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ACC History instructor Chris Chance, right, speaks with students Josh and Maria Slusser, both of Alvin, during the 2013 Open House. The 2014 Open House will be on April 10 at the Nolan Ryan Center from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
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Dear ACC Alumni, Supporters and Friends,
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ACC Board Approves Contract for New President
Albrecht set to begin May 19
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Dr. Christal Albrecht
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The Board of Regents approved a 3-year contract for incoming president Dr. Christal Albrecht during their meeting on March 27.
She was named the lone finalist for the president position at the February 27 meeting. Regents offered Albrecht the contract after a 21-day waiting period.
Albrecht will begin work at the college on May 19. She will be the college's fifth president following Dr. Allbright, who is exiting the college after serving 38 years as president.
Albrecht will receive a base salary of $195,000 per year.
Dr. Albrecht is currently campus president at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) Kent Campus. She has been an FSCJ campus president since January 2011. Dr. Albrecht served as the campus president at Pima Community College-Desert Vista Campus in Arizona from 2008 to 2011 and as vice president of Student Learning at Lone Star College-Cy Fair from 2000 to 2007.
She was chosen as the new president from more than 40 applicants.
Read the full story about the meeting.
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ACC Hosts Annual Open House on April 10
College to showcase programs and student services
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Students, faculty and staff will highlight the college's many programs during the annual Open House on April 10 at the Nolan Ryan Center.
The Open House provides the public and potential students a chance to learn about ACC and what it can offer to those seeking higher education or career training. ACC employees and students will host booths at the event to provide information and demonstrate the skills taught in their programs.
The Open House will feature faculty and advisors; information on Financial Aid; scholarships; campus tours; student services and many student clubs and organizations.
The activities will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Nolan Ryan Center. The event also will have free food, fun activities and giveaways. Students can enter to win scholarships and door prizes with drawings held throughout the event.
For more information visit alvincollege.edu or call 281-756-3567.
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Nolan Ryan to Speak at Author's Luncheon
Baseball legend will join author discussion panel |
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Nolan Ryan will speak at the Author's Luncheon on May 28.
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Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan will be the guest speaker at the 2014 ACC Foundation Author's Luncheon on May 28 at the Nolan Ryan Center.
The Alvin native and ACC alumnus will speak about his upcoming book The Beef and Barbecue Cookbook: Recipes from a Texas Kitchen. He will be part of a panel at the event that will also include President of Nolan Ryan Beef Charlie Bradbury, Texas Rangers Executive Chef Cristobal Vazquez and Houston Astros President and Nolan's son Reid Ryan.
Ryan pitched for four major league baseball teams over a 27-year career. He owns the records for the most career strikeouts, single season strike outs, no-hitters and many more.
In his retirement, Ryan has managed ranches throughout South Texas including a ranch near China Grove in Brazoria County. The all-natural beef produced from his ranches is now sold in stores in Texas and Louisiana. Ryan remained active in Major League baseball serving five years as Texas Rangers president and now executive adviser with the Houston Astros.
The Author's Luncheon is held each year to benefit ACC student scholarships, staff development and community enrichment programs. Tickets for the event are $75 and sponsored tables are $1,000.
Copies of the book will be available at the luncheon.
The luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. For ticket reservations call 281-756-3600.
Read more about the book.
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ACC Baseball to Take on Sugar Land Skeeters
Teams to play two exhibition games at Constellation Field
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ACC player Dylan Wadyko takes a cut during a game against Coastal Bend College.
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The nationally-ranked ACC Baseball team will take on the Sugar Land Skeeters minor league team in two exhibition games on April 16 and 18 at Constellation Field.
The April 16 game will begin at 6:05 p.m. and is only open to ACC students, employees and Skeeters season ticket holders. The game is not open to the public. Students and staff are allowed to bring one guest and must have their ID to gain entry.
The game will also be the first for Houston Rockets star Tracy McGrady who has joined the Skeeters this spring.
The April 18 game will start at 7:05 p.m. and is open to the public. Tickets will be $5.
The ACC baseball team is having another strong year after reaching the finals in the NJCAA Region 14 finals in 2013. They are currently ranked Number 4 in the country by Perfect Game.
KACC will air the two games live on 89.7 FM.
Learn more about the Skeeters. Visit the ACC website to find out more about the baseball team and get a look at the schedule.
Constellation field is located at 1 Stadium Drive in Sugar Land.
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College Initiative Touts Program at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
Program to help train petrochemical workers
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ExxonMobil Chemical Company Senior Vice President Lynne Lachenmyer talks to high school seniors interested in careers in the petrochemical industry.
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Presidents and chancellors from nine area community colleges, including ACC, hosted a booth at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to promote the Community College Petrochemical Initiative.
The Initiative is funded by $1 million in grants from ExxonMobil to help train petrochemical workers for area industry.
"The nine CCPI-affiliated community colleges have joined together to spread the word about the great careers we can help launch," said Dr. Dennis Brown, president of Lee College and chairman of the CCPI consortium. "The level of interest from residents in the greater Houston area has been tremendous." CCPI shares course materials and best practices among the region's nine community colleges. CCPI expects to attract as many as 50,000 students and educators across the state over the next five years and fast track them through certification and degree programs in a variety of technical fields, including instrumentation, computer and electrical technology, machining, millwrighting, welding, pipefitting, and other skills and competencies needed by the chemical manufacturing and refining industries. Read the full story. |
Artist Shares Techniques During Workshop
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Thailand-native V. Chin came to the Pottery Studio on March 26 to show students the best techniques for painting and carving pottery.
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Workforce Development Awarded Three Grants
Comptroller's Office, Texas Workforce Commission grants to fund job training
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The Texas Comptroller's Office and the Texas Workforce Commission have awarded more than $500,000 combined in grant funding to the College to help train employees for local industry.
Comptroller Susan Combs' office issued $322,000 in funds from the Jobs and Education for Texans Advisory Board. That is a portion of $5 million issued to 18 community colleges in the state.
"These grants will help students get hands-on training in a range of occupations that are vital to the state's continuing prosperity," Combs said. "We have diverse economic sectors that require technical skills for which our workforce needs to be trained. The grants approved today cover equipment in programs such as the oil and gas sector, manufacturing, healthcare and mechanics."
ACC Workforce Training specialist Gayland Capps said they are excited to receive the grant and plan to use the funds to purchase equipment for various industrial programs.
"Team members from the Process Technology and Continuing Education/Workforce Development Departments developed a strong proposal to acquire equipment for our Process Technology Program that ensures our students receive cutting edge training and become a highly skilled and productive workforce for our petrochemical industry," Capps said.
The Texas Workforce Commission has given notice that the college will receive a $200,000 grant to train pipefitters and welders for the oil and gass industry. An additional $20,000 grant from TWC was also awarded to ACC to provide technical skills training for employees of small businesses.
The two TWC grants are still pending a contract.
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ACC Court Reporting Receive Deposition Training
UH Law School students participate in joint exercise
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ACC and UH Law School students participate in a mock deposition training session on March 20.
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Four Court Reporting students got to a chance to practice their deposition skills, while also helping future lawyers during a joint training session with the University of Houston Law School on March 20.
The trial advocacy training is an excellent opportunity for Court Reporting students to experience a real-world deposition setting, Court Reporting instructor Karen Downey said.
"This is invaluable experience for our students to practice what they've learned in the classroom," Downey said.
Court Reporting is transcribing the spoken word into a written record. Though the profession is linked mostly to the legal system, many court reporters use their talents in other fields including writing captions for television or live events.
Read the full story about the training exercise.
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Process Tech Reaches Out to High School Students
High School Forum Designed to Attract Students to Program
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Instructor Don Parus, right, shows students how air pressure affects suction During the Process Tech High School Forum on March 20.
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Approximately 30 students got an in-depth look at process technology during a forum on March 20.
Process Technology is one of the fastest growing job markets in the region and ACC instructors and industry representatives want students to consider the field. Pay scales also are rising for those working in process technology.
"The job market is excellent," said Process Technology Chair Curtis Crabtree. "There's a lot of opportunity out there."
Students from Alvin, Santa Fe, Pearland, Friendswood and Danbury ISDs listened to their options at ACC, watched a few demonstrations and then toured the Ascend Performance facility off Chocolate Bayou. Shell Inc. representatives also spoke to the students about job prospects once they finished school.
ACC instructors reviewed the subjects covered by the program including math, science, technology and safety. Instructor Don Parus also performed science experiments to demonstrate some of the principals needed for process technology.
ACC Dean of Instruction and Provost Dr. John Bethscheider told students that they should seriously consider the field because it offers valuable experience and an opportunity for a career.
"This is about putting your energy into going to college and investing in your future," he said. "Become serious about finding an occupation."
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ACC to Screen Half the Sky Documentary on April 14
Documentary sheds light on women's struggles throughout the globe
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The History Department, American Association of University Women and the Soroptimist International of Alvin will screen segments of a four-part documentary series Half the Sky on April 14.
The event also will include a presentation on the book which was a springboard for the film as well as a presentation on human trafficking by ACC Honors student Lisa Smith, of Pearland.
The film is based on a book by journalists Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl Wudunn, which documents the oppression women face in different regions of the world. It has inspired many organizations worldwide to tackle women's issues.
"It seems to have had a positive snowball effect," ACC History instructor Johanna Hume said.
Some of the issues addressed in the book and film include maternal health, violence against women, improving education and human trafficking.
There are 10 countries featured in the documentary including Cambodia, Kenya, India, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Liberia and the United States. Women in each country face unique and difficult obstacles to achieving equality, filmmakers said.
Kristof is joined with America Ferrera, Diane Lane, Eva Mendes, Meg Ryan, Gabrielle Union and Olivia Wilde throughout the film.
Read the full story about the screening event.
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Calendar of Events
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 April 3: Spring Band Concert, ACC Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
April 7-29: Spring Student Art Show, Fine Arts Gallery
April 9: Student Art Show Reception, Fine Arts Gallery, 12 p.m.
April 10: Open House for Future Students, Nolan Ryan Center, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
April 14: "Half the Sky" documentary screening, Texas Room, 6:30 p.m.
April 16: ACC Baseball vs. Sugar Land Skeeters, Constellation Field in Sugar Land, 6:05 p.m.
April 18-21: Spring Holiday
April 16-June 2: Summer Semester Registration Begins
April 18: ACC Baseball vs. Sugar Land Skeeters, Constellation Field in Sugar Land, 7:05 p.m.
April 24: Board of Regents Meeting, Nolan Ryan Center, 7 p.m.
April 25: ACC Percussion Concert, ACC Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
April 28: Awards Day, ACC Theatre, 12 p.m.
April 28-May 2: Early Voting
April 29: Spring Jazz Concert, ACC Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
May 2: Spring Choir Concert, ACC Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
May 8: ADN Pinning Ceremony, ACC Gym, 7 p.m.
May 10: Board of Regents Election
May 13: Spring Commencement, ACC Gym, 7 p.m.
May 14: Spring Commencement, ACC Gym, 7 p.m.
May 16: First Friday Summer Schedule
May 20: Board of Regents meeting, Nolan Ryan Center, 7 p.m.
May 28: GED/CEWD Commencement, ACC Gym, 7 p.m.
May 29: Law Enforcement Academy Graduation, ACC Gym, 7 p.m.
June 5: Summer I Semester Starts
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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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