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Chapter 9
COLLEGE AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS

This chapter reviews the college and community relation functions of the Alamo Community College District (ACCD) in the following sections:

A. Organization and Management
B. Marketing and Communications
C. Community and Business Involvement
D. Grant and Resource Development
E. Foundation and Alumni Relations

Obtaining institutional support from a variety of internal and external stakeholders is essential to both a community college's success and the quality of life in the college's service area. Institutional support and involvement includes those activities that enable students, alumni, businesses, parents, other political subdivisions and special interest groups with a stake in higher education to become involved with the community college. Stakeholders are more likely to respond to the institution's needs and concerns if they are well informed about the issues and challenges facing the college.

BACKGROUND

ACCD consists of four individually accredited colleges: Northwest Vista College (NVC), Palo Alto College (PAC), St. Philip's College (SPC) and San Antonio College (SAC). Each of these colleges is independent from one another, with separate Public Relations and Resource Development offices.

At ACCD, the Office of Governmental/Public Relations, the Resource Development offices, the Office of Institutional Advancement and the ACCD Foundation work together to nurture institutional support. The district's Office of Governmental/Public Relations, as well as the college's Public Relations Office, handles media functions, marketing strategies and community and governmental relations. The Resource Development offices strive to bring in additional revenue, gifts and resources to the colleges. The Office of Institutional Advancement also works with private sector donors to bring additional monies into the district. The ACCD Foundation actively seeks new funding through individuals, companies and charitable foundations and trusts.

Critical components of institutional support programs include promoting the college and communicating with internal and external college stakeholders. Other essential program components include:

  • marketing the institution's programs and services to the community;
  • recruiting volunteers and soliciting business support for college functions;
  • outreach activities designed to encourage community participation in the college's activities;
  • methods for raising funds for scholarships and other needed college activities;
  • enhancing the college's ability to provide services through grants; and
  • maintaining positive governmental relations at the federal, state and local community levels.

Exhibit 9-1 shows the organizational structure for ACCD's institutional support programs at both the district and college level.

Exhibit 9-1
ACCD Institutional Support Functional Organization
2002-03
Institutional Support Functional
Source: ACCD, Chancellor's office and interviews.
*Same person holds both positions.

Exhibits 9-2 present ACCD's institutional support operating budget for 2002-03.

Exhibit 9-2
Budget for Institutional Support-Governmental/Public Relations
2002-03
Expenditure
Category		 Gov't/PR Phone Bank NVC
PR		 **PAC
PR		 SPC
PR		 SAC
PR		 Total
Number of Staff 5 FT 9 PT 3 FT 4 FT 3 FT 3 FT/ 2 PT 18 FT/11 PT
*Salaries $219,903 $46,436 $129,682 $106,648 $129,248 $125,262 $757,179
Employee Travel $3,000 $0 $1,343 $0 $3,400 $0 $7,743
Employee Development $3,000 $0 $400 N/A $0 $0 $3,400
Basic Telephone $2,555 $3,000 N/A $790 $1,620 $1,102 $9,067
General Expense $352,087 $3,000 $99,189 $55,828 $78,000 $149,132 $737,236
Fringe Benefits N/A $0 $7,053 $9,821 $10,551 N/A $27,425
Other $10,000 $10,000 $0 $1,445 $0 $14,278 $35,723
TOTAL $590,545 $62,436 $237,667 $174,532 $222,819 $289,774 $1,577,773
Source: ACCD, Office of Governmental/Public Relations directors.
*Salaries include professional, classified and temporary salaries.
**Part of PAC's Office of Institutional Advancement and Public Affairs.