CCATT News

The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) presented Dr. William Serrata, EPCC President, the 2019 Marie Y. Martin Chief Executive Officer Award.

Serrata was originally announced as a Western region finalist and ACCT presented him the national award during the 50^th Annual ACCT Leadership Congress.  The award honors chief executive officers who demonstrate commitment to excellence in advancing the community college movement.

“Dr. Serrata is a true champion of EPCC’s efforts to provide innovative opportunities in higher education,” Board Chair Brian Haggerty said.  “Under his leadership, EPCC has increased completion rates for degrees and certificates, improved transfer rates, accelerated college-readiness and achieved national and regional recognition for the college.”

Read more via the El Paso Herald-Post.

The Texas Transfer Alliance (TTA) has announced the selection of 26 Texas higher education institutions to participate in a one-year collaboration to improve student success in college. Every year, thousands of Texas students transfer between colleges and universities. Due to differences in policies and curricula among institutions, many students face major challenges in transferring course credits, leading to lost time and increased financial burdens that often impact their chances of successfully completing a degree. The Texas Transfer Alliance is a collaboration between the Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin, the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC), the Texas A&M University System, the Texas State University System, the University of North Texas System, and the University of Texas System.

Read more via The University of Texas at Austin Charles A

On Wednesday, October 2, Alamo Colleges announced Alamo Promise, a program that will provide last-dollar scholarships to students at 25 Bexar County high schools in 2020-2021.  The following year, 20 additional high schools will be added to the program.  Read more about the Alamo Promise program on the Alamo Colleges website and in the Rivard Report.

"Inspired by Amazon's need for tech talent, community colleges in Dallas County and across Texas will offer a new degree that prepares students for careers in cloud computing.

Texas education leaders and Amazon Web Services announced the creation of associate's and bachelor's degree programs Thursday at a Dallas event attended by Secretary of State Ruth Hughs, the state's higher education commissioner and several Texas lawmakers.

Local and state education leaders have looked for ways to strengthen Texas' workforce and prepare students for jobs of the future. They've set an ambitious statewide goal — dubbed the 60x30 plan —that aims for 60% of Texas' 25- to 34-year-old workforce to have a postsecondary degree or credential by 2030. About 44% of Texans in that age group currently have one. To do that, education leaders have backed early college programs and seamless transfers of credits

" McKown, 69, marks her 10th anniversary as MCC president this month, with Sept. 22 the anniversary of her formal inauguration. McKown is the third president in the community college’s almost 55-year history, following Wilbur Ball and Dennis Michaelis.

She sees herself largely as one expanding the work of her predecessors." 

Read more via Waco Tribune-Herald