Rural Community College Alliance Conference
Presentation by Dr. Barbara Mink
Member, Board of Trustees, ACC District &
Professor, Fielding Graduate University

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Strategic Plan:
Closing the Gaps

Austin Community College Service Area

ACC Programs Serving Rural Areas
◦ College Connection
◦ Early College Start
◦ Capital Area College Tech Prep Consortium
◦ ACC Centers
 Fredericksburg Center
 Lockhart Center
◦ Summer Youth Programs
◦ Mobile Go Centers

Goal 1: Close the Gaps in Participation

Goal 2: Close the Gaps in Success

Goal 3: Close the Gaps in Excellence

Goal 4: Close the Gaps in Research
•
Closing the Gaps warns that if more Texans do not
receive college degrees by 2030, the State could lose up
to $40 billion in annual household income.
•
•
•
The goal is to increase student enrollment in higher
education by 630,000 by 2015.
Most students will elect to start at a community college.
Austin Community College expects 15,000 more students
by 2015.
Service Area
Black = In-district
Green = Out-of-District
7
Overview



Provide admission and
pre-enrollment services
to seniors on their high
school campuses
Create an expectation
that “College is in
everyone’s future.”
Increase percentage of
high school seniors who
enter college after high
school graduation.
Austin Community College District Service Area
College Transition Rates
School District
Austin
Total High
School
Graduates
Students
Enrolled in Texas
Universities
Students
Enrolled in Texas
2-year Colleges
Students Not
Located in Texas
Higher Education *
3,856
1,111
29%
737
19%
2,008
52%
Bastrop
460
105
23%
73
16%
282
61%
Blanco
76
36
47%
13
17%
27
36%
319
32
10%
58
18%
229
72%
Dripping Springs
240
95
40%
62
26%
83
35%
Eanes
555
280
50%
59
11%
216
39%
Elgin
169
45
27%
29
17%
95
56%
Fredericksburg
227
88
39%
33
15%
106
47%
Coupland**
Del Valle
Doss**
*Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year
immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state.
**Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report.
Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1161.PDF
Rural districts indicated in red.
Austin Community College District Service Area
College Transition Rates
School District
Georgetown
Total High
School
Graduates
Students
Enrolled in Texas
Universities
Students
Enrolled in Texas
2-year Colleges
Students Not
Located in Texas
Higher Education *
519
214
41%
98
19%
207
40%
46
29
63%
3
7%
14
30%
Hays
559
177
32%
96
17%
286
51%
Jarrell
44
14
32%
8
18%
22
50%
Johnson City
45
16
36%
6
13%
23
51%
Lago Vista
73
32
44%
21
29%
20
27%
Lake Travis
318
144
45%
62
19%
112
35%
1,052
371
35%
263
25%
418
40%
Liberty Hill
120
46
38%
24
20%
50
42%
Lockhart
219
62
28%
36
16%
121
55%
Harper
Leander
*Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year
immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state.
**Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report.
Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1161.PDF
Rural districts indicated in red.
Austin Community College District Service Area
College Transition Rates
School District
Total High
School
Graduates
Students
Enrolled in Texas
Universities
Students
Enrolled in Texas
2-year Colleges
Students Not
Located in Texas
Higher Education *
Luling
87
24
28%
9
10%
54
62%
Manor
131
26
20%
16
12%
89
68%
65
12
18%
9
14%
44
68%
964
319
33%
234
24%
411
43%
Round Rock
2,158
765
35%
373
17%
1,020
47%
San Marcos
448
98
22%
56
13%
294
66%
Smithville
125
31
25%
28
22%
66
53%
Wimberley
146
44
30%
45
31%
57
39%
13,021
4,216
32%
2,451
19%
6,354
49%
McDade**
Nixon Smiley
Pflugerville
Prairie Lea**
Total
*Includes students who were not enrolled in Texas colleges or universities in the year
immediately following graduation, as well as students who were enrolled out-of-state.
**Districts with less than 25 graduates are not included in this report.
Source: http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/Reports/PDF/1161.PDF
Rural districts indicated in red.

Many high school students
find the college enrollment
process intimidating.

Austin Community College District provides hands-on,
one-on-one support to assist every student through each
step of the college admissions process.

During graduation ceremonies, high school graduating
seniors receive acceptance letters to Austin Community
College District.

Program is an important and effective outreach to rural
students.
Required
•
•
•
•
•
Admission application
ASSET or COMPASS
Pre-advising
Academic advising
Graduation letter
Recommended
• Senior
presentation
• Financial aid
application
Optional
•
•
•
•
•
Student life info
Teleconference
Campus tours
Registration
Other

Application never discarded

Provides a permanent college home

Reasons students come to ACC District
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Full-time or part-time student
Co-enroll while attending 4-year institution
Summer courses for transfer
College courses after military service
College courses after career changes
2003-04
Year 1
2004-05
Year 2
2005-06
Year 3
2006-07
Year 4
San Marcos
Austin
Austin
Bastrop
Bastrop
Del Valle
Del Valle
Leander
Hays
San Marcos
Leander
Austin
Bastrop
Blanco
Del Valle
Elgin
Fredericksburg
Harper
Hays
Jarrell
Johnson City
Lago Vista
Leander
Liberty Hill
Lockhart
Luling
Manor
Nixon-Smiley
Pflugerville
Prairie Lea
Round Rock
San Marcos
Smithville
Manor
Pflugerville
San Marcos
2007-08
Year 5
Austin
Lake Travis
Bastrop
Leander
Blanco
Liberty Hill
Del Valle
Lockhart
Dripping Springs Luling
Eanes
Manor
Elgin
Nixon-Smiley
Fredericksburg Pflugerville
Georgetown
Prairie Lea
Harper
Round Rock
Hays
San Marcos
Jarrell
Smithville
Johnson City
Wimberley
Lago Vista
Rural districts
indicated in red.
“Attaining advanced levels
of education for
disadvantaged students
cannot be done without
developing a college-going
culture in every middle
school and high school in
the state of Texas...then
suddenly, (going to college)
changes from being a
possibility to an
expectation.”
--Raymund Paredes
Commissioner, Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board
January 6, 2005
“The state must look for successful
programs with statewide potential, such as
ACCs College Connection program, in
which seniors in participating high schools
are given help with financial aid forms and
required to fill out applications.”
Raymond Paredes
State Higher Education Commissioner
Austin American Statesman, April 16, 2006
College Connection Program
National Acclaim & Recognition
• THECB Star Award
• Excelencia in
Education Award
Award Recipient
November 2006
• Bellwether
Award
Semi-Finalist
October 2006
Award Recipient
January 2007
www.austincc.edu/isd

Access to scheduled
activities for students,
parents, and school officials


Calendars of activities
Links to pertinent ACC
school district sites
Overview

Serves juniors
and seniors in
high school

Take up to two
college courses
per semester
Overview


Start a college technical
major in high school
After high school
continue at Austin
Community College

Earn college credit
through articulated
courses

Exemplary Rural Centers
◦ Fredericksburg Center
◦ Lockhart Center

Alliance for
Innovative Nursing
Education
◦ Funded by a National
Science Foundation
grant
◦ Partnership with Texas
Tech University Health
Sciences Center
◦ Augmented with
online delivery to
accelerate students
receiving BA or BSN
degree

Grant pays for:
◦ Faculty
◦ Curriculum development
◦ Travel

Addresses critical shortages of nurses in rural
areas
◦ LVN program
◦ Fast track LVN to ADN (RN)

Lecture instruction delivered via IVC



Clinicals conducted at
community hospital
Two ACC full-time
nursing faculty housed at
Fredericksburg Center
Nursing prerequisite
courses (microbiology,
etc.) delivered in high
school laboratories
equipped by ACC and
community resources

Exemplary dual-credit program in small, rural high
school

Juniors and seniors take two college courses per
semester during school day
◦ Juniors take:
 History
 English Composition
◦ Seniors take:




Government
Economics
Literature
Psychology


Students routinely graduate with 18-24
transferable core curriculum college hours
Classes offered during school day by ACC
adjunct faculty
◦ LHS has some
adjunct-qualified
faculty


119 participants –
43 from rural areas
Purpose:
◦ Provides opportunities
for career and college
exploration
◦ Supports interest in
math, science, and
technology
◦ Fosters a college-going
culture



Offered to students in
4th-8th grade in twoweek sessions on ACC
campuses
Taught by ACC
professors in a daylong format
Provides follow-up
sessions during school
year to monitor
commitment to stay and
succeed in school

Trailer
◦ Length, 34 Feet
◦ Air-Conditioned

Equipped with:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
17 Computers
Printers
Scanner
Copier
Satellite Internet
Acquiring second Mobile Go
Center – October 2007

Provided by:
◦ College for all Texans
Foundation
◦ Texas Pioneer Foundation
◦ Advanced Micro Devices
◦ AT&T Foundation
◦ Austin Community
College District

Provides college
information for all
institutions of higher
education

Staffed by ACC
student services
personnel

Virtual one-stop,
college-information facility

Visits:

◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Rural Communities
Festivals
Sports Events
Supermarkets
Shopping Malls
Schools
Other
Assists students:
◦ College Information
◦ College Admissions
◦ Financial Aid

Enables ACC to reach
individuals where they
live, work, and/or attend
school

Supports College
Connection program
activities

Assists in expanding
ACC’s outreach efforts
to rural areas
“For our state to have a strong and vibrant future, we
must all continue to work to ensure that every Texas
child who dreams of attending an institution of higher
education gets the opportunity to do so.”
John Montford
AT&T Senior Vice President,
State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs
Board Chairman,
College for All Texans Foundation
Austin Community College
Board of Trustees
5930 Middle Fiskville Road
Austin, TX 78754
Office: (512) 223-7613
www.austincc.edu/isd/RCCA/091007Presentation.ppt