Everyone knows that ACC is about student success – it drives everything the college does. Now, community college leaders across the state are promoting legislation to ensure students have tools and support to succeed in their education and careers.

Launched by the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC), The Texas Success 5-point Campaign centers on five primary topics. TACC is asking legislators to use surplus and rainy day funds to help pay for the initiatives.

“We’re seeing more attention placed on the value of community colleges,” says Linda Young, special assistant to the president for external affairs. “It benefits us all to understand how ACC’s success measures will factor into a larger focus on student success.”

Texas Success 5-Point Campaign:

1. Workforce and Skills Alignment: Community colleges like ACC work with local employers to offer programs and degrees to match jobs that are in demand. The state’s Skills Development Fund provides grant money to help colleges pay for this focused training. TACC wants legislators to make it easier for colleges to work with multiple employers, as well as better define pathways from high school career and technical programs to their college counterparts.

2. Measuring and Funding Success: Colleges would receive points based on student success measures. ACC would earn one “Student Success Point” for each student who achieved one of several milestones along a continuum. For example, the college would earn a success point when a student completes developmental math education. State funding would be based on three components: core college operations, contact hours, and Student Success Points.

TACC also is asking that state funding for state employees’ health insurance return to 84 percent of costs, up from 60 percent.

3. College Readiness, including funding for:

• The New Mathways Project, an innovative program developed and supported by the University of Texas at Austin’s Dana Center.

• A required Student Success course for all entering students.

• Professional development offered through the statewide Starlink teleconference network.

4. Transfer and Articulation: A statewide articulation agreement, rather than individual college-to-university agreements, would make it easier for students to transfer between colleges and universities. This includes creating a statewide, common core curriculum for associate degrees.

TACC also recommends an incentive system to reward students, colleges, and universities for associate degree completion and is requesting additional funding to universities for enrolling students who have completed the associate degree.

5. Texans in Community College: Provide sufficient funding for Adult Basic Education (ABE), with oversight of ABE moved from the Texas Education Agency to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. This would better align and integrate ABE with all college programs of study.

For more information, view ACC President/CEO Dr. Richard Rhodes’ latest podcast, where he discusses these topics, or visit ACC’s External Affairs Office.