Norco College is one of the ten finalists for the prestigious Bellwether Award in the category of Planning, Governance, and Finance. The college has been acknowledged for its groundbreaking work on "Holistic Student Supports – A Foundation for Equity in Guided Pathways."

The Norco College team will be attending the 30 Community College Futures Assembly from February 25 to 27, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. The leadership team comprises Monica Green, President; Tenisha James, Vice President of Planning and Development; David Schlanger, Interim Dean of Student Services; Lilia Garcia, Interim Program Director; Jethro Midgett IV, Counselor; and Desiree Wagner, Administrative Assistant IV.

The nominated project focuses on the implementation of a holistic student support process based on Achieving the Dream’s Holistic Student Supports Redesign Toolkit. Through the efficient utilization of existing technology and personnel, Norco College successfully launched a program at scale for all incoming students. This initiative has led to the creation of customized support plans for each student and improved student services throughout the campus.

Reflecting on the nomination, Norco College President Monica Green, Ed.D. stated, "Being named a finalist for the Bellwether Award for a second time reaffirms our commitment to innovative student support. We are honored to be recognized alongside other outstanding institutions."

Norco College has a history of Bellwether Award success, having previously been honored in January 2015 when the institution received the Bellwether Award in the Instructional Program and Services category for the Summer Advantage Program.

The nationally recognized Bellwether Award focuses on cutting-edge, trendsetting programs worthy of replication. Annually, thirty community colleges are deemed finalists from a large group of applicants in the United States and its territories. The selected colleges compete for one of three Bellwether Awards.

The winners will be announced at the Community College Futures Assembly in San Antonio, Texas, on February 25-27, where leaders from the winning institutions are often recruited by other colleges to replicate their award-winning programs.