AURORA | Community College of Aurora was granted the Institutional Award for Entrepreneuring Excellence by Higher Education Innovation this fall.
“It is difficult, particularly these days, to take risks, step out of comfort zones, and attempt bold transformation,” HEI President Mary Landon Darden said in a statement. “These great institutions and leaders have the courage and know-how to do just that.”
The national honor recognizes higher education institutions that provide student assistance and that contribute to a prosperous future for higher education, the statement said.
The Student Success Division’s Hunger-Free Campus designation and the work of the Dr. Linda Speier Bowman Teaching and Learning Transformation Hub were two initiatives that led the Community College of Aurora to be granted the award.
The transformation hub helps students develop intentional degree pathways and addresses retention barriers, such as implementing zero-textbook-cost offerings, according to the statement.
“This recognition affirms what we know to be true — that through intentionality and integrity, we lead with innovation, courage and care,” Mordecai Brownlee, CCA president, said in a statement.
Higher Education Innovation considers the role of forward-looking college faculty and leaders when selecting award recipients. Faculty members that HEI named from CCA include Tanya Cook, a nationally recognized expert on fandom activism, and Tom Dillon, who organizes participation in the Colorado Space Grant Consortium.
The award also recognized Brownlee for committing to forward-thinking innovations, such as the new Center for Applied Science and Technology and the Centennial Campus for Healthcare and First Responders. The statement said these initiatives led to a student enrollment increase for fall 2025.
“Every advancement reflects our commitment to expanding upward economic mobility and transforming lives,” Brownlee said. “I could not be prouder of our faculty, staff, instructors and students who together embody the entrepreneurial spirit that positions CCA as a force shaping the future of higher education.”