BMCC/CUNY ASAP Recognized With 2020 Innovations in American Government Award

The Accelerated Study in Associate Program (ASAP) at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) is one of nine ASAP programs CUNY-wide, recognized with the 2020 Innovations in American Government Award from the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

This year, the Innovations Award sought programs working to create economic opportunity for all in their communities. At BMCC, ASAP students are grouped in small cohorts and benefit from comprehensive and personalized advisement, academic support services, professional development opportunities, tuition assistance, transportation and textbooks.

“For the past 13 years, ASAP had an enormous impact on the lives of over 58,000 associate degree-seeking CUNY students, helping them achieve their educational dreams and transform their lives, while simultaneously earning its much-deserved recognition as a national model for student success and educational opportunity,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “At this time of great national urgency and personal challenges, at CUNY we feel tremendous pride at the news that ASAP has been awarded the prestigious 2020 Innovations in American Government Award.”

“BMCC ASAP is the largest ASAP in CUNY and we are proud to be part of a mission committed to the academic, professional and personal development of students. We share this honor with ASAP colleagues across the University who are dedicated to placing students on a path to long-term success and recognize BMCC for thirteen years of support  and commitment to the ASAP mission,” said BMCC ASAP Executive Director Deanne Southwell.

Award recognizes creation of economic opportunity

ASAP was one of four finalists for this year’s award selected by a team of policy experts, practitioners and researchers for their success in addressing and promoting economic opportunity and social mobility.

At nearly 53 percent, ASAP’s three-year graduation rate is more than double the rate among non-ASAP associate degree-seeking students. Additionally, analysis of the first five cohorts shows that ASAP narrows existing graduation gaps for Black and Hispanic males and that all subgroups of students benefit from the program.

“CUNY through its ASAP program clearly demonstrates how supportive programs increase the completion rate of students able to complete their associates degrees,” said Professor Stephen Goldsmith, the director of the Innovations in American Government Program at the Ash Center. “The conclusions of our national panel of experts show that as we come out of the current crisis now more than ever what CUNY has done should be a model for community college and university systems across the country.”

ASAP’s success replicated across five states

Since 2007, when ASAP was launched through support of the New York City Office of the Mayor’s Center for Economic Opportunity (now NYC Opportunity), ASAP has helped students earn associate degrees within three years by providing a range of financial, academic and personal support services.

The program’s success has led to national replication of the ASAP model across five states. A random-assignment evaluation conducted by MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research firm, recently found that a replication of ASAP at three community colleges in Ohio had doubled three-year graduation rates and increased transfers to four-year colleges by nearly 50 percent.

ASAP, which is committed to graduating at least 50 percent of its student within three years, also offers special class scheduling options to ensure that ASAP students get the classes they need, are in classes with other ASAP students, and attend classes in convenient blocks of time to accommodate their work schedules.

As students approach graduation, they receive special supports to help them transfer to four-year colleges or transition into the workforce, depending on their goals. The program now serves 25,000 students per year across nine partner colleges, and has been adapted to support baccalaureate students at two CUNY senior colleges.

To read the CUNY press release, click here.

 

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