MINUTES

Forum of the ACC Board of Trustees with

Area Chambers of Commerce and Community Business Leaders

November 21, 2005

In accordance with the terms and provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of Texas Government Code, the Board of Trustees of the Austin Community College District convened in public session on Monday, November 21, 2005, at 6:05 p.m. in the Board Room (201) of the Highland Business Center of Austin Community College located at 5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin, Texas, with the following members present: Dr. Barbara P. Mink, Chair/Presiding Officer; Mr. John F. Hernandez, Board Vice Chair; Mr. Jeffrey Richard, Secretary; Dr. Lillian J. Davis; Mr. Allen H. Kaplan; Ms. Veronica Rivera; and Dr. John Worley. Trustee Nan McRaven, Rafael Quintanilla and John Worley were absent from the meeting. Also in attendance were members of the area Chambers of Commerce, Community Business Leaders, and ACC faculty/staff:

Dr. Stephen Kinslow	ACC President
Colleen Mullins	Seton Healthcare Network
Jim Butler	City of Austin
Pat Alba	Austin Energy
Carol Jones	Seton Healthcare Network
Karen Duncan	Pflugerville Chamber of Commerce
Stacy Weil	Registered Dental Hygienist
Don Fletcher	Lower Colorado River Authority
Ron Hubbard	City of Austin
Steve Jaeger	Texas Railroad Commission
Will Creighton	Creighton Restaurant Management
Paul Dubiel	Seton Healthcare Network
Marcia Silverberg	Seton Healthcare Network
Wendy Chance	Evins Personnel Consultants, Inc.
Mary Bradshaw	Greater Leander Chamber of Commerce
Susan Wendel	Bastrop Chamber of Commerce
Karen Halladay	Bastrop Chamber of Commerce
Bill Wilson	Texas Workforce Commission
Sally Foster	Seton Healthcare Network
Lars Stanley	Stanley Architect & Artisans, Inc.
Willie Harvey	Department of State Health Services
Mike Midgley	ACC Vice President of Workforce Education & Business Development
Dwayne Cox	ACC Public Information & College Marketing
Jana Israel	ACC Physical Therapist Assistant Program
Pat Recek	ACC Licensed Vocational Nursing Program
Deborah Hill	ACC Radio, Television & Film Program
Kirk White	ACC Continuing Education-Workforce Education
Mary Kohls	ACC Computer Studies Programs
Norma Mercado	ACC Medical Coding Program
Dan Foust	ACC Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Program
Bill Woodhull	ACC Photography Program
Linda Welsh	ACC Child Development Program
Lynn Beaman	ACC Human Services Programs
Hector Aguilar	ACC Electronics/Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology Programs
Kyle Pierce	ACC Emergency Medical Services Professions Program
Nick Sarantakes	ACC Marketing, Financial Management & Real Estate Programs
Rudy Garza	ACC Radiology Program
Jane Billingsley	ACC Office Administration Program
Albert Boswell	ACC Pharmacy Technician Program
Tom Gingras	ACC Welding Program
Renee Cornett	ACC Dental Hygiene Program
Eileen Klein	ACC Health Sciences Division
Linda Smarzik	ACC Computer Studies & Advanced Technologies
Yvonne Van Dyke	ACC Health Sciences Division
Charles Quinn	ACC Business Studies
Gary Hampton	ACC Applied Technologies, Multimedia & Public Service
Sandra Gaskin	ACC Continuing Education Division
Sandra Eames	Austin Recovery Center
Johnny Campbell	Marble Falls EMS
Douglas Smith	ACC Engineering Design Graphics
Tara Smith	UT, Ray Marshall Center
Betty Littrell	Dell
Gordon Walton	Digital Gaming Consultant
Regina Swearengen	ACC Sonography
Andrew Saldana	ACC Visual Communications Design

It is further found and determined that in accordance with the policies and orders of this Board, the notice of this meeting has been posted and return thereof made pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code, and there has been full compliance with the terms and provisions of said act, including the timely posting of the subjects of this meeting.

ITEM FOR DISCUSSION/POSSIBLE ACTION

Agenda Item 8148

Community Forum on Workforce Development/Educational Partnerships for an Economically Vibrant Central Texas

Dr. Mink expressed appreciation to those in attendance and introduced Dr. Stephen B. Kinslow, College President. Dr. Kinslow expressed appreciation for the partnerships with Austin Community College and provided information concerning the Forum.

Dr. Kinslow and Mike Midgley, Vice President for Workforce Education and Business Development, presented information concerning ACC District Goals; “Closing the Gaps’ with regional demographics; ACC Matters to Everyone; ACC Matters to the Community; ACC Matters to Business; Workforce Programs Building Principles; Workforce Programs; and Ensuring Quality.

Forum participants divided into nine work groups to discuss the following questions and provided comments as noted.

1. What is ACC doing well that you want us to continue?

• Very flexible in developing programs and responding to industry needs via assistance with advisory committee
• Works well with Capitol Idea, Skillpoint Alliance, etc.
• Training for individuals preparing for careers
• Works closely with industry
• Provides practical way to careers
• Provides training leading toward transition from high school leading toward work
• Quality grads – prepared for the workforce, fills gap left by four-year programs
• Unique training
• Responsive to business needs – ideas turn to actions
• Prepares students to transfer to UT – Allows students from small high schools to transition to large university; good counseling
• Takes input from medical profession via advisory committee
• Seeks to find out what the community needs
• Leander–ACC open to building a relationship. Responsive.
• Faculty show and teach trends beyond books, teach true workforce issues, equipment, software, “How can I get a job in this area.”
• Internship program – especially in IT
• Quality of education

• Responsive
• Responsive To Community Needs
• Programs Have National Recognition
• Biotech Program
• Partners with high schools – Early College Start co-enrollment
• Quality of health sciences grads
• Teacher prep for childcare
• Accounting department – 6^th highest pass rate in state
• Computer training – largest producer
• High school connection
• Advisory committee
• New Health Sciences building
• Connects with community
• Program certifications/accreditation
• Partnerships

2. What are the core workforce areas where ACC needs to expand or do more, and how?

• Aging workforce – Austin Energy/LCRA will have 50% of baby boomers retire
• Leander – looking for nursing education
• Increasing LVN/RN nursing capacity
• Accelerated nursing programs
• Increase focus on emerging technology
• Increase expansion of programs, such as radio-television entertainment industry
• Increase economic development and Chamber of Commerce relationships
• Healthcare industry – 30% of all new jobs in 2010
• Project management certification
• Expand customized training/non-degree programs
• Design fields (CAD)
• Extend Bastrop area – Early College Start co-enrollment courses; build campus
• Expand nursing programs
• Add respiratory therapy program
• Instill in students a love of learning and collaborate with multidiscipline students working together as teams
• Integrate life skills into every program (SCANS)
• Nursing, EMT, more distance learning
• Advisory committee involvement
• Better orientation for workforce advisory committee member
• How can we better market workforce programs?
• Ensure that grads have real world skills
• Clinical placement prior based on past performance
• Better marketing
• Recruiting/promotion
• Facilities
• More healthcare places - ADN needs to double in five years, Radiology, Surgical Techs, LVNs and more
• Eng/Graphics – students in such demand they leave for jobs (consider work/study?)
• Child Development – more intensive basic skills development (below 8^th grade, literacy, numeracy?)
• High school
• Increase enrollment
• Facilitate space/structure (safety)
• Budget priority
• Increase continuing education students
• Space to offer stand alone continuing education? (daytime)

• How can we better market workforce programs?

· Online education where possible

· Move to non-semester-based time constraints

· 3-D animation & application

3. Are there emerging trends or changes on the horizon that may impact our current programs or identify programs we need to implement?

· Aging population/workforce

· Meeting needs of incumbent worker – those who already have a degree

· ACC will need to be responsive by offering core with cluster of courses to get retraining

· Samsung will affect need for workforce

· Licensures in workforce

· Minority population – how are we addressing growth?

· Aging population – how are we addressing?

· Texas State BAAS degree in which they take ACC courses and some life credit

· Online courses/degrees

· Wage scales lower than cost of living

· Reward system for more education

· Need career path for workforce education while in industry

· Trend toward outsourcing by some area employers

· Rapidity for program development/expansion

· Digital convergence

· Other programs competing w/ACC (four-year & proprietary schools)

· Aware of how ACC can coordinate with existing state/community labor market & economic development – Industry cluster initiative

· ACC response to “creative” culture

· Sustain/energy conservation business

· Growth in positions in health professions – Aging population workforce in health professions

· Need more engineers

· Need non-linear thinkers (more creative)

· U.S. losing their lock on higher education

· Recruit students at earlier ages into science and technology and engineering fields

· Revamp education system – critical thinking activities, globalization, multi-skill, integrator rather than worker

· Outsourcing – get same or better quality product than outsourcing at lower cost

· Problem – the high school student is very different from high school of yesterday

· Strong working relationship w/the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

· SMT will change

· Health care programs will continue to need additional training sites

· Gaming

· Chamber Of Commerce convergent media

· Personal care providers

· Plastic surgery

· Fitness

· Aging baby boomers

· Cost containment education

· Rising healthcare costs

· Short term training – job specific

· Childcare accredited funding (Head Start) requiring two-year degree, but wages don’t support this (rare to have tuition reimbursement)

· More focus on articulation agreements with four-year schools

· Healthcare - more focus on articulation agreements with four-year schools

· Aging workforce plus a growing community

4. How can ACC best assist Chambers of Commerce in their economic development efforts?

· Strengthen & align with industry targets (e.g. ACC involved with Chamber of Commerce industry recruitment trips/efforts)

· Involvement w/business recruitment activities/outreach

· Articulate role of ACC in creating and training an educated workforce

· Train workforce better

· ACC & chamber to work together to train workers with proper skills

· Communication with chambers and companies

· Representation from the college on business recruitment teams

· Businesses that are coming to region inquire to determine workforce needs

· Provide data regarding quality of graduates

· Customized training partnerships

· Willing collaborations

· ACC economic development office to task force

· Partnership

· Plan for increase in productivity in future by slowing $ to teach to next trend

· Involve college reps with college reach programs

· Ensure ACC is Active with all Chambers of Commerce

· Continue to provide recruitment literature to chamber

· Commitment to provide state-of-the-art equipment

· Communication - brochures to get the word out about offerings

· Go to chamber meetings, open forums

· Each ACC department make the rounds

· Share tonight’s PowerPoint with chambers

· ACC – tell its story when attracting companies

5. How can area business leaders assist in ACC doing more?

· Have more ACC students as interns & graduates

· Provide resources to support program expansion

· Provide resources to support faculty development/mentoring of students & faculty

· Organized internal/external advisory committee

· Business leaders should learn more about ACC

· Hire ACC graduates; ACC promote their graduates

· Provide internships

· Industry people serve as mentors

· Communicate needs to ACC (ACC go out and ask)

· Provide incentives for degree such as scholarship money, tuition reimbursement

· Support the ACC Foundation

· Provide internships in the workplace (automate and centralize)

· Identify potential instructors

· Change stereotype of being a community college student

· Stress uniqueness of ACC & how it relates to community

· Expand teacher pools

· Willingness to partner w/community organizations

6. In what ways can the college expand external partnerships to help address workforce and Closing the Gaps needs (such as student recruitment, student placement, equipment donations, fund raising, etc.)?

· Internships, donations, scholarships

· Recruiting high school students

· Competition with proprietary schools and their marketing

· Innovative careers – didn’t exist 5 years ago

· Expand external partnership

· Forums

· Educational awareness – parents/cost/opportunities

· Connect with students at elementary and middle school levels to build a foundation for higher education

· Expand summer academies to cover more participant area and academic areas

· Equipment donations

· Develop an Alumni Association

· Academic rigor & standards

Chair Mink and President Kinslow expressed appreciation to all participants in the Forum for the valuable information presented and stated that the comments provided would be used in the College’s master planning activities.

Executive Session

There was no Executive Session.

Adjournment

Having no motion before the Board, the November 21, 2005, Forum of the Austin Community College Board of Trustees was adjourned at 7:40 p.m.

Approved By

Jeffrey Richard, Secretary