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Carley Saladino, left, of Alvin and her son Michael, watch a fireworks display on July 4th at ACC.
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Dear ACC Alumni, Supporters and Friends,
So you can stay up-to-date on what's going on at ACC and with students and alumni quickly and accurately, ACC E-News was created. We are constantly looking for ways to improve our services to you. If you ever have any story ideas or suggestions, please send them to accnews@alvincollege.edu. |
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ACC Receives Accreditation Reaffirmation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools approve ACC standards
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An SACS official meets with ACC faculty and staff during the reaffirmation process.
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After two years of review, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools reaffirmed accreditation for Alvin Community College on June 21.
Reaffirmation occurs every 10 years. It includes the reporting of all major changes to the college (such as the offering of new programs or degrees); the submission of a Compliance Report that covers all aspects of the college's instructional and support functions; a Focused Report addressing concerns raised by the Compliance Report; a site visit and the submission of a Response Report in which the college outlines any final adjustments suggested by the visiting committee.
The college began the reaffirmation two years ago, with faculty committees researching and drafting sections of the Compliance Report.
Administrators from peer institutions across the South came to ACC during September 26-28 to interview faculty and staff regarding the compliance portion of ACC's reaffirmation.
After the SACS review, the organization required that ACC create a Quality Enhancement Plan. The plan included establishing a new position to develop and install a mandatory online orientation for Distance Education students. The orientation is designed to increase completion rates. The position also is needed because of the growing number of online students. ACC approved the position in February.
The college began the reaffirmation two years ago, with faculty committees researching and drafting sections of the Compliance Report.
Accreditation by the Southern Association ensures that ACC credits transfer to other accredited colleges and universities. Non-accredited institutions' coursework rarely transfer. Accreditation also is required to participate in financial aid programs such as Pell Grants. ACC has been accredited by SACS since 1959 and looks forward to continuing in its role as a provider of education to the community.
Learn more about SACS and the accreditation process. Information is also at the organization's website.
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ACC Board of Regents Receives Report on Nursing Trends
Nursing director shows statistics on continuing nurse education | Alvin Community College Nursing Director Sally Durand spoke to the college Board of Regents about the current state of the nursing program and nursing employment during a board meeting on June 28.
Durand stated that enrollment and graduates in the ACC Nursing program continue to grow from 98 students in the A.D.N. program 10 years ago to 185 in the Fall 2012. Those students taking the State Licensing Exam from the Board of Nursing Examiners exceed the 95% pass rate. Ms. Durand also said there is a trend among many hospitals and clinics to seek registered nurses with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing as opposed to the Associate Degree graduates.
The board also unanimously approved two new instructor positions for the nursing department and hired another instructor for the English department. Regents voted to replace an HVAC Chiller unit which has been reconditioned. The Regents also approved the financial reports for May 2012.
The Alvin Community College Board of regents got their first look at the 2012-13 fiscal year budget during their meeting.
The proposed maintenance and operations budget for the next fiscal year will be approximately $25.52 million, which is 2 percent more than the $25.05 million budget for 2011-12. Debt payments in 2012-13 are projected to be $1.49 million.
The tentative budget does not include an increase in tuition costs for ACC students.
The proposed budget, if approved, would provide a 2 percent salary increase for ACC employees. Also included are three new, full-time positions and one part-time position.
Read more about the meeting. The board will meet next on July 26 at 7 p.m. in the Nolan Ryan Center. |
Blood Drive Held in Honor of ACC Regent
Cheryl Knape is recovering from injuries in accident |
 | | ACC regent Cheryl Knape |
The Soroptimist Club of Alvin will host a blood drive on July 16 in honor of Cheryl Knape, who is recovering from a recent injury.
Knape is a member of the Alvin Community College Board of Regents, and she works along with her husband Gregg at Gulf Coast Large Animal Clinic in Alvin.
She suffered severe internal injuries on June 6 after the hooves of a 1,400 pound cow came down on her back. She underwent surgery at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital and was then flown by LifeFlight to Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center, where she was treated in the Shock Trauma Intensive Care Unit. Knape received six units of blood during her treatment and is now recovering at home.
The public is welcome to donate blood in Cheryl and her husband Gregg's honor. Both are longtime members of the community and strong supporters of ACC.
"This is our way of doing something to help out and show our support for Cheryl," said Wendy Del Bello, ACC executive director of development and assistant to the president. "She is a very active member of the Alvin Community."
The blood drive will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Nolan Ryan Center, 3110 Mustang Road in Alvin.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 281-756-3600 or visit www.giveblood.org and enter code 'L412.' |
Alvin Live Summer Concert Features Honkey Tonk Heroes
July 12 concert to benefit ACC Foundation |
The Alvin Community College Foundation will continue with the Alvin Live Summer Concert Series on July 12 with the band Honkey Tonk Heroes.
The Houston-area country band has been performing for more than 15 years and has produced two albums, Paybacks are Hell and Honkey Tonk and Heartaches.
The ACC Foundation sponsors the Summer Concert Series. Funds raised from Alvin Live performances are used for ACC Broadcast Communications student training and scholarships.
The Summer Concert Series will conclude with Shake Russel on August 2.
All performances will be in the KACC studio, K-219.
Honkey Tonk Heroes will take the stage at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30. Student tickets are $15. For more information about the concert series call 281-756-3600. Read more about the ACC Foundation and "like" it on Facebook. Find out more about Honkey Tonk Heroes at the band's website. |
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ACC Summer Semesters Begin
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ACC student Brady Hudson, 19, of Alvin tosses a game of horseshoes during the first week of class for the summer semester
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The 2012 summer semesters began on June 4. Students came back to classes for Welcome Week, which included free food and games.
By the first summer semester, 2,472 students have enrolled this summer with more than 345,608 contact hours.
The first eight-week semester will draw to a close on July 9 while the second eight-week semester will begin on July 12. Registration for the second semester is ongoing and will end July 10.
The 11-week summer semester will end on August 16.
Registration for the fall semester will open on July 16.
As students start taking classes this semester, there are several opportunities for them to attend student orientation. All first-time students are required to attend orientation within their first semester.
The next orientation will be on July 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.. Another orientation session will be on August 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. All orientation sessions will be in the Student Center.
Visit the ACC Student Orientation website to learn more or call 281-756-3500.
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| ACC Observes Venus Voyage Across Sun
Students, instructors and others watched event at Observatory
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 | | ACC Astronomy professor Dr. Joseph Mills watches the planet Venus pass over the sun using a solar telescope on June 5. |
Stargazers came to the Alvin Community College Observatory on June 5 to watch the planet Venus cross over in front of the sun.
The rare event will not happen again until 2117.
Students, instructors and other stellar enthusiasts used solarized telescopes to trace Venus' movement.
Instructors also set up a telescope to project a reflected image of the sun on paper for onlookers to see.
Read more about the Venus observation. Visit the ACC website for more information about astronomy courses or call 281-756-3500.
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ACC Instructor Helps Heart Patient
Serious condition discovered during routine cardiovascular scan
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 | | ACC instructor Jessica Murphy, left, stands with Judy Scott, of Alvin. Murphy helped discover a serious heart condition while a student performed a cardiovascular scan on Scott in the spring. |
An Alvin woman recently volunteered for a cardiovascular scan that ultimately discovered a serious heart condition.
Alvin Community College instructor Jessica Murphy and a student were performing a cardiovascular scan on Judy Scott during the spring semester when they noticed blood flowing both ways through Scott's mitral valve.
Murphy strongly recommended that Scott visit a doctor. After seeing two physicians, Scott learned that she had damage to her mitral valve.
"Luckily, we caught it very early," Murphy said.
Scott may soon take part in a research study at the Texas Medical Center that could repair her mitral valve with a clip inserted through the artery in the groin. This new procedure will not require open heart surgery and is a less invasive option to repair the torn mitral valve. Scott feels that if she had not received the scan at ACC, it would not have been discovered until the condition became more severe. Murphy's insistence on a second opinion also was vital to getting the help she needed, Scott said. "Had she not suggested I get a second opinion, I would not have sought one out," she said. Find out more about Scott's story and cardiovascular scans at ACC. Learn about becoming a volunteer. |
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ACC Softball Player Recognized for Academic Achievement
Kassie Bowen was a leader on and off the field
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ACC softball left fielder Kassie Bowen awaits a pitch against Lamar College on April 23.
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ACC softball player Kassie Bowen, 20, of League City, was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association's list of exemplary academic athletes for 2011-12.
Players receive the honor for their high academic achievement. Besides playing left field for ACC, Bowen maintained a 3.56 GPA in the classroom.
The left fielder said she was surprised by the NJCAA academic achievement award and felt honored with the distinction.
"It's worth the hard work and it wasn't easy," she said.
Bowen batted .298 and had a slugging percentage of .427 in the 2012 season. The softball team finished with a 24-20 record.
Bowen plans to move to Prairie View A&M next year to play for the softball team and finish a bachelor's degree in science. Eventually she will pursue a nursing degree, she said.
Visit the ACC softball web page to learn more about the team.
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ACC Hosts First Online Job Fair
Fair sought potential online instructors
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Hoping to find future professors in different academic fields, Alvin Community College had an online job fair on June 26. The instructors were sought to teach online classes in science, math, communications, humanities, fine arts and computer technology. There were 85 applicants who logged in online to be considered for the positions, according to Dena Coots, Director of Distance Education. There were 76 candidates who could not attend the fair but submitted resumes and applications for those instructor positions. The information from all of the candidates have been submitted to the different departments for consideration. Coots said many of the applicants were well qualified to teach online courses. During the job fair, participants were able to submit resumes, talk to recruiters, learn more about ACC and network with other instructor candidates. Coots said many of the potential instructors gave positive feedback regarding the virtual forum. Software for the forum was funded by an Innovative Initiative Grant from the ACC Foundation. ACC Distance Education hosted the job fair in an effort to fill the need for online courses. The number of online students has doubled at ACC over the past five years.
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ACC Foundation Receives Scholarship Donation
ACU of Texas gives to Foundation as part of the Grocery Gear Up event
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From left are ACU of Texas marketing manager Jessica Smith, ACU marketing representative Joshua Ryding, ACC Foundation Executive Director Wendy Del Bello and ACU marketing representative Justin Demonbreun.
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The Associated Credit Union of Texas donated $500 to the Alvin Community College Foundation to be used for a future scholarship. The money was given in conjunction with the Grocery Gear Up event on June 7.
Three participants were allowed to go through the Alvin Kroger and pull groceries for three minutes. Funds donated to the ACC Foundation are used for student scholarships, staff development and community enrichment programs. |
| Calendar of Event |
July 11-12: ACC Summer Pottery Workshop, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., H-103
July 12: Second 8-week summer semester begins
July 12: ACC Summer Concert Series, 7 p.m., K-219
July 16: Registration for the fall semester
July 16: Cheryl Knape Blood Drive, Nolan Ryan Center, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
July 17: Dual Credit Orientation, 9 a.m., Alvin High School
July 23-26: Summer Children's Theater Festival, 10 a.m., ACC Theater
July 23: Blood Drive, 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Texas Room
July 25-26: ACC Summer Pottery Workshop, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., H-103
July 26: Board of Regents meeting, 7 p.m. Nolan Ryan Center
July 26: Beach Volleyball Tournament
July 28: ACC Summer Pottery Workshop, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., H-103
August 2: Dual Credit Orientation, 6 p.m., ACC Student Center
August 2: ACC Summer Concert Series, 7 p.m., K-219
August 8-9: ACC Summer Pottery Workshop, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00pm, H-103
August 23: Board of Regents meeting, 7 p.m. Nolan Ryan Center
August 29: Fall semester begin
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 | | Welcome to ACC
from the President
Dr. Rodney Allbright
| | It is our mission to serve the community by providing excellent educational opportunities for people of all ages, events and activities for the whole family, venues for other public and private events and a way to foster economic prosperity. |
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