Alabama Community College System to temporarily discontinue on-campus instruction
In light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) on Friday announced it will temporarily discontinue on-campus instruction at its 23 institutions across the state for the period of March 17 – April 3. All events scheduled at the state’s community colleges during this time frame are also cancelled. “Our students are our number one priority, and while our decision today to suspend courses is unprecedented it is a necessary precaution to ensure the health and safety of the more than 174,000 students we serve across the state,” said ACCS Chancellor Jimmy Baker. “Our ACCS response team continues to work closely with the Alabama Department of Public Health on this evolving issue and will continue to do everything we can to help stop the potential spread of COVID-19 in the state of Alabama.” Alternative instruction plans are being developed by each ACCS college. These plans will be communicated directly to students by their respective institutions next week.
Alabama Community College System receives $1.75M federal ARC grant
The Alabama Community College System has been awarded an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant in the amount of $1,750,000, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby announced Thursday. This grant funding is a part of the Alabama Skills Training to Support Real Opportunities for New Growth (STRONG) project, which will target the coal-impacted communities in 10 counties in the state of Alabama. “Promoting workforce development is vital to the overall growth and development of our state,” said Shelby. “This ARC grant will provide opportunity for students interested in entering Alabama’s advanced manufacturing industry while also allowing businesses throughout our state to have increased access to a highly skilled workforce. I look forward to continuing to work with ARC and the Alabama Community College System to promote education and economic advancements.” The STRONG project seeks to increase awareness about the current and future job opportunities available in the advanced manufacturing sector, a growing part of the regional economy. It will provide students and workers with life skills, remedial education, and cutting-edge technical skills and training to prepare them for either additional postsecondary education or direct placement into high-wage and high-demand careers available in our state’s advanced manufacturing industry. Individual courses will be offered through Bevill State, Jefferson State, Lawson State, and Shelton State Community Colleges. The project will provide residents with the benefit of working in advanced manufacturing, and it will serve close to 4,200 participants and their families directly with critical life and technical skills gap training, new job opportunities, and access to vital social and financial services. The grant ensures at least 2,101 workers and trainees along with 976 students will obtain new or enhanced positions, 1,132 jobs will be retained, seven new jobs will be created and six new programs will be implemented. Overall, there will be 77 participating businesses involved in this project.
Personnel note: Annette Funderburk named president of Ingram State Technical College
At the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) board of trustees meeting on Wednesday, Chancellor Jimmy H. Baker announced the selection of Annette Funderburk as president of Ingram State Technical College (ISTC). “Mrs. Funderburk’s impact on Ingram State to date far outweighs her tenure at the institution,” Baker said. “Annette’s vision and passion for correctional education is palpable and her commitment to bettering the lives of those ISTC serves is apparent in the stories of the college’s graduates. ISTC serves a unique purpose within the Alabama Community College System and I’m confident that Annette’s skillset and experience make her the best choice to carry out their important mission.” Funderburk’s experience Funderburk has served as the Interim President at Ingram State since February 2017. Prior to leading ISTC, she served nearly 10 years within the Alabama Community College System where her most recent role was Director of External Affairs. Before working within the two-year college System, Funderburk served in several roles related to local government including a Municipal Consultant, responsible for securing grant funds for infrastructure and development projects, as well as a County Administrator for the Tallapoosa County Commission. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Montevallo and a Master’s in Public Administration from Troy University. About ISTC Ingram State Technical College serves a 100 percent incarcerated adult population. An accredited member of the Alabama Community College System, ISTC delivers career technical, GED, and job skills training at six locations across Alabama. “Providing education and training opportunities to Alabama’s incarcerated population is not simply a job, it’s a calling, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue the important work being done at Ingram State,” Funderburk said. “It has been an honor to lead the hard-working and committed faculty and staff at ISTC and I’m proud to work alongside these individuals as we truly make a difference in the lives of those we serve.”
Alabama community college tuition increasing $10 per credit hour
Alabama community colleges will be raising tuition and fees starting this fall. The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) board of trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved a $10-per-credit-hour increase, scheduled to go into effect for the 2018-2019 school year. The increase will bring the average cost of tuition and fees up to $153 per credit hour. “As we move forward, making significant changes and looking to the future of the community college system, there are a number of things we need to address: safety, technology, facilities,” said System Chancellor Jimmy Baker. More than 80,000 students are enrolled within the state’s two-year college system, and the increase is expected to generate approximately $14 million. ACCS officials says half of the increased revenue will be divided among the 25 community and technical colleges across the state, and the other half will be used for general statewide college support. Last year, ACCS increased tuition 1.4 percent.
Personnel note: Rachel Adams leaving Ala. Speaker’s office for new gig with ACCS
After more than four and a half years working as the Communications Director in the Alabama House Speaker’s office, Rachel Adams on Monday announced she’s moving on. The University of Missouri grad starts a new gig on Tuesday working with the Alabama Community College System as their Communications and Marketing Administrator. There, she will be responsible for building and coordinating news media relations and serving as the primary contact for all external media outlets for the ACCS.Additionally, she will manage and update content on the ACCS website, social media pages, and other online platforms. Prior to her time in the Speaker’s office she worked as the Communications Director for the Republican National Committee’s Victory office in North Carolina, where among other things she created and implemented traditional and social media campaigns to drive RNC and Romney Campaign message to NC voters. Before that, she was a senior account executive at the Washington, D.C.-based Vox Global, , a bipartisan public affairs and strategic communications firm, where she developed internal event planning structure for Fortune 10 Corporation and coordinated the company’s presence at major stakeholder events. Adams’ replacement in the Speaker’s office has yet to be announced.
Alabama Community College System announces new testing partnership
Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Chancellor Jimmy Baker on Tuesday joined Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC) Executive Secretary Chief R. Alan Benefield to sign a resolution that makes the ACT WorkKeys assessment the official testing requirement for admission into APOSTC academies to become a Law Enforcement Officer or a State Correctional Officer. The WorkKeys assessment is currently offered at all of Alabama’s community colleges for workforce development program testing, and will now be the exclusive testing centers for APOSTC’s Basic Ability Test, or BAT. The assessments help measure workplace skills that can affect job performance. Unlike other assessments, they don’t simply give an indication of reading and writing competency. Instead, they measure a range of hard and soft skills relevant to any occupation, at any level, and across industries. Additionally, successful completion of WorkKeys assessments can lead to earning an National Career Readiness Certificate™ (NCRC®) — a credential that verifies foundational workplace skills. “It is an honor for the Alabama Community College System to partner with APOSTC and the men and women in uniform who do so much to protect us each and every day” said Baker. “This partnership will allow law enforcement agencies across the state to easily schedule assessments at our local community colleges, and will provide them with better qualified officers who have the basic skills they need to succeed.” In 2014, APOSTC adopted the BAT as an additional educational requirement for Law Enforcement and Correctional Officer academy applicants to better determine educational aptitude which had become more difficult due to the increase in different types of high school diplomas. After several years of research into best practices in other states, APOSTC determined that the ACT WorkKeys assessment through Alabama’s community colleges was the easiest and most cost-effective method to establish a minimum educational base line that would demonstrate an applicant’s ability to successfully complete the law enforcement and correctional training academies. “The Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission extends our thanks and gratitude to Chancellor Baker and the many individuals within ACCS that made this agreement possible” added Benefield. “This partnership allows applicants to take his or her BAT at any of the 24 community colleges across Alabama, which are conveniently located to all law enforcement agencies in the state.” The ACT WorkKeys assessment is comprised of three skill areas: Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents (understanding memos, notices, policies, and other written text). While WorkKeys testing schedules may vary from college to college, pricing will be standard among all colleges: $45 for all three skill area sections or $15 for each individual section.
Longtime educator Jimmy Baker appointed chancellor of Alabama’s community college system
The Alabama Community College System board of trustees voted Wednesday to appoint interim chancellor Jimmy H. Baker as the official chancellor, effective April 1. “As we searched for a permanent replacement, we realized we could never find a chancellor who would be more experienced or prepared than Jimmy Baker,” board vice president Al Thompson said. Baker, who has served as acting chancellor for more than six months, will replace Mark Heinrich who officially submit his resignation last month following a long-term illness kept him away from the job. “Jimmy Baker has done a tremendous job of leading the system during the chancellor’s absence and has been far more than a place-holder,” Thompson added. Baker began his K-12 education career as a teacher and coach at Daleville High School. He quickly moved up in the ranks in education administration, first being named superintendent in Daleville, later becoming superintendent for Coffee County, and then assistant superintendent for finance at the state Department of Education. Baker served as state finance director from 1995 to 1999 under former Gov. Fob James. Baker has a wide array of experience, with responsibilities that have included: that included purchasing, contracting, information technology, insurance and bonds, overseeing budgets and financial reports for the state education office, local school systems and the community college system. Baker was one of seven applicants the board reviewed for the position. “Jimmy Baker understands the important work of community colleges from virtually every angle – from administering the schools and teaching the students, to hiring them when they graduate,” said Milton Davis, a member of the board of trustees who chaired the personnel committee that led the chancellor search. “He brings a unique perspective, and he knows that ultimately the work of our community colleges is about ensuring the success of our students, the success of our businesses, and the success of our state. Baker became chief of staff at the community college system in January 2016 and was named acting chancellor in August, after Heinrich developed severe complications from shingles. “I am honored to be in this position,” Baker said in a news release. “Alabama has no greater asset than its community college system, and we are uniquely positioned to ensure our students have the skills they need to meet their goals. While we will continually adapt and upgrade our programs, our basic mission remains the same. We want to provide our students opportunities for success, whether they want to work toward a four-year degree, to get a good job, or to upgrade their skills.”
Community college system hires ‘game-changer’ Jeff Lynn to lead workforce development
The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) announced Wednesday the hiring of Jeff Lynn to lead its workforce development program. Formerly executive director of Louisiana’s LED FastStart, a customized workforce development program, Lynn joined the ACCS on Oct. 3. “Jeff Lynn is the Warren Buffett of workforce development,” said Jimmy Baker, acting chancellor of the Alabama Community College System in a press release. “He is great at what he does, and he is known for getting results. We are thrilled to welcome him to Alabama and eager for him to hit the ground running.” In his new role with the ACCS, Lynn will work with the members of the system as well as private and public employers and regional workforce development councils to ensure the programs offered by Alabama’s community colleges are aligning with what is needed in the workplace. Additionally, he is expected to build “advanced manufacturing training centers” to prepare workers for high-tech jobs across the state. “Workforce development is a multi-tiered collaborative effort,” Lynn explained. “Our success depends on our ability to work together to meet the collective needs of our state — residents who need good jobs, employers who need skilled workers, and communities that need business and industry in order to thrive. We must listen to the needs of our industries and provide world-class workforce solutions.” Though he has spent the last several years in Louisiana, Lynn is a graduate of Auburn University and has earned acclaim for his workforce development programs in Georgia’s Quick Start, part of the Technical College System of Georgia. Having previously worked with companies like Kia Motors, GM, Ford, Honda, Siemens, Toyo Tires North America, Sasol, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, IBM, GE Capital, and CenturyLink, Lynn is uniquely equipped to assist ACCS in training workers for the types of automotive and aerospace jobs that are becoming more and more plentiful in the Yellowhammer State.
