APPENDICES (Criteria E, F, G)
Appendix A Student Success through Guided Pathways: The ACC Strategic Plan, 2017–2021 Prologue: Setting the Context A college’s strategic plan has three fundamental purposes, including to: • Clarify the outcomes the college wishes to achieve, • Identify the strategies by which it will achieve those outcomes, and • Select the metrics by which it may measure effectiveness and progress. In part one of this plan, Austin Community College (ACC) reviews the policies by which its Board of Trustees has framed its vision for the future, established values by which it will operate, and reviewed the fundamental provisions necessary to fulfill its legislative mission. All of these statements revolve around the important role of higher education and training, both for individual students and more broadly, for the community in promotion of such outcomes as social equity, economic and workforce development, and democratic government. First and foremost, however, the College must focus on student success, for without it, none of the broader outcomes will be realized. Student success in higher education and training is more valuable than ever before. Technology is changing rapidly and the world is becoming ever more connected as the Internet has broadened access to knowledge across the globe. Whereas a high school education was once sufficient for many jobs, that is no longer the case. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has noted that if a person today does not achieve a postsecondary certificate or degree by age 26, the chances for him or her to escape poverty are minimal. Texas has set a bold goal of 60x30TX, planning for 60 percent of Texans between the ages of 25 and 34 to have a postsecondary certificate or degree by 2030. The state calls for a higher education that not only teaches the liberal arts and “soft skills” of communication and critical thinking, but also provides specific “marketable skills” by which students’ career prospects are enhanced. Further, such education needs to be made more affordable and not leave students with a crippling debt. In spite of dedicated leadership, thousands of talented faculty and staff members, strong community support, and worldclass facilities, ACC lags behind national and state averages in terms of student completion, notably for students of low income, those who have been historically underserved, and our fastest-growing population of Hispanic Texans. To address this fact, ACC responded to the 2015 study Redesigning America’s Community Colleges (Bailey, Jaggars, and Jenkins) with the organization of a Futures Institute, composed of a representative selection of college faculty, staff, and students, to examine our organization and practices, engage in extensive discussions with our constituents, and visit other leading institutions across the nation. Overwhelmingly, the response both nationally and within the state has been to redesign the community college along the framework of “guided pathways.” In part two of this plan, ACC outlines the overarching goals necessary to implement guided pathways and ensure that they will result in greater success for our students and thus our community: INNOVATIONS SELF-STUDY 2017 65 1. Improved Access and Enrollment. We must maintain an open door for all potential students, ensure their understanding of the importance of higher education, and provide relevant programs and timely services to enroll them in a guided pathway to completion. This will include continued partnerships with our high schools, community agencies, and business/industry to promote college readiness and serve those adults who are unemployed or underemployed. We will target the high-demand and high-paying opportunities for students in our region’s target sectors of Information Technology, Health Sciences, and Construction/Trades/Manufacturing.
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AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE INNOVATION
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STATE AND REGIONAL SUPPORT (Criteri
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P.O. Box 1784, Austin, Texas 78767-
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Building Better Futures for More th
- Page 16 and 17: PROGRAM ACCREDITATIONS In addition
- Page 18 and 19: ENROLLMENT GROWTH ACC is committed
- Page 20 and 21: ACC SERVICE AREA AND TAXING DISTRIC
- Page 22 and 23: NORTHRIDGE 11928 Stonehollow Dr. Au
- Page 24 and 25: HIGHLAND PHASE I 6101 Airport Blvd.
- Page 26 and 27: RIVERSIDE 1020 Grove Blvd. Austin,
- Page 28 and 29: The Board of Trustees provides valu
- Page 30 and 31: College Governance and Collaborativ
- Page 32 and 33: college student development from St
- Page 34 and 35: Achieving Sustainable Excellence AC
- Page 36 and 37: LEADING IN THE CLASSROOM AND BEYOND
- Page 38 and 39: The Future of ACC Highland ACC High
- Page 40 and 41: FOSTERING STUDENT SUCCESS THROUGH I
- Page 42 and 43: BUILDING A COLLEGE-GOING CULTURE No
- Page 44 and 45: Accelerating Success Many students
- Page 46 and 47: Futures Institute members performed
- Page 48 and 49: Support for the College Experience
- Page 50 and 51: Programs for Student Support and En
- Page 52 and 53: Innovative Options for Diverse Lear
- Page 54 and 55: Beyond Graduation ACC’s commitmen
- Page 56 and 57: Addressing Workforce Needs PREPARIN
- Page 58 and 59: INNOVATION THROUGH COLLABORATION (C
- Page 60 and 61: INDUSTRY PARTNERS ACC also partners
- Page 62 and 63: RECOGNIZING ACHIEVEMENT (Criteria A
- Page 64 and 65: ADVOCATING FOR OPPORTUNITY ACC is c
- Page 68 and 69: 2. Increased Persistence and Engage
- Page 70 and 71: Austin Community College will estab
- Page 72 and 73: Metrics: Enrollment, participation
- Page 74 and 75: Metrics: Average time to associate
- Page 76 and 77: Bailey, T.R., Jaggars, S.S., & Jenk
- Page 78 and 79: Henderson, C., & Lawton, J. (eds.)
- Page 80 and 81: Texas Higher Education Coordinating
- Page 82: Lilly Conference Scholarships: FCTL
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