Santa Fe College earns inaugural Impact and Success Award from ACCT
August 19, 2025
Santa Fe College is the recipient of the inaugural 2025 Impact and Success Award for the Southern Region from the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). SF is one of only five colleges across the country to receive this honor. The award will be presented at the ACCT Leadership Conference in New Orleans this October.
As a regional winner, SF is in the running for the national Impact and Success Award, which will be announced at the same conference.
The award was developed to recognize colleges that “demonstrate the impact and success of their educational programs,” said ACCT Chair and Bellevue Community College Trustee Rich Rukutaki. “Every trustee, college president or chancellor, faculty member, and professional board staff member who receive (these) awards are vital to their college’s own successes, and it is ACCT’s privilege to be able to recognize their dedication and accomplishments.”
Among the accomplishments that earned Santa Fe College the honor was the prestigious Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, which is awarded to institutions that serve as national models. It recognized the College’s commitment to access, student success and workforce development. Notably, SF graduates earn 30 percent more than the regional average. The College also holds the highest graduation rates in the Florida College System.
In addition, the award recognizes the College’s efforts to launch cutting-edge programs like semiconductor training to the reimagining of math instruction, which led to the highest course completion rates in college history. Also notable were the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, a hub for academic innovation, the Academy for Science and Technology, and multiple other efforts to support students well-being and academic success.
Further, the college’s new five-year Strategic Plan established a unified institutional vision to guide the college’s collective efforts. SF expanded professional development, created career ladders to promote internal mobility, and implemented processes to ensure that employees have clear pathways for advancement.
In recognizing the award, Dr. Paul Broadie Jr., President of Santa Fe College, said, “Santa Fe College remains a beacon of opportunity and innovation in higher education. I am excited about what we have accomplished – and even more excited about what lies ahead.”
