GOVERNANCE AND LEADERSHIP
This chapter reviews the governance and leadership functions of the Alamo Community College District (ACCD) in the following sections:
- A. Governance and Board Policies
- B. Management and Organization
- C. Planning
- D. Institutional Policies
- E. Legal Services
Effective governance and leadership in higher education is defined by the productive cooperation and interactions of the elected Board of Trustees, the chancellor and the staff of the institution. The board's role is one of policy development and approval ensuring that goals and objectives are set for academics and operations within the institution. Boards also approve the plans to implement those policies and provide the necessary funding to carry out the plans. The ability of community college boards to perform these duties effectively is often determined by their acknowledgement that the chancellor is responsible for policy implementation and the planning and execution of the day-to-day operations of the college.
The chancellor, as the chief executive officer of the institution, recommends staffing and resource requirements necessary to accomplish the board's goals and objectives. The chancellor is also responsible for reporting organizational performance information to the board and making sure that the institution is held accountable for meeting its performance goals. Institutional managers and staff are responsible for managing the day-to-day implementation of the policies and plans approved by the board and for recommending modifications to ensure that the institution operates efficiently and effectively and in accordance with its intended purpose.
BACKGROUND
ACCD is the 2nd largest community college in the state and the 10th largest in the nation, serving 48,984 students as of spring 2003 in four colleges: San Antonio College (SAC), Palo Alto College (PAC), St. Philip's College (St. Philip's) and Northwest Vista College (NVC). The four ACCD colleges are located on the southside, northwest, north central and eastside of San Antonio, the nation's 9th largest city with a population of 1.2 million, serving students in Bexar County as well as the surrounding counties of Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Kerr and Wilson. Classes are also offered at East Kelly Air Force Base through St. Philip's College's Southwest Campus, at Northeast Campus and additional off-campus locations including local businesses and military bases.
ACCD's oldest college, St. Philip's College, was founded in 1898 as a means of educating and training recently emancipated slaves. St. Philip's expanded from a small sewing class in a house located in the area known today as La Villita in downtown San Antonio. The school rapidly expanded its mission and grew to become a vital resource in the local African-American Community.
In September 1902, Miss Artemesia Bowden, a teacher and daughter of a former slave, assumed leadership of the school. Over the next 52 years, under the direction of Miss Bowden, St. Philip's underwent monumental transformations, evolving from a parochial day school to an industrial school and then to a fully accredited two-year college offering a diverse curriculum. Changes included a move in 1917 from the school's original site to its present location just east of downtown and an affiliation with San Antonio College and the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) in 1942.
San Antonio College was established as San Antonio Union Junior College in September 1925, under the supervision of the University of Texas. The following year, control of the college was transferred to the San Antonio Independent School District and the name was changed to San Antonio Junior College. Following passage of state legislation that authorized junior college districts, the San Antonio Union Junior College District was formed in 1945 and assumed control of San Antonio College and its sister college, St. Philip's Junior College, in 1946. In 1948, San Antonio Junior College changed its name to San Antonio College, and the college moved to its present location on San Pedro Avenue in 1951. In 1955, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools granted accreditation to the college. In the late 1960s, San Antonio College became a comprehensive community college by expanding its offerings in occupational and technical courses and by assuming the SAISD's continuing education program. The name of the district was changed to San Antonio Community College District in 1978, and in 1982, the district changed its name to the Alamo Community College District.
The ACCD board established Palo Alto College on February 21, 1983, as an institution of higher learning for citizens in the south side of Bexar County, and was subsequently chartered by the Texas Legislature on March 19, 1983, as an open-admission, public, two-year college. Initial classes were held at various locations, including the Southwest Center of the ACCD, local high schools and military bases until the present day campus opened in January 1987. St. Philip's College grew again in 1987 when Southwest Campus, formerly part of East Kelly AFB, was designated as an official campus of St. Philip's. The campus, which had operated as an ACCD extension since 1975, continues to serve both students and the business and industry community as a hub for technical training programs. New additions to St. Philip's include a multimillion dollar capital expansion in the early 1990s that added four major new building to the main campus. Other expansions included the opening of the Northeast Learning Center in 1996 and the completion of the Learning and Leadership Development Center in 1997. The Northeast Campus on Pat Booker Road is the most recent addition for both St. Philip's and San Antonio College.
Northwest Vista College was established in 1994 with a donation of approximately 112 acres in the northwest quadrant of San Antonio by World Savings and Loan Association. Prior to completion of the campus, the college's administrative offices were housed at ACCD's offices on Sheridan Street in downtown San Antonio. The college celebrated its grand opening in October 1999, with the completion of the learning center and the college commons. Exhibit 1-1 shows the location and foundation year for each of ACCD's four colleges.
Exhibit 1-1 Source: ACCD, Web site www.accd.edu.
ACCD Colleges
2002-03
College Year
FoundedLocation St. Philip's College 1898 1801 Martin Luther King Dr. San Antonio, Texas 78203 San Antonio College 1925 1300 San Pedro Ave. San Antonio, Texas 78212 Palo Alto College 1983 1400 Villaret Blvd. San Antonio, Texas 78224 Northwest Vista College 1995 3535 N. Ellison Dr. San Antonio, Texas 78251 In October 2002, former Chancellor Bob Ramsey left the district after 10 years in that position. The chancellor's departure came on the heels of the indictment of two sitting board members and the former board chairman on corruption charges. Over the course of the past year, ACCD has suffered a wave of negative publicity in the local press regarding the ethical propriety of the board and administrative leadership. It was in this environment that Interim Chancellor Earnest Martinez took office on October 24, 2002, after being selected by a board that saw three new members elected to its ranks in May 2002.
In April 2003, the board unanimously voted to appoint Dr. J. Parker Chesson, Jr. to replace Dr. Martinez as the interim chancellor after he resigned amid allegations of misconduct. Dr. Chesson began serving in the role of interim chancellor on April 23, 2003 until the permanent chancellor's position is filled. On June 17, 2003, the board unanimously nominated Dr. J. Terrence Kelly as ACCD's new chancellor and he is expected to take the reigns in September 2003.
Amidst this ongoing leadership change, the board is also experiencing continued controversies and criminal proceeding. The District 2 board member resigned in May 2003 and subsequently he and the indicted former board member entered into a plea bargain in conjunction with the October 2002 indictments. Another board member was convicted in July 2003 on charges including bribery and money laundering and was sentenced to 12 years in jail.
As of August 2003, all vacant board positions have been filled, while broader allegations continue to surface in the media and from the actual deposition of the architect who pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery charges for a $14.4 million construction contract.