Allan Hancock College wins national education award

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Allan Hancock College has been chosen as a recipient of the 2023 American Council on Education (ACE) Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation.

This award is given to institutions that "respond to challenges in higher education in innovative and creative ways."

Representatives from the college went to Washington, D.C. to accept the award.

They accepted $10,000 dollars on Friday, April 14.

The other recipient was Texas Women's College.

ACE President Ted Mitchell said, "Allan Hancock College and Texas Woman’s University serve as excellent examples of the efforts our institutions are undertaking to increase access to higher education and meet the needs of an ever-more diverse student body."

Allan Hancock College received the award for the program "Credit Where Credit's Due."

It's an automated program that shifted procedure surrounding awarding degrees and certificates.

The algorithm looks for students who are close to graduating and awards the degrees to them without the students needing to apply for graduation.

In the first year of the program students that earned degrees increased by 22%.

Hancock President Kevin Walthers said, "The Credit Where Credit’s Due program reminds us that relatively simple shifts in procedures can eradicate barriers with significant, life-changing outcomes for students."

"This is just one example of how our college departments are working together and changing the odds for our students.”