CCATT News

Achieving the Dream announced Amarillo College as one of the two winners of the 2019 Leah Meyer Austin Award at its annual DREAM conference on February 19 in Long Beach, CA. Amarillo College and Columbus State Community College (Ohio) were recognized for their work measurably improving student outcomes through cultural transformation. 

After examining institutional data, Amarillo College embarked on the No Excuses poverty initiative and established a culture of caring at the college. Amarillo College shares its strategies with other colleges through its Culture of Caring Summit.  Read more about Amarillo College's recognition by Achieving the Dream and watch excerpts from the award ceremony.

TACC was honored to once again host Community College Day at the Capitol on Wednesday, January 30, 2019. Eager and engaged community college students met with their elected officials and advocated to advance the mission of their college and TACC’s legislative priorities for the 86^th session. With an attendance of 1,151 students and faculty from colleges across Texas, the hallways of the state capitol came to life with students' desire to learn and lobby for issues they deemed crucial to their education and future. The day began with a rally on the capitol steps filled with school colors, inspirational words and motivating speeches from Senator Kel Seliger, Dr. Greg Williams, President of Odessa College, Texas Junior College Student Government Association, and Jacob Fraire, President and CEO of TACC. We closed the day with a robust discussion led by Young Invincibles (YI), founded in 2013

The Texas Success Center recognized five Texas community colleges for their work implementing and scaling mathematics pathways.  The awards, given in conjunction with the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin, were announced at Texas Pathways Institute #5 on November 14, 2018.

• Overall Exemplar: Paris Junior College (pictured)
• Principle 1: Grayson College
• Principle 2: San Jacinto College
• Principle 3: McLennan Community College
• Principle 4: College of the Mainland

Read more on the Charles A. Dana Center blog.

The Community College Association of Texas Trustees (CCATT) and the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC) are pleased to announce the following individuals have been elected to the Washington, DC-based Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Board of Directors.

- Dan Mims, San Jacinto College: Elected to the ACCT Board of Directors (Western Region)

- Alton Smith, Lone Star College: Elected to the ACCT Board of Directors (At-Large)

“These leaders were elected by their peers and exemplify the caliber of our 400-plus CCATT members, who serve in governance positions at the 50 public community colleges of Texas,” announced William “Bill” Greenhill, CCATT Chairman and Trustee at Tarrant County Community College District. “Texas community college trustees are well represented on the ACCT Board and their desire to work at the national level is commendable.”

CCATT and TACC

After 7 ½ years of service at Texarkana College, President James Henry Russell bids the campus farewell. Russell announced this decision and his new job as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at BWI Companies, Inc. on September 6 at the Texarkana College Board of Trustees meeting. Although he is saddened to leave Texarkana, he is excited to embark on his new role at BWI starting January 2019. Read more