Austin Community College's (ACC) Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) convened for the first time at an orientation meeting Friday, April 19.
Tasked with helping strengthen the link between ACC and the community, members of the RACs provide community input for college programs and services offered in the northern, southern, and central regions of ACC's service area.
"One of the biggest challenges we face is the sheer size of our district," says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC president/CEO. "Through regionalization, we can evaluate and implement programs and services that better serve our students. Our partners in the community are an important part of this effort. They provide us fresh perspective and guidance as we work toward continuous improvement."
Members of the RACs are appointed by Rhodes and each member of the ACC Board of Trustees. Each RAC consists of 11 members who commit to serve one, two, or three years. Appointments were submitted and approved by the board in February.
| Appointed By | Central | North | South |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigi Edwards Bryant | Dr. Albert Hawkins | Dr. Jeff Freels | Gaby Fuentes |
| Mark Williams | Kwee Lan Teo | Diane Cox | Casie Wenmohs |
| Nora Comstock | Hermelinda Zamarripa | Dr. Omar Lopez | Maria Solis |
| Nicole Eversmann | Liesl Nydegger | Holly Browning | Estefany Hernandez |
| Stephanie Gharakhanian | Mateo Clarke | Terry Louie Russell | Cynthia Wilcox |
| Sean Hassan | Pooja Sethi | Mohammed I. Ali | Jeremy Hendricks |
| Nan McRaven | Joene Grissom | Ted Siff | Mary Ann Spracher |
| Barbara Mink | David Glass | Dr. Anthony Watson | Dr. Kelly Crook |
| Julie Nitsch | Danielle Skidmore | Mina Davis | Rich DePalma |
| Dr. Richard Rhodes | John-Michael Cortez (Co-Chair) | Bobby Jenkins (Co-Chair) | Tam Hawkins (Co-Chair) |
| Dr. Richard Rhodes | Kathleen Chen | Shaun Cranston | Scott Sellers |
"ACC is committed to having honest conversations about the needs of each individual community," says Gigi Edwards Bryant, Board of Trustees chair. "Regionalization helps us refine our thoughts and guides the future direction of the college."
At their first meeting, RAC members discussed areas of improvement and unique challenges and opportunities in their respective region. Among the topics covered, members were interested in learning about enrollment trends, closing the gap for minority students, programs offered at particular campuses, and transportation.
The second official RAC meetings will be held as follows:
Committees are expected to report their initial findings and recommendations to the president and board in late fall.
For more information, visit austincc.edu/rac.
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