Board of Trustees "Kudos" Report
August/September 2003

Faculty/Instruction

The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) has approved ACC's Alternative Teacher Certification Program for Technology Applications as a new Texas educator preparation program. The SBEC Board formally recognized Dr. Fonté, Mary Hensley, Associate Vice President, Instructional Support Services, Sharon Duncan, Coordinator, and Jerry Haba, Director, Continuing Education for their contributions to the program.

ACC Honors Faculty member, Dan Grangaard had an article entitled, Personality Characteristics and Favorite Topics of Students Enrolled in Introduction to Psychology, Honors published in the Journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council.

The ACC Automotive Department headed by Mike Shoebroek, has received a $10,000 donation from Bridgestone/Firestone. Half of the donation will fund scholarships for automotive students through the ACC Foundation. The remainder will be used for equipment needs. Advisory committee member and Firestone employee, C. O. Farmer was instrumental in acquiring the donation for ACC.

Val Cantu, Dean of Business Studies, recently met with the Qualifications Committee of the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. They commended ACC's Accounting Department for its outstanding job in responding to the Board's inquiries regarding ACC's Professional Accountant CPA preparation program. The Board suggested that ACC's program be used as a benchmark for other community colleges and especially recognized Sheila Ammons, Department Chair, and Cynthia Lovick, Professor. ACC is the first in the state to receive this approval designation.

The National Science Foundation awarded an additional $4,000 in support of the project, "A Biotechnology Curriculum and Teacher Education Project for High Schools." This project is under the direction of Linnea A. Fletcher, Department Chair of Biotechnology, Alice J. Sessions, Professor of Biology, Mary H. Walker, Professor, and Peggy Maher, Project Coordinator. The total award was $411,866. 

Professor of History, Larry Willoughby, was a featured guest speaker at the Metropolitan Breakfast Club at its 20th anniversary, August 27. He presented a look at Austin's last 20 years. ACC Trustee, John Hernandez was Master of Ceremonies and ACC members in attendance were Richard Fonté, Cile Spelce, Communications Executive, Kathleen Christensen, AVP, Retention and Student Services, and Judy Doyen, Distance Learning.

  Students

Rebecca Ann Ellison and Lavina Zavonne Webb were awarded $1000 scholarships from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. The Foundation awards a total of 400 scholarships annually to students attending higher-education institutions granting two-year degrees. One scholar from each state receives a $2,000 scholarship through the New Century Scholar Program of the American Association of Community Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa. An additional 350 students receive a $1,000 scholarship. All recipients demonstrate academic success and perform 100 hours of community service within the past 12 months. 

ACC's Capstone Photography class participated in the annual Summer Seminar of the Texas Professional Photographers Association in June. At the event, ACC students submitted 22 photographs for judging and had all of them accepted for display in the exhibition (10% of the seminar's exhibition). Seven photographs received "Honored Status." The students were Nicole Farris (2), Anika Blythe, Katie Dixon, Aubrey Edwards, Adam Stoller, and Dustin Wade, who received a plaque for the highest Electronic Imaging score received by a first time exhibitor. 

Lynn Jones, Department Chair, and Don Ourada, Associate Professor, led ACC's group. Other students who participated and received recognition were Virginia Bernal, Natasha Campbell-Cross, Catherine Converse, Hannah Day, Kelly Flinn, Calida Salazar, Albert Terrazas, Amanda Wilder, and Carrie Williams. 

  Staff

Donetta Goodall, Associate Vice President for Academic Programs, was recently appointed to two committees. The AISD Citizens Bond Advisory Committee will make recommendations to the AISD Board of Trustees on the proposed 2004 Bond Program. The Steering Committee for the Texas Leadership Alliance, an initiative funded by American Association of Community Colleges, will work to develop a Leadership Institute for instructional leaders in two-year colleges. Donetta has also been elected President of Texas Community College Instructional Administrators (2003-2004), the state's largest group of academic instructional leaders and recently, Dr. Goodall earned her Ph.D. 

Ed Osborn, Marketing and Public Information Executive, graduated recently as a member of the 2002-2003 Leadership Austin class.

Sherry Priddy, San Marcos Center Supervisor, was asked by the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce to go on a fact-finding mission to Nebraska to investigate the possibility of setting up a "Texas size" monument to the "Texas Trails" in the San Marcos area. She accompanied the Presidents of the Chamber and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and two City Council members. Sherry contributes to the positive relationship for ACC and San Marcos by being very active in the Chamber, particularly on the education committee. A portion of Sherry's trip was funded by the Chamber.

Terry Bazan, Director of Student Financial Assistance, was thanked by the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation for serving on the Council for the Management of Education Finance. The Council is a statewide consortium representing higher education and the lending community.

The South Texas Higher Education Foundation recently awarded ACC's Student Financial Assistance $10,000 to be distributed to ACC students. Terry Bazan, Stephanie Diina-Dempsey, Executive Director, ACC Foundation, Velda Jackson and Ann Schubert of Financial Aid will coordinate the distribution of funds.

Mary Hensley, Associate Vice President, received thanks from Dr. Pat Forgione, AISD Superintendent, for ACC's agreement to work with AISD on the College and Career Preparatory Programs (CCPP). Also, Dr. Forgione was very pleased to learn of the hiring of the new Director, Mark Kincaid.

IBM has donated from its surplus store over 100 white boards to ACC. Trustee Lillian Davis helped make the connection between IBM and ACC.

Margot Perez-Greene, Director of NISOD at UT thanked Steve Kinslow, Executive Vice President, and the ACC team for its exceptionally professional work on publications for the NISOD conference. ACC's Duplication Department, headed by Nancy Deleon, Supervisor, and Sharon King, Director of Student Recruitment and Support Services collaborated with NISOD in printing the materials.

Dr. Richard Fonté and Sharyl Kincaid, Executive Director of Capital Area Tech Prep Consortium, were recognized at the "Great Partner Recognition Luncheon; Job Well Done by CATF Staff and Board." Others in attendance in support of the ACC/CATF partnership were Mary Hensley, Mike Midgley, Dean, Computer Studies and Advance Technology, Mary Kohls, Department Chair, Computer Studies, Sue Raye, Associate Director, Early College Start, Cecile Sanders, Executive Director, Grants, Michael Svoboda, Project Director, Tech Prep, Sharon King, Tyra Duncan-Hall, Provost, Campus Operations, Mark Kincaid, and Tom Applegate of the new College and Career Preparatory Program.