ACC to Become Part of the Rio Grande TWO-STEP Project, Making It Easier for Students with a Associate Degree in Workforce Education to Transfer into a Four-Year Program

Austin, TX – February 7, 2006 – As many as 1,100 Austin Community College (ACC) students who entered the workforce immediately following graduation from 2003 to 2005 now have a new path to earn a bachelor’s degree.

ACC and the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College (UTB/TSC) will sign a consortium agreement on Wednesday, February 8 that will ensure the transfer of all workforce education programs for those students who have obtained an Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS) from ACC.

“Many of our students enter the workforce immediately after obtaining an associate degree in Workforce Education,” said Mike Midgley, vice president of ACC Workforce Education and Business Development. “The Rio Grande TWO-STEP Project gives those students an additional opportunity to take the next step in their education, and ultimately empowers them to get a salary increase or even a job promotion.”

Under the Rio Grande TWO-STEP Project (Technology Workforce Opportunities through Seamless Transitions and Educational Partnerships ), ACC students who graduate with an AAS Degree can transfer all of their credits to an Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) at UTB/TSC. The formal signing between ACC President Dr. Stephen B. Kinslow and UTB/TSC President Dr. Juliet V. Garcia will take place at 3:30 at the UT System Administration Office, Ashbel Smith Hall, located at 201 W. 7th St., in the Gray Conference on the 9th Floor.

“By creating a seamless transition from high school to community college, then from community college to four-year university, the Rio Grande TWO-STEP Consortium Agreement is going to be a key element in assisting the State with its Closing the Gaps initiative, which calls for the enrollment of an additional 630,000 students into higher education,” said Dr. Peter B. Gawenda, UTB/TSC professor and director of the BAT Program.

All visitors must sign in with the guard at the entrance of Ashbel Smith Hall. Parking is available in the alley off of Colorado St.

About ACC
Austin Community College is a public, two-year college offering associate degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas at six Central Texas campuses. Serving as the regional leader in workforce training, university transfer and adult access programs, ACC opens its doors each year to more than 65,000 credit and continuing education students who benefit from the College’s great faculty and staff. ACC is the eighth largest community college in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

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