November 14, 2025
By Barton Communications
The Bellwether College Consortium has announced the 30 finalists selected to compete for the prestigious Bellwether Award at the 32nd Annual Community College Futures Assembly (CCFA). This nationally recognized award honors outstanding and innovative programs in U.S. community colleges across three categories.
The Bellwether Award honors excellence in three categories:
- Instructional Programs and Services – recognizing programs and services that foster student success and teaching innovation.
- Workforce Development – highlighting strategic alliances between community colleges and workforce partners that address regional labor market needs.
- Planning, Governance, and Finance – celebrating innovative approaches in college planning, management, and resource optimization.
“We broke last year’s record with a total of 114 submissions from 91 community colleges across 30 states,” said Rose Martinez, Ph.D., director of the Bellwether College Consortium. “The large number of competitive entries reflects the impactful work community colleges are doing nationwide—and the academic and economic boost they provide to their local communities. The consortium looks forward to hosting the 2026 Community College Futures Assembly and recognizing three top colleges with the Bellwether Award.”
A Bellwether Finalist represents a community college program that earned one of the highest scores in the first round of the national competition and has been invited to present in the final round. Finalists were announced on November 3.
Finalists in the Instructional Programs and Services category are:
- Bergen Community College
- Brookdale Community College
- Cerritos College
- Dallas College
- Florida Gateway College
- Isothermal Community College
- Joliet Junior College
- Odessa College
- Springfield Technical Community College
- SUNY Orange
Finalists in the Workforce Development category are:
- Barton Community College
- Cerritos College
- Community College of Rhode Island
- Illinois Central College
- Jackson State Community College
- Kansas City Kansas Community College
- Merced College
- Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
- Pikes Peak State College
- Rio Salado College
Finalists in the Planning, Governance, and Finance category are:
- Des Moines Area Community College
- Gavilan Joint Community College
- Hudson County Community College
- Marion Technical College
- South Louisiana Community College
- St. Louis Community College
- Stanly Community College
- Truckee Meadows Community College
- Victor Valley College
- Wayne Community College
The Bellwether College Consortium issued a call for nominations in the summer of 2025. Finalists representing 19 states and 29 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 Association of Community College Trustees, the National Council of Instructional Administrators, the National Council for State Directors of Community Colleges, the National Association of Community College Entrepreneurship, and the National Council for Continuing Education and Training. The national competition will be held February 22 - 24, in San Antonio, Texas. The 2026 Bellwether Award recipients will be named at the event.
Barton Community College is being recognized by Bellwether for its nursing program partnership with Pratt Community College. Barton began providing the ADN program on the Pratt campus in 2021, and the LPN program in 2022, with the purpose of meeting healthcare staffing needs in a largely rural area, supporting the Central Kansas region.
“We are deeply thankful to be recognized as a Bellwether Award finalist this year,” said Barton Community College President Dr. Marcus Garstecki. “Barton has an amazing nursing program, and we are proud of the work being done by our faculty and staff because it is their combined efforts that have made it such a great success. This recognition would also not be possible without the support of the Pratt Community College leadership team and the healthcare partners in Pratt and the surrounding area. This honor underscores Barton’s commitment to excellence and demonstrates the power of collaboration between our devoted faculty and staff, our students, regional healthcare facilities, and the other community partners who help bring our vision to life. Together, we have created a program giving students the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to thrive in an ever-changing workforce. Being recognized in this way encourages us to continue leading with vision and ensures that Barton remains a place where students can grow, succeed, and make a difference in their communities.”
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, or email rmartinez1702@alamo.edu.