Rio Grande Campus Student Forum Notes Date: March 8, 2011 SGA Student Senator: ACC Trustee presiding:

Carlos Rice Guadalupe Sosa, Jeffrey Richard, Tim Mahoney

1. We would like all majors to be offered at all ACC campuses. For example American Sign Language is only offered at the Rio Grande Campus The core curriculum is offered at all campuses; however, because of financial resources, facilities and student enrollments, not all workforce or advanced classes are offered at all campuses. 2. Program expansion has put additional pressure on existing space creating overcrowding conditions in the ASL lab. At this time there is no additional space for the ASL lab at the Rio Grande Campus. To relieve the problem, the following actions have been taken: 1. Added more lab staff; one 50% position was converted to a 100% position, 2. Investigated opening a lab at other campuses, but they too are short of space, 3. Created online videos for students to practice and access from home, creating a virtual lab, 4. Purchased portable recording devices that interpreting students can borrow from the department to record interpreting work at home, 5. Provide a total of 10 hours/week of tutoring services for ASL levels 1 and 2 students at Cypress Creek and Pinnacle Campuses, 6. Working with the facilities department to reconfigure the space to improve it, 7. Considering converting the designated classroom #019 into a classroom/lab, so that when it is not used by classes, it can be used by the lab. The Campus Advisory Committee meets to discuss the needs of the campus including facilities. A Facilities Master Plan and timeline is being established which will address the facility needs of the Rio Grande Campus. The Facilities Master Plan is available at http://www.austincc.edu/faoadmin/CampusMasterPlanning.php 3. Supplemental Instruction (SI) really, really helps. How can I get it for my other classes? How can I find out which classes have an SI leader assigned to it? Students can find the courses and sections that are supported by Supplemental Instruction every semester before registering for classes at www.austincc.edu/tutor/SI. Courses with SI leaders are noted in the online schedule in course notes. For help finding which classes will have SI, contact Mary Gilmer, SI Coordinator [email protected].

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4. Why are students required to purchase bus passes when there are no spaces in the parking garage? Students are not required to purchase a bus pass; the bus pass is free. Students are charged a $1/credit Sustainability Fee to cover the cost of the bus pass as well as other sustainability initiatives. There were several changes to the parking striping within the Rio Grande Campus garage in October, 2009. These included some changes requested by Campus Police to allow more room at the top floor to turn around, and more clearance at turns, as well as reconfiguration for the installation of the gate and the attendant booth. In fall 2009, faculty/staff parking spaces were converted to student parking spaces to increase student parking. 5. Are the student bus passes going away, and why can’t the student ID be used as a bus pass? The bus pass will be continued through FY12. The current contract with Capital Metro will expire in August 2012. ACC will negotiate the next term contract with Capital Metro as we approach the contract expiration date. The fairbox (bus card reader) is not compatible with the ACC ID, and it is not feasible to upload ACC’s real time registration information to the fairbox, 6. With the looming budget cuts at hand, what changes should we expect, tuition increases, lay‐offs….? What other budget considerations are being discussed? The State’s funding cuts of 7.5% this year, and anticipated cuts of nearly 20% next year, drive increased costs to students. The alternative for ACC would be to reduce programs, support services and faculty/staff, which is not in the best interests of the community. In‐ district tuition was the same from 2005 through 2009 (5 years), and increased $3 in fall 2010, $5 in summer 2011, $5 for fall 2011, and likely another $5 in spring 2012. Out‐of‐ district tuition increases each year, per Board Policy (G‐8 Tuition Rate). ACC’s tuition, in comparison to other institutions, is low and is lower than the state and national average. There are three types of revenue that ACC receives: local property taxes, state funding, and student tuition. State budget cuts will be addressed through institutional efficiencies, as well as tuition increases. The budget information can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/newsroom/index.php/2011/01/21/state‐budget‐cuts‐ impact‐on‐acc/ 7. What kind of in‐house scholarships will the College provide for ACC students? Approximately 1,100 scholarships totaling over $1M were distributed to ACC students last year. The ACC Financial Aid office distributes a booklet each year which contains numerous available scholarships. The information can also be found on‐line, http://www.austincc.edu/foundation . The priority deadline is June 1 to apply for most scholarships.

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8. Has there been any thought given to expanding ACC into a University? Dr. Kinslow Absolutely not. Community Colleges have a unique, complex mission that is different from selective admissions of four‐year colleges/universities. Community Colleges offer transfer, workforce, access /foundation skills, and lifelong learning. They have an open door admission policy to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to attend college. Community Colleges also enroll over 50% of all higher ed students, and offer the fastest growing workplace credential ‐ the Associate Degree. We’re different by design. 9. Why doesn’t ACC offer health insurance package to the student?

The College provides a complete PPO policy offered by United Healthcare. Students may obtain information packets regarding the policy from the Student Life offices at all campuses. Students may get additional information at www.uhcsr.com/austincc. The ACC Board of Trustees recently approved a $3 annual fee for student accident insurance, effective fall 2011. This accident insurance covers students on campus and at college‐sponsored events. The maximum coverage is $10,000, and this insurance pays first before other insurance pays. There is a $25 deductible per claim on this policy. This fee eliminates the $3.50 insurance fee per course that some courses required. The website for insurance is: http://www.austincc.edu/ehs/Insurance.php. Click on "Student Accident Insurance" to see the information about this insurance and procedures to make a claim.

10. Could you give us an update on the Presidential search? There were two finalists: Dr. Katherine Persson – Lone Star College System (The Woodlands, Texas), LSC‐ Kingwood President Dr. Richard Rhodes – El Paso Community College (El Paso, Texas), President The Board of Trustees, at the May 2, 2011 meeting, announced Dr. Richard Rhode as the sole finalist and will negotiate a contract and start date for him soon. Other questions: 1. When will the lead problem in the water be fixed at Rio Grande Campus? ACC took extensive precautions to protect the health of the college community and has taken actions that exceed what is required by regulations. Test results for levels of lead in the main building resulted in well below the level that requires action per the Environmental Protection Agency, but they are slightly above the level of “no known risk.” ACC has voluntarily shut down water fountains in the main building and replaced them with bottled water stations. Other sources of water will be clearly marked as not suitable for drinking at this time. The solution is to replace all of the plumbing in the building and that will be done at the time the building is remodeled. Common sources of lead in the water at Rio Grande Campus could include not only the solder, but lead fluxes, lead pipes and lead pipe fittings, fixtures, valve, meters and other system components including system components containing brass. The plumbing and associated fixtures at Rio Grande Campus are extensive and due to the age of the majority of lines and components, replacement plumbing and fixtures would be part of the design and construction components of the renovation. BOT/Student Forums: RGC 3.8.11

 

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The precautions apply only to the main building; test results are normal in the Annex, Attache, and Portable. As a new structure, Building 3000 does not have lead pipe or lead solder on water lines and may be used for drinking. Can ACC build a self‐sufficient water collection, gutter system with recycling rain water? ACC is investigating various opportunities to collect recycled water and conserve water. Often the challenge is the cost of the collection system vs. cost of the water. In many cases, the cost of the collection system is greater than the cost savings, but the College will not discount the environmental benefit of using the recycled water. Why is SGA so unapproachable? The SGA welcomes student input and participation. SGA officers and Senators frequently roam the campuses to become acquainted with students and note their comments and concerns. Visit the ACC SGA website, http://www.austincc.edu/sga/ for SGA contact information of Officers and Senators. Students may also visit Student Life offices at any campus and Student Life representatives will assist students in contacting SGA officers and Senators. Please report SGA concerns to President Sophia Downing at [email protected]. Why did so much money get spent on a mascot instead of fixing the website? It is not a question of one or the other. Both are very important to the college. Updates are made to the website on an ongoing basis. Meantime, we’re in the process of planning a site‐ wide redesign. The project is being timelined now and is expected to take about a year from start to finish. The Riverbats brand was an idea originated by students and supported by research. It was developed (with community involvement) to support ACC Master Plan goals, create a college‐going culture to meet target enrollments, especially among traditionally underserved populations; build tradition, school spirit, pride, and student engagement to enhance student success; and create a new revenue stream to increase fiscal capacity that would, among other things, raise money for scholarships. The total cost of the branding campaign (designing logo and mascot costume) was $10,000. The mascot and logo were unveiled in late November and, in just four months, the college has already seen a big return on investment in the form of increased merchandize sales, public awareness, and community engagement. If there are really rodents on campus, how come ACC has not informed the student body about possible health hazards? How long have the rats been at ACC? When were they first discovered? Over the past few years, we have seen an increase in rodent reports typically around the fall and winter season when the weather turns colder. This is when rodents generally begin nesting. They are attracted to areas that provide them protection, a place to nest, and a ready food supply. These infestations affect not only commercial/public buildings but also homes. a. What is ACC doing to fix the problem? ACC has focused on the three key areas recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (http://www.cdc.gov/rodents/ ) for preventing and eliminating rodent infestations. These activities include exclusion by sealing up holes to prevent entry, removing rodent food sources and nesting materials, and increased extermination to help reduce the rodent population.

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These actions require a cooperative effort. All involved groups, including Student Life area representatives, campus management, Purchasing, Building Maintenance personnel, and EHS have cooperated to resolve the problem. A contracted remediation vendor cleaned the area and removed potential nesting materials (rags, newspapers, etc.). ACC staff then took action to seal visible openings. The second focus was implementing proper storage requirements for food items in the affected areas. The Environmental Health Safety and Insurance department provided an enclosed metal storage cabinet for Student Life’s use. ACC is partnering with Simon’s Café for proper overnight storage of food. In addition, any rags, clothing or other materials that might be used for rodent nesting should be kept in tightly closed plastic containers. These requirements have been communicated to the area occupants and campus management. The third area of focus is continuing extermination activities. ACC’s licensed exterminator recommended and implemented a thorough extermination plan. They have placed different kinds of traps in various locations in and around campus buildings. ACC maintenance personnel are checking the traps, and the exterminator has been visiting the campus as needed for additional service calls and doing routine checks of the area. Extermination and prevention activities will be ongoing. b. Obviously, if they are exterminating or patching up holes to the rats entrance way is a temporary solution. Is there any planning under way to permanently solve the problem? If so what are the solutions? The Rio Grande Campus main building was built in 1916 with additional expansion done in the late 1930s, and there are some structural challenges in a building of that age. Until the campus is remodeled, we will have to continue to address the issues that we can control, such as food storage, missing ceiling tiles, exclusion barriers, and aggressive extermination. c. If students see a rat what should they do? Report the sighting to the campus manager. d. Since rats carry an abundance of diseases, is their presence to students harmful to their health? ACC is taking the appropriate steps to remove and prevent rodent infestation, which minimizes any risk. Additional information can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website (http://www.cdc.gov/rodents/ ). e. How much is it costing the college to repair damages done by the rats? Prevention and cleanup efforts total approximately $4,000 since the beginning of this year. ACC will continue its efforts through the established extermination program. f. How long will the damages take to repair? There is not any reported damage due to rodents. g. Are they interfering with Simon's Cafe in any way? There has been no interruption to Simon’s services.

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h. Where are the exact locations that evidence of burrowing from the rats have been found so far? We are unaware of any evidence of rodent burrowing. The main area of focus has been the Student Life, Student Government and Student Lounge area. ACC is working closely with area occupants and appreciates the cooperative efforts of all involved. i. Is there going to be a survey of the entire building done to look for more rat holes? See question above describing the unique historical construction challenges of Rio Grande Campus. We will continue response efforts to ensure a safe, healthful atmosphere for our college community. 6. Why can you never reach Financial Aid on the phone? The “first level” calls are answered by the Help Center and “second level calls” are referred to the Financial Aid Department. Both the Help Center and the Financial Aid staff attempt to answer all calls. During peak times, such as the first days of new student registration, the system is stressed and not all of the calls are answered in the timely manner we strive for. Students are encouraged to use the extensive information on the web; many calls could be eliminated through greater use of the web. 7. How come there are so few bike racks with this campus being centrally located? Rio Grande Campus has more bike racks than any other campus, but the usage rate and the need will be reviewed.

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