Associate Degree in Nursing program in October 2021. The expansion affords training for an additional 50 nursing students annually. The partnership aims to advance the economic prosperity of the community and the competitiveness of the workforce in the region, advance student success, and close the gap of demand for healthcare professionals in the area by producing an increased count of highly-skilled nursing graduates available for employment each year. It is through unique partnerships made possible by devoted business leaders like UVA Health CEO Wendy Horton and philanthropic support championed by the PVCC Educational Foundation that the College is able to elevate its approaches, innovate on delivery and create a pipeline of outstanding employees for businesses and organizations in the community.

To learn more about the AACC awards at https://s1.goeshow.com/aacc/annual/2022/awards.cfm. Visit www.pvcc.edu to discover more about PVCC.

About Piedmont Virginia Community College

Established in 1972, Piedmont Virginia Community College is a nonresidential two-year institution of higher education that serves Central Virginia – principally, residents of the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson. PVCC is one of 23 community colleges in Virginia that comprise the Virginia Community College System. PVCC is committed to providing access to a college education for all who can benefit, an opportunity for each student to reach her/his potential and excellence in all programs and services. www.pvcc.edu.