E-1. MASTER PLANNING
Value Statements
• The development and periodic review of a Master Plan
will be used to guide College Operations.
• Board Policies and intended outcomes will be aligned
with Master Plan Priority Statements and Presidential Priorities.
The President shall develop, for annual review and approval by the Board of
Trustees, a comprehensive Master Plan that encompasses the needs of the entire
institution with specific attention given to instructional programs, support
services, capital equipment/technology, facilities, staffing, and, financial
planning that leads the College toward achievement of its mission/vision.
The Master Plan should be guided by institutional master planning priorities
which are reviewed annually and which include the president’s priorities as
established by the Board. The Master Plan shall be based upon determinations of
current and future community needs and upon responsible utilization of fiscal,
physical, and human resources. The Board policies on Intended Results and
A. Principles:
The Master Plan, and
the process used to develop it, shall adhere to the following planning principles:
[1] The main focus of ACC's planning shall be to ensure that the activities
of the College match community needs and are effective in enabling students,
local employers, and the community sectors to reach their declared educational
goals efficiently. Care must be taken in the planning process to ensure that
new initiatives and current activities both have adequate,
equitably-distributed resources.
[2] The accessibility of ACC to students who have limited educational options
must be a pervasive concern in all College planning. Since any ineffective use
of resources may directly lead to higher student tuition rates, the College
must operate with exemplary efficiency to maximize student access and success
and to avoid abuse of ACC's state and local tax subsidies.
[3] The College shall provide efficiently-delivered high-quality instruction
that closely matches student and community needs and enables rapid student
progress to competence in their chosen fields. The College shall minimize
requirements that are not essential to meet a student's declared educational
goals. The College shall systematically provide the support needed for
sustained high-quality instruction that develops the work habits and problem-solving
skills needed for successful employment and educational advancement.
[4] The planning process shall ensure compliance of College operations with
Board policies and accreditation principles.
[5] Institutional research must be an integral part of the College's planning
and evaluation processes, and there must be a clear linkage between planning,
budgeting, evaluation, and assessment. The Master Plan must incorporate
performance measures for and provide evidence of program and institutional
improvement based on the results of assessment.
[6] The Planning process shall include recommendations from the organizational
units, faculty, and staff.
[7] The planning process shall be open, with public access provided to the
information on which plans are based and to the recommendations made at each
stage of the planning process.
[8] As part of the planning process, the administration shall identify potential
instructional programs with substantial enrollment at other local institutions
that are not offered at ACC but are within its legal scope.
B. Board Role
During the annual updating of the Master Plan, the Board shall, after
considering planning information and recommendations provided by the
administration, adopt a set of master planning priorities, including those
listed here, stating the elements it wishes to emphasize.
[1] For programs in which local tuition/fees and
state-reimbursement revenues cover overall costs (including indirect, facility,
and capital costs), the extent of program offerings shall be determined
primarily by student demand. Programs requiring significant subsidy shall be
offered in accordance with a community-priorities declaration, which shall be
based on consideration of local workforce and higher-education needs, and
adopted by the Board.
[2] The Board will, in response to Presidential recommendations based on policy
F-10, adopt specific compensation goals as part of its update of the Master Plan.
During that review, the Board shall be provided information comparing College
compensation rates to those typical of both the primary comparison groups and
various other groups of employers that might be considered relevant.
Information shall also be provided comparing the workloads and compensation of
full-time and adjunct faculty at the College.
The Austin Community College Board of
Trustees adopted this policy on December 5, 1977 and amended it on January 5,
1998, May 1, 2000, March 31, 2003, July 7, 2003, and April 4, 2005.
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