Entries filed under the ‘ACC Homepage Announcements’ Category
Bike, bus, car or scooter? Tell us how you get to where you need the go. The Austin Community College District is conducting its annual transportation survey to better understand commuting patterns to ACC and plan for future transportation needs.
This year ACC demonstrated its commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and raising environmental awareness by adopting the Sustainable Practices Policy C-9 and by becoming one of the signatory colleges for the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.
On January 5, ACC will launch the Green Pass pilot program, providing free mass transit to the ACC community each semester. The goal is to reduce carbon emission and collect important data from Capitol Metro that may lead to improved routes between ACC campuses.
It starts with a survey and you. The transportation survey takes only minutes to complete and will help the college improve services for students, faculty, and staff. Thank you.
To learn more about sustainability initiatives, visit the sustainability website.
Posted on 11/20/2009 in ACC Homepage Announcements, ACC Newsroom | No Comments »
The Austin Community College District declared its commitment to environmental stewardship on Thursday, November 19, with the Great Big Green Get-Together at Rio Grande Campus. The event provided details on the college’s sustainability initiatives, renewable energy courses, and other ways the community can reduce its impact on the environment.
ACC dedicates its first green building, the Rio Grande garage.
“The Green Get-Together gave us an opportunity to spread the word about the work we are doing at ACC to promote sustainability,” says Andy Kim, the college’s director of environmental stewardship. “We are proud of the initiatives we’ve implemented so far and look forward to upholding our commitment to go green.”
Austin Energy recognized ACC for earning a 3-star Green Building rating for the Rio Grande Campus parking garage, which opened this semester. Austin Energy awards the rating for the design, construction, and operation of sustainable buildings.
The garage team managed to divert 80 percent of construction waste from landfills for reuse or recycling. Almost all of the construction materials came from within Texas, reducing transportation expenses, fuel consumption, and pollution. The construction materials included 40 percent recycled content. A south-facing glass storefront reduces the need for electric lighting and saves energy.
“A 3-star rating is very impressive for a parking garage,” says Liana Kallivoka, with Austin Energy’s Green Building program. “It shows real dedication to sustainability. Austin Energy is excited to work with ACC as the college continues its sustainable construction efforts.”
The college’s other sustainability initiatives include Green Pass, a pilot program that begins in January and provides Capital Metro bus passes to students and employees at no cost to them. Capital Metro was on hand at the November 19 event to answer questions about its service and help students determine the best ways to get campus to campus. Austin’s Bicycle Sport Shop was also there to talk with students about how to efficiently and safely navigate the roads.
Posted on 11/19/2009 in ACC Homepage Announcements, ACC Newsroom, Official ACC Press Releases | No Comments »
ACC’s Library Services, along with the entire Austin Community College District, is committed to becoming a leader in sustainability. That means using less energy and fewer resources while minimizing waste. Library Services offers these tips to help conserve ink and paper:
- Print PowerPoint slides in handout format.
- Save email and documents to portable drives instead of printing when possible.
- Use the Print Preview function to ensure you are printing only necessary pages.
- If you don’t see your print job, see the librarian before hitting the printer button again. Library Services may be able to check the print queue or diagnose the problem before you print unneeded copies.
For more information and step-by-step hints, visit the Go Green @ the Library website.
Posted on 11/19/2009 in ACC Homepage Announcements, ACC Newsroom | No Comments »
Austin Community College’s Mobile Go Center is headed to San Marcos. The center, equipped to supply information on the college’s programs and even register students for classes, will visit the H-E-B store at 641 East Hopkins St. on Thursday, November 19, from 3 to 6 p.m.
Through a partnership with H-E-B, the Mobile Go Center enables ACC to share information about its services directly with the communities the college serves. ACC representatives staffing the Mobile Go Center can provide details about college programs and degrees, registration, and financial aid (including installment payment plans). Whether you’re a high school student preparing for college or you’re ready to train for a new career, ACC can help you achieve your goals.
The Mobile Go Center is making stops across the area in the coming months, including a second stop in San Marcos in March 2010.
Posted on 11/18/2009 in ACC Homepage Announcements, ACC Newsroom, Official ACC Press Releases | No Comments »
Radio station KUT Austin featured members of ACC’s Choral Department ahead of the choir’s production of the Broadway musical “The 1940’s Radio Hour.”
Listen to the report on the KUT website.
The choir will present “The 1940’s Radio Hour” at Austin’s One World Theatre November 17-19. The show replicates a 1942 live radio broadcast, complete with vocal jazz numbers, an onstage big band, commercials, and mystery theater.
Proceeds will help students cover the cost of a trip to New York next spring. ACC is among a select few community college ensembles that will perform at Carnegie Hall in April 2010.
Click here for “1940’s Radio Hour” times and ticket information.
Posted on 11/16/2009 in ACC Homepage Announcements, ACC Newsroom | No Comments »
Four members of ACC’s Board of Trustees traveled to San Francisco in October to attend the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) 40th Annual College Leadership Congress. ACC Board Chairperson Nan McRaven, Vice Chair Allen Kaplan, and Trustees Tim Mahoney and John-Michael Cortez were among more than 1,500 community college leaders who gathered for the conference.
ACC Board Vice Chair Allen Kaplan (left) at the ACCT conference, with his fellow officers of the CCATT (from left, Molly Beth Malcolm, Kitty Boyle, and Roberto Zárate).
ACC’s trustees attended workshops on topics including student success, effective board governance, and conducting evaluations of college presidents and institutions. Kaplan and other officers of the Community College Association of Texas Trustees (CCATT) conducted a session to help leaders of colleges in other states form similar organizations. Kaplan is the CCATT chair-elect as well as the Texas coordinator for ACCT.
Kaplan reports that many other institutions commended ACC’s inclusion in a Time magazine article, “Can Community Colleges Save the U.S. Economy?” (July 20, 2009 issue).
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a community college graduate, opened the conference on October 8, calling community colleges “institutions of hope.” Other keynote speakers included Martha Kanter, Undersecretary of Education for the U.S. Department of Education.
Posted on 11/06/2009 in ACC Homepage Announcements, ACC Newsroom | No Comments »
The City of Austin has recognized ACC’s Arts & Humanities Division for its work in bringing together a number of art education groups to further the “CreateAustin” cultural master plan.
Beginning last fall, the college’s Arts & Humanities Division hosted a series of Community Arts Summits to discuss how to promote arts education in Austin, a key portion of the master plan.
ACC's Community Arts Award
“ACC’s Arts & Humanities Division has been absolutely integral in pushing community discussion related to the ‘CreateAustin’ cultural master plan recommendation” for art education, said Vincent Kitch, Cultural Arts program manager for the City of Austin.
The city’s Cultural Arts Division recently presented ACC with the Community Arts Award.
“We are delighted to play a role in advancing arts education in Austin,” says Lyman Grant, dean of ACC’s Arts & Humanities Division. “The arts are a source of inspiration and imagination, and they often evoke new ways of looking at our world. Those are qualities that enrich a community.”
The city also recognized ACC’s community arts efforts with a proclamation presented at the Arts & Humanities Division’s Carnival ah! in April 2009. Carnival ah! is an outdoor festival with live music, dance, drama, performance art, and a nighttime
outdoor film screening. The next Carnival ah! is scheduled for April 16-24, 2010.
Posted on 11/05/2009 in ACC Homepage Announcements, ACC Newsroom | No Comments »
Danish students at ACC
The Austin Community College District hosted 23 Danish students for a taste of life in the Texas capital. ACC created a program for the group called “Uniquely Austin,” which combines Texas-themed classes with field trips around the city and state.
The students wrapped up their stay on November 6 after spending a month at ACC, taking Texas literature and history classes along with a civil rights history course and video game development classes. They documented their experiences with photographs and video.
The students get into the UT football game
Halloween on Sixth Street was a favorite among the students.
“In Denmark, we have something similar to Halloween, but only the kids dress up,” said student Søren Elmely Pettersson. “Downtown Austin was packed with thousands of people in crazy costumes. It was awesome. It’s something I will remember with joy for many years to come.”
Students also attended a UT football game.
“It’s been very interesting to see the students’ reactions to our culture,” says ACC’s Katrina Gadison, who helped coordinate the program. “What seems normal to us is an adventure for them – it’s like discovering what’s so neat about Austin all over again.”
This is the third year Danish students have participated in “Uniquely Austin.”
Posted on 11/03/2009 in ACC Homepage Announcements, ACC Newsroom, Official ACC Press Releases | No Comments »
Accent, ACC’s student newspaper, won 25 awards at a national and state-level conference held at the Austin Convention Center October 28 – November 1. The event, which brought together the Associated Collegiate Press/College Media Advisers national convention and the Texas Community College Journalism Association conference, drew thousands of students from across the country.
Accent writers and editors competed in live journalism contests and received the results of competitions which required submissions before the conference.
TheAccent.org was named a finalist for the online division of the National Pacemaker award, the highest national honor for journalistic excellence bestowed by the Associated Collegiate Press. Accent also placed second in the national Best of Show contest for non-weekly publications.
Accent either placed or received honorable mentions in 23 statewide categories, competing against students from 13 other Texas community colleges. The Texas Community College Journalism Association awarded Accent third place in the Overall General Excellence competition. Accent editor-in-chief Sarah Neve won first place for news writing, while Jana Lelek won second place for Accent’s layout and design. The TCCJA also recognized Accent staff in a variety of other areas, including contests for photography, cartooning, headline writing, and editorial writing.
“I am very proud of the Accent staff for their excellent showing,” said Matthew Connolly, ACC’s student publications adviser. “These awards are judged by professionals, so it’s nice to know that students in our program are learning skills that will prepare them to work at professional publications.”
Click here to see a complete list of Accent’s honors.
Posted on 11/02/2009 in ACC Homepage Announcements, ACC Newsroom | No Comments »
The ACC Drama Department’s production of “Under the Gaslight” opened Friday, October 30, at the Rio Grande Campus Mainstage Theater. Performances are held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through November 8.
Performance Schedule:
- Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31 at 8 p.m.
- Sunday, November 1 at 2 p.m.
- Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7 at 8 p.m.
- Sunday, November 8 at 2 p.m.
Augustin Daly’s “Under the Gaslight: A Totally Original and Picturesque Drama of Life and Love in These Times” is set in 1867 New York. A young woman is jilted by her lover when he discovers that she was adopted into a family of high society and actually comes from humble beginnings. She runs away and comes under the control of the play’s villain, which sets off a dramatic sequence of events.
The production features a cast of 24, nine locations, and live music. Images are available upon request.
Rio Grande’s Mainstage Theater is located at 1212 Rio Grande Street, on the second floor of the main building. Admission: suggested donation of $6.
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About the Austin Community College District (austincc.edu):
ACC, Central Texas’ community college, is the primary gateway to higher education and career training for residents in eight counties. The college provides access to affordable, quality education. ACC enrolls more than 40,000 credit students, offering university transfer courses, two-year associate degrees, certificates, Early College Start, access programs that get students “college-ready,” and continuing education. At ACC you can “Start here. Get there.”
Posted on 10/29/2009 in ACC Homepage Announcements, ACC Newsroom, Banner Stories, Official ACC Press Releases | No Comments »
