By JENNA GIBSON, Ranger Reporter:
AC has been chosen to receive the Comprehensive College Readiness and Success Grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
This two-year grant could provide AC with up to $904,000 depending on the number of students who achieve the grant goals.
The purpose of the grant is to help students earn Level 1 certificates and speed up the amount of time it takes for students to complete workforce training and developmental education classes.
It is part of the state of Texas’ commitment to get 60% of all Texans ages 25 to 34 to have some credential beyond high school by the year 2030.
Jerel Booker, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board assistant commissioner, visited AC on Sept. 9 to take a first-hand look at the college’s student success initiatives.
Booker spoke to AC staff about college success in Texas and said, “We need to start making drastic changes now to get students to and through college,” said Booker. “We feel this institution is doing a lot of innovative things in the state and even nationally.”
“I’m really excited about what I’ve seen from this institution. When I go out and speak, I’m going to use AC as a model,” said Booker.
Earlier this month, college officials learned that AC is one of four colleges in the United States being recognized for its student support initiatives.
The U.S. Department of Education chose AC to participate in a project that will help share methods for meeting student needs. Two services highlighted in the DOE’s notification letter were AC’s Adult and Developmental Education services along with the AC Food Pantry.
“Many of our adult and developmental education students have great needs and our poverty initiative goes hand-in-hand with this recognition. The academic and social services support are what make this project work,” said Dr. Tamara Clunis, dean of Academic Success.
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