February 14, 2020 | Issue # 156
Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of the holiday, AACC has sent emails every day this week to members with something to love about our upcoming convention, featuring speakers, special sessions, and more. I hope you’re getting as excited about the convention as we are.
This week, I participated in the National Legislative Summit, hosted by the Association of Community College Trustees in collaboration with AACC. We received updates from the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor, listened to a handful of members of Congress and congressional staffers, and—most importantly—heard from college presidents and trustees. The meeting helped to reaffirm our legislative priorities, as well as reestablishing the need for colleges to work with federal agencies and legislators.
“Senate Bill Would Build on TAACCCT”
The Assisting Community Colleges in Educating Skilled Students (ACCESS) to Careers Act would build on lessons learned in the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant program (TAACCCT), according to Sens. Tim Kaine and Todd Young, who introduced the bill. Learn about the bill in CC Daily.
“Global Focus Enhances Learning”
Harper College’s Global Region of Focus Initiative is an integrated and strategic approach to internationalization, and it just received the IIE Andrew Heiskell Award for its innovative approach. Learn about it at the AACC 21st Century Center.
AACC Award Recipients
I’m pleased to announce that the 2020 AACC Leadership Award recipients are Drs. Augie Gallego, Myrtle Dorsey, and Ann McGee. Augie is chancellor emeritus of the San Diego Community College District and Myrtle is director and professor of practice of the Community College Leadership Program at Morgan State University. They are both past AACC Board chairs. Ann, president emerita of Seminole State College of Florida, is past chair of the AACC Presidents Academy Executive Committee. We also will present Dr. Eduardo Padron, president emeritus of Miami Dade College, with the Truman Award. We’ll be honoring these community college champions at the opening session of the AACC convention on March 28.
Voting for the 2020 AACC Board of Directors closes February 28 at 5:00 p.m. (ET). Ballots were emailed February 3 and an email with your voting credentials was sent on January 31. If you did not receive this information, please contact amroyal@aacc.nche.edu.
Register for the AACC Convention
The 100th Annual AACC Convention will be here soon. Join us March 28-30 in National Harbor, Maryland. Actress, entrepreneur, and activist Gabrielle Union is the keynote speaker March 28 at the Edmund J. Gleazer, Jr. Opening Lecture. Green Bay Packers quarterback and Butte College alumnus Aaron Rodgers will speak March 30 at the David R. Pierce Lecture Honoring Outstanding Alumni. Learn more about the speakers here. Register now and make your hotel reservation by March 4 to ensure you receive the AACC convention rate.
The Rise Prize will make 10 awards, ranging from $50,000 to $200,000, for solutions driving economic mobility and well-being for student parents. Higher education institutions, including departments and teams from colleges, may apply. The deadline is April 6. Winners will be announced on June 9-10. AACC is a partner in this initiative, which is funded by Imaginable Futures and Lumina Foundation.
Members of the AACC team and I met with Minnesota State Chancellor Devinder Malhotra on February 10.
I was pleased to meet with Polk State College President Angela Falconetti (left of me), Chair of the Polk State College District Board of Trustees Teresa Martinez (right of me), Vice Chair Cindy Hartley Ross (far left), and PSC students on February 11.