Austin Community College District Service Area As of Fall 2014
Table of Contents AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT AT A GLANCE... 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 3 STRATEGIC PRIORITIES... 5 INCREASE STUDENT SUCCESS AND EQUITY... 6 PREPARE A WORLD-CLASS WORKFORCE AND EXPAND REGIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH... 7 RECRUIT AND MAINTAIN OUTSTANDING FACULTY, STAFF, AND ADMINISTRATION... 8 SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE IMPROVEMENT OF COLLEGE OPERATIONS... 9 INCREASE RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY, STATE, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS..10
Austin Community College District at a Glance ACC Budget by Funding Sources Projected Revenues Fiscal Year 2015 (September 1, 2014 August 31, 2015) M&O Tax Rate for FY 2015 Source: TACC ACC $0.090 State Average $0.145 Spring 2015 Tuition & Fees Source: TACC In-District ACC $1020.00 CC Statewide Average $958.00 In-State Texas State Univ. (Texas State) $4,972.25 UT-Austin (UT Austin) $4,908.00 *Source: Institutions websites ** Texas Association of Community Colleges Total Budget $282,931,847 Staffing Table Personnel by Race/Ethnicity and Gender Fall 2014 Student Characteristics Headcount by Race/Ethnicity and Gender Fall 2014 Page 1
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Executive Summary The Austin Community College District (ACC) is a critical resource for Central Texas. Reflecting what is true of community colleges both across Texas and the nation, ACC is: The gateway to higher education for over half of all adults and high school graduates who enter higher education; The primary provider of transfer students to area four-year colleges and universities, and those transfer students perform comparably to native four-year students in terms of both grade point average and length of time to degree completion; The primary trainer and re-trainer of the local workforce; Recognized for rapid response to the needs of business and industry; An innovator in providing diverse instructional formats to meet the needs of the students, including strong Distance Learning programs, Independent School District (ISD) Early College Start programs,, and a variety of semester-length options; and An excellent community investment that strengthens the middle class, promotes social equity, and enhances economic development. The ACC Strategic Plan is the guiding document to ensure that the college continues to meet its State-mandated mission effectively and efficiently, and that it achieves the goals established by the Austin Community College Board of Trustees. The mission elements of community colleges align well with the changing State and local demographics that underlie ACC s mission: Academic transfer for those pursuing the baccalaureate degree; Workforce education in high-demand career fields; Access or foundation skills programs for the not-yet-college-ready; Lifelong learning. Page 3
The ACC Strategic Plan is integrated into the operating budget of the college, the Board of Trustees annual Work Plan, and the operations of the District. The 2014-16 Strategic Plan (revised Spring 2015) is based on the following five (5) Strategic Priorities. Priority 1: Increase student success and equity. Priority 2: Prepare a world-class workforce and expand regional economic growth. Priority 3: Recruit and maintain outstanding faculty, staff, and administration. Priority 4: Support sustainable improvement of college operations. Priority 5: Increase relationships with community, state, national, and international partners. ACC aligns planning, improvement, evaluation, and performance measures to ensure continuous quality improvement, development of various support plans, and budget allocation. These processes are guided by our regional accreditation organization, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); program specific accreditation bodies; and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Community participation occurs through input from over 300 business, industry, and community leaders who serve on ACC s Instructional Advisory Committees and Campus Advisory Committees; ACC s active participation in all service area chambers of Commerce, numerous community-based organizations, and our publicly elected Trustees who operate within a policy-governance model. We appreciate your interest in, and support of, the Austin Community College District. Richard M. Rhodes, Ph.D. President/CEO Page 4
Priority 1: Priority 2: Priority 3: Spring 2015 Re-alignment Strategic Priorities Increase student success and equity. Prepare a world-class workforce and expand regional economic growth. Recruit and maintain outstanding faculty, staff, and administration. Priority 4: Support sustainable improvement of college operations. Priority 5: Increase relationships with community, state, national, and international partners. ACC Theatre Page 5
Priority 1: Goal: Increase student success and equity In order to increase student success, institutional improvements must be made to smooth and improve processes for student entry, progress, and completion. To increase student equity, ACC must close any achievement gaps among student groups. Strategies: S1.1 - Expand partner programs with high schools S1.2 - Improve students' college readiness S1.3 - Develop strategic recruitment and enrollment management plans S1.4 - Set benchmarks and measure results to improve student services S1.5 - Improve students' first year experience (FYE) S1.6 - Expand partner programs with universities S1.7 - Strengthen communication with both internal and external audiences Metric: Improvement for all students and reduced gaps among different groups of students in persistence and completion rates of academic goals. Measures: M1.1-2% increase in successful course completion M1.2-3% increase in persistence from fall to spring M1.3-3% increase in persistence from fall to fall M1.4-10% increase in completion of developmental education sequence(s) M1.5-10% increase in completion of 15 semester credit hours (sch) M1.6-10% increase in completion of 30 semester credit hours (sch) M1.7-20% increase in completion of certificates and/or degrees M1.8-5% increase in placement rates (transfer, military, and employment) Page 6
Priority 2: Prepare a world-class workforce and expand regional economic growth Goal: ACC must increase and develop partnerships with businesses and organizations to prepare a world-class workforce and expand regional economic growth. Strategies: S2.1 - Develop and implement clear and accelerated career pathways S2.2 - Implement the ACC Career Expressway S2.3 - Implement Career Academies S2.4 - Expand the Pathways to Promise program S2.5 - Establish Workforce and STEM Centers of Excellence S2.6 - Expand contract and continuing education for business/industry Metric: Creation and expansion (in terms of students served) in workforce partnerships and /or programs Measures: M2.1-10 % increase in CTE dual credit enrollments M2.2-10 % increase in CEU workforce courses/ programs M2.3-10 % increase in Transitions and I-BEST (Integrated Base Education and Skills Training) programs for adult students M2.4-10 % increase in Competency-Based Education (CBE) courses M2.5-10 % increase in work-based experiences for ACC students M2.6-10 % increase in students obtaining industry certifications M2.7-10 % increase in grants and contracts for workforce training and education M2.8 - Creation of three Career Expressway and Capital Academies' programs (Information Technology, Health Sciences, and Manufacturing/Construction Trades) M2.9 - Progress toward opening of workforce training Centers of Excellence (e.g., Creative and Digital Arts, Culinary Arts, Hospitality, Workforce Innovation at Highland Campus, Regional First Responders' Training Center at Hays Campus, etc.) Page 7
Priority 3: Goal: Recruit and maintain outstanding faculty, staff, and administration In order that ACC students have access to the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for success in the 21st century, ACC must commit itself to recruit and maintain, through continuous professional development, an outstanding faculty, staff and administration. Strategies: S3.1 - Establish an ACC Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence S3.2 - Provide outstanding professional development activities and programs S3.3 - Enhance faculty skills with instructional technology S3.4 - Strengthen the quality of distance education S3.5 - Plan for a diverse faculty, staff, and administration Metric: Recruitment and training of adequate, diverse, and talented faculty, staff, and administration. Measures: M3.1 - Creation of a virtual Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence M3.2 - Creation of 3 professional certifications for faculty M3.3 - Creation of 5 professional certifications for staff M3.4 - Execution of an external review of the ACC Distance Education Program or a self-audit utilizing the guidelines of the Online Learning Consortium (formerly - Sloan C Consortium) and implementation of a plan for improvement M3.5 - Development and implementation of a plan for increased full-time faculty ratios in all instructional departments and programs M3.6 - Gaining at least two external awards and/or accreditations for program excellence M3.7 - Development and implementation of a plan for increased diversity of ACC faculty, staff, and administration to mirror the demographics of the service area (e.g., faculty and staff intern program) Page 8
Priority 4: Goal: Support sustainable improvement of college operations ACC must continuously assess and apply new principles, systems, and tools to support the sustainable improvement of college operations Strategies: S4.1 - Coordinate processes for planning and budgeting S4.2 - Engage in robust collection and analysis of data to evaluate and improve operations S4.3 - Create an Intranet for posting of all internal plans, agendas, minutes, etc. S4.4 - Ensure compliance with all state, regional, and national partner organizations Metric: Improvements in efficiency and/or effectiveness of administrative support processes. Measures: M4.1 - Implementation of an intranet to improve access to information and services M4.2 - Improvements as measured by employee surveys and support service reviews M4.3 - Development of a financial plan that adequately funds identified college priorities. M4.4 - At least two external awards from relevant organizations M4.5 - Clean audits and no external notices of non-compliance (THECB, SACS, USDE, etc.) Page 9
Priority 5: Goal: Increase relationships with community, state, national, and international partners ACC must increase relationships with community, state, national, and international partners to identify mutual objectives, leverage existing strengths, and tap additional resources. Strategies: S5.1 - Ensure ACC involvement and interaction with all appropriate community partners S5.2 - Coordinate ACC grant writing with student, college, and community needs S5.3 - Partner with ACC Foundation to raise funds for student scholarships and program improvements S5.4 - Involve and inform ACC programs and services with the latest research and best practices S5.5 - Increase international student enrollments and S5.6 - A global focus throughout the curriculum Metric: Expansion and leveraging of partnerships for achievement of ACC s mission and goals Measures: M5.1-5 % increase in student scholarship funds (in partnership with the ACC Foundation) M5.2-5 % increase in value of resources contributed to ACC (equipment, staffing, facilities, etc.) M5.3-5 % growth in enrollment due to partnerships with K-12 schools/districts M5.4-5 % growth in enrollment due to partnerships with universities M5.5-10 % increase in grant funding from public and private sources M5.6-10 % increase in international student enrollments Page 10
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Questions or comments on the Strategic plan and process can be directed to the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Accountability. 512.223.7036 or email Daniel OHanlon and dohanlon@austincc.edu Page 12