Fountain Valley, CA, May 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program recently announced that Dr. Vincent Rodriguez, Vice President of Instruction at Coastline College, is one of 40 leaders selected for the 2020-21 class of the Aspen Rising Presidents Fellowship, a highly selected leadership program preparing the next generation of community college presidents to transform institutions to achieve higher and more equitable levels of student success. The Rising Presidents Fellows will embark on a 10-month fellowship beginning in July 2020.
Dr. Vince Rodriguez is a strong believer in education being the most powerful tool for providing social justice for traditionally disadvantaged students. “While elite colleges and universities choose to only accept students who have demonstrated the most academic success, community colleges accept the top 100% of applicants. As a result, working in a community college has become a calling and someday becoming a community college president would be my way of paying forward the opportunities provided to me and my family,” says Dr. Rodriguez.
Dr. Rodriguez grew up in Orange, California. He graduated from Orange Coast College with an Associate degree and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in information technology and a Master of Arts in education with an emphasis in distance learning and adult education. In 2011 he completed his study related to retention of online students while earning his doctorate in educational leadership from California State University, Long Beach.
Dr. Rodriguez has been a member of the Coast Community College District in California since 1998 and has worked as a classified employee, instructor, and administrator. Over his 20-plus years at Coastline, he provided leadership at each of Coastline’s learning centers and spent many years overseeing a distance learning program that accounts for nearly 75 percent of the enrollments at the college. Dr. Rodriguez has served in the role as vice president of instruction at Coastline since 2012.
“Vince has been an integral part of Coastline for many years and is one of our best assets. He is deeply dedicated to student success and has been an innovator in education technology and distance learning curriculum. His commitment to excellence has set him apart as a leader in higher education and we are truly lucky to have him. We are so proud of Dr. Rodriguez and delighted the Aspen Institute has chosen him for their fellowship leadership program ” Loretta P. Adrian, Ph.D., President of Coastline College.
Delivered in collaboration with the Stanford University Educational Leadership Initiative, the fellows will be mentored by esteemed current and former community college presidents who have achieved exceptional outcomes for students throughout their careers and will learn strategies to improve student outcomes in and after college, lead internal change, and create strong external partnerships with K-12 schools, four-year colleges, employers, and other partners.
About Coastline College:
Coastline College steadfastly focuses on providing access and supporting student success and achievement. Inspired by an innovative and student-centered mindset, Coastline delivers flexible courses and services that cultivate and guide diverse student populations across the globe to complete pathways leading to the attainment of associate degrees, certificates, career readiness, and transfer to four-year colleges/universities. Coastline is a recognized leader in the design, development, and use of innovative technology-based teaching and learning practices, processes, and systems for anytime-anywhere learning to achieve and sustain outstanding student success.