Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program announced on August 22 that College of San Mateo’s College President, Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza, is one of 26 leaders selected for the 2022-23 class of the Aspen New Presidents Fellowship. This program, made possible with support from JPMorgan Chase, supports community college presidents in the early years of their tenure as they work to achieve higher and more equitable levels of student success.

This class of fellows represent the diversity of our nation’s community colleges, collectively serving over 250,000 students at colleges across the nation, in urban, suburban, and rural areas. The incoming class of New Presidents Fellows is 46 percent female and 65 percent are people of color. Located in 19 states, their institutions too are diverse, from a tribal college with fewer than 300 students to an urban college that educates more than 35,000 each year.

The fellows, selected through a competitive process, will work closely with other transformational community college presidents and Aspen leaders over nine months to learn from field-leading research, analyze their colleges’ student outcomes, and clarify their visions for excellent and equitable outcomes for students while in college and after they graduate.

“The quality of our nation’s community colleges depends on the quality of our college presidents,” said Josh Wyner, executive director of the College Excellence Program. “I am continually inspired and motivated by the dedication and expertise that our fellows bring to the work of advancing excellence and equity on their campuses, and I look forward to seeing the changes they make in real time to improve outcomes for their students.”

“I am honored to have been selected to the Aspen Institute’s New Presidents Fellowship,” said Dr. Jennifer Taylor-Mendoza. “Success is a process, and this fellowship models excellence while inspiring reform. There is no question that higher education is changing rapidly as are community services, public resources, and employment. Now more than ever it is imperative that colleges take proactive steps to ensure equitable access and achievement. Community colleges are both cultural centers and economic generators for local communities.”

JPMorgan Chase’s philanthropic support for the Aspen Presidential Fellowship is part of the firm’s New Skills at Work initiative to prepare young people for the future of work and meet the growing demand for skilled workers, and the $30 billion commitment to advance racial equity and drive an inclusive economy.

For bios and photos of all 26 leaders, visit highered.aspeninstitute.org/meet-the-new-presidents-fellows.

About College of San Mateo
For 100 years, College of San Mateo has served the region as a gateway to higher education leading to university transfer, career preparation and advancement, and professional and personal development. Serving over 13,000 students annually, CSM offers a wide range of degree and certificate programs which include traditional, semester-length and short courses in a variety of face-to-face and online learning modalities. The college provides holistic student services including the Promise Scholars Program, SparkPoint, a Zero Textbook Cost program, learning communities, workforce/job placement, and student clubs. Learn more at collegeofsanmateo.edu.

The Aspen Institute College Excellence Program supports colleges and universities in their quest to achieve a higher standard of excellence, delivering credentials that unlock life-changing careers and strengthen our economy, society, and democracy. We know it takes visionary college leaders to achieve this higher standard and we make it our mission to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and research-backed tools to inspire change, shift practice, and advance the capacity of colleges to deliver excellent and equitable student outcomes. For more information, visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. Learn more at www.aspeninstitute.org.

About JPMorgan Chase
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $3.7 trillion and operations worldwide. The Firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and small businesses, commercial banking, financial transaction processing, and asset management. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of customers in the United States and many of the world’s most prominent corporate, institutional and governmen.