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
E. FOUNDATION AND ALUMNI RELATIONS
Community college foundations strive to secure private financial support by establishing lasting relationships with individuals and businesses. Boards of Regents at the university system and independent college level and Boards of Trustees at the community college level can play an important role in community and alumni involvement. Boards perceived as accessible and sensitive to stakeholders' concerns are less likely to be seen as insulated from the populations/communities served. Foundations use donated monies to provide scholarships for needy students and finance initiatives not funded through the college budgeting process. Exhibit 9-23 shows the organization of ACCD's Foundation.
Exhibit 9-23 Source: ACCD Foundation, Organizational Chart.
ACCD Foundation Organization
2002-03The Alamo Community College District Foundation (the Foundation) was incorporated in 1984 as a Texas nonprofit corporation to maintain, develop, increase and extend the facilities and services of ACCD, and to provide broader educational service opportunities to its students, staff and faculty. The Foundation includes community volunteers who actively seek new funding through the donations of individuals, companies and charitable foundations and trusts.
The executive director of Institutional Advancement/Foundation is an employee of ACCD and is responsible for the day-to-day affairs of the Foundation. The Gift and Prospect coordinator assists the executive director. No other employees work for the Foundation. The Foundation does not maintain any office space, but does hold its board meetings at ACCD's district office.
The executive director of the Foundation reports to a Board of Directors that is separate from the ACCD board. This Foundation board consists of 13 members, all volunteers, the interim chancellor of ACCD and the chairman of the ACCD board. A volunteer committee, consisting of current board members, nominates new candidates for service. The committee presents their nominations and the entire Board of Directors votes on whether or not to accept the potential candidates.
FINDING
ACCD formed a Foundation that contributes nearly $1.5 million annually to the district's general fund to award scholarships, fund educational programs and services, promote development and support building projects.
The ACCD Foundation obtains funding from a number of sources. Exhibit 9-24 outlines the Foundation's major funding sources.
Exhibit 9-24 Source: ACCD Foundation, Executive director.
ACCD Foundation Major Donors
2002-03
Program/Activity Description Amount Jesse and Sue Oppenheimer Provides scholarship opportunities to students not eligible for federal financial aid but still need supplementary income $1,000,000 San Antonio Livestock Exposition Provides scholarship opportunities to local high school graduates $571,375 The Gambrinus Company Provides scholarship opportunities to students pursuing a four-year bachelor's degree $525,000 Ford and Lincoln Mercury Car Dealerships Provides monies for the Ford Salute to Education Program: assists high school students who are active in their communities and are starting their college careers $78,250 The Foundation provides a number of scholarships for students as shown in Exhibit 9-25.
Exhibit 9-25 Source: ACCD, Financial Services Office and ACCD Foundation, Executive director.
Scholarships Provided by the ACCD Foundation
2001-02
Program Scholarship Total
Number
AwardedTotal
Amount
AwardedAgriculture, Agribusiness, Veterinary Technology, Hospitality and Allied Health SALE (San Antonio Livestock Exposition)
SALE Endowed44
8$67,625
$11,131Automotive Technology
Bridgestone/Firestone 4 $812 Charles U. Guenther 1 $200 Challenge High School Sequor Challenge 7 $4,774 Community Health Olga Aguiree Scholarship 2 $925 Culinary Arts
Hector Boiardi Scholarship 1 $500 Willie Floyd Brown 2 $1,650 Electronics Technology at SAC Rogers Smith Scholarship 1 $1,000 Engineering or Mass Communications Time Warner Scholarship 8 $7,500 Engineering Tech. or Business Morris R. Pittman 2 $2,250 General AAFSA/LaPrensa Scholarship 1 $1,000 ACCD Scholars 230 $277,190 Brackenridge Foundation 13 $4,874 Brackenridge Scholarship 14 $4,616 Club Sembradores de Amistad 5 $4,881 Conceptual Mind Works Scholarship 9 $7,500 Cowboy Breakfast 3 $2,500 Creative Learning 10 $7,380 Diamond Shamrock 10 $5,600 Ford Salute to Education 49 $63,250 Frank Tejeda Scholarship 10 $8,300 Gready, Woodward, Hatton & Vestor Scholarship 3 $2,000 King William Association Scholarship 8 $5,000 Mariachi Program Scholarship 12 $3,202 Martha-Ellen Tye Scholarship 18 $19,200 South Texas Central Lions Club 2 $2,000 Women in Transition 15 $6,170 High School Students Young Person's Conference 29 $40,120 Hospitality Hotel/Motel Management 5 $3,000 Liberal Arts Roger B. Bailey Scholarship 1 $300 Mariachi Program Mariachi Scholars 1 $250 Nursing
Dr. Frank Bryant Nursing
Lillian Taubert2 $4,000 9 $2,160 Occupational Technology Acorn Scholarship 2 $2,000 Radio-Television-Film KZEP Radio Scholarship 5 $5,000 TOTAL 546 $579,860 Students learn of scholarships through counselors, college advisors, the ACCD Student Financial Services Handbook and the Scholarship Listings booklet produced by the Foundation.
Exhibit 9-26 highlights Foundation donations and fund balances over the past six years.
Exhibit 9-26 Source: ACCD Foundation, Executive director. Fund balances reflect Foundation's fiscal year end of August 31.
ACCD Foundation Donations and Fund Balance
1997 through 2002
Year Contributions to
the FoundationRestricted Donations
Fund BalanceUnrestricted Donations
Fund BalanceFund
Balance1997 $756,495 **$1,215,792 **$55,424 $1,271,216 1998 $414,961 $1,487,264 $37,044 $1,524,308 1999 $448,619 $1,686,609 $28,862 $1,715,471 2000 $863,566 $2,067,105 $34,256 $2,101,361 2001 $1,184,996 $2,004,688 $29,432 $2,034,120 2002* $1,417,288 $2,588,584 $2,959 $2,591,543
*2002 numbers are unaudited and subject to change according to the ACCD Foundation, Executive director.
**Includes all equities since the audit report did not break down investment income and donations.In addition to funding scholarships for students, the ACCD Foundation provides funding and support for a number of special projects, as shown in Exhibit 9-27.
Exhibit 9-27 Source: ACCD Foundation, Executive director.
ACCD Foundation Special Projects and Initiatives
2003
Projects and Initiatives Description Amount Mini Grant-Ozuna Summer Program 2002 Requested money for funding activity supplies and additional library resources to be used in the "Dive into Oceans" summer 2002 program for 3rd and 4th graders. $2,124 South San High School Project FIRST Robotics Program-Collaborative with SPC/SWC Requested money for funding student project to build a robot and compete in regional and national competitions. $5,000 Mini Grant-Regional Educators Network, Office of International Programs Requested money to plan, implement and evaluate prototype institutes for a regional educators' network for South and Central Texas in cooperation with Institutional Advancement and Community Development at Palo Alto College. $4,995 Northwest Vista College Unrestricted Educational Support Created from funds donated by employees and regular donors who want their dollars earmarked "use where needed" at Northwest Vista College. Amount varies on a case by case basis in consultation with the college president. Palo Alto College Unrestricted Educational Support Created from funds donated by employees and regular donors who want their dollars earmarked "use where most needed" at Palo Alto College. Amount varies on a case by case basis in consultation with the college president. St. Philip's College Unrestricted Educational Support Created from funds donated by employees and regular donors who want their dollars earmarked "use where most needed" at St. Philip's College. Amount varies on a case by case basis in consultation with the college president. San Antonio College Unrestricted Educational Support Created from funds donated by employees and regular donors who want their dollars earmarked "use where most needed" at San Antonio College. Amount varies on a case by case basis in consultation with the college president. Foundation Special Needs Fund Created from funds donated by employees and regular donors who want their dollars earmarked "Special Needs" districtwide. Amount varies on a case by case basis in consultation with the chancellor. SPC Exhaust Emissions Testing Program via Foundation Academic Program Improvement Fund Created from a donation by the Brown Foundation to the ACCD Foundation in response to a grant application from the SPC Automotive Exhaust Emissions Testing Facility. $10,000 The majority of the Foundation's donations have come from individuals, local businesses and charitable foundations and trusts. The Foundation primarily raises money through one-on-one meetings with potential donors.
COMMENDATION
By working with local businesses and foundations, the ACCD Foundation raises nearly $1.5 million annually to provide for scholarships and special projects benefiting ACCD students, staff and the community.
FINDING
The ACCD Foundation staff is not trained to properly use the software program that tracks student scholarship disbursements. The Foundation raises funds for student scholarships, but does not award the monies directly to students. Instead, the Foundation passes the funds to the Office of Student Financial Services for distribution. To know which scholarships students actually accepted and used, the Foundation must rely on feedback from Financial Services.
The Office of Student Financial Services uses a software program to keep track of students receiving scholarships. The Financial Services staff, as well as the Foundation staff, may view electronic reports within five to 10 minutes. While this system generates appropriate reports, many staff members who do not have the necessary training to navigate through the program.
Without the skills necessary to immediately view these reports and obtain information, the staff may not be able to respond when major donors contact the Foundation to request the status of a scholarship award.
Many college departments relying on existing software to support day-to-day operations ensure that all appropriate staff are trained on the available software. This enables staff to appropriately retrieve necessary data when questions requiring data maintained through the software arise.
Recommendation 103:
Implement student scholarships tracking system training for all Alamo Community College District Foundation staff members.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1. The director of Student Financial Services schedules training for all ACCD Foundation staff. September - October 2003 2. The director of Student Financial Services meets with the executive director of the Foundation to confirm that all staff members are properly trained and all can easily obtain the reports. November 2003 3. The director of Student Financial Services continually assesses the staff's training needs and schedules any necessary subsequent training. November 2003 and Ongoing FISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
FINDING
ACCD has no alumni associations at Northwest Vista College nor Palo Alto College and does not maintain strong, active alumni associations at San Antonio College and St. Philip's College. PAC's director of Institutional Advancement and Public Affairs said that the college is in the process of establishing an alumni association but has no idea when one will be launched. Northwest Vista has no immediate plans to organize an association.
PAC did have an alumni association at one point. PAC's Alumni Y Amigos Association held their first meeting in August 1994. The association was organized as a charitable organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code and funded through a Title III grant from the Department of Education. The association invited all alumni and friends (those who had attended PAC but transferred before they accumulated 30 semester hours) to join.
SAC, the oldest and largest of the four colleges, has an alumni association of only 50 members. As part of its mission, the SAC Alumni Association strives:
- to serve as a vehicle for alumni and friends of San Antonio College;
- to continue a lifelong participation in its educational and cultural programs;
- to assist the college in various educational, fundraising, community relations, and related projects; and
- to provide an institutional link between the college and the community it serves.
Participation at the monthly board meetings is low, and the association receives no funding from the college. All SAC graduates receive a one-year free membership in the association and any former SAC student may join the association for an annual membership fee of $20. Former students may contact the alumni office directly or join the association online.
The SAC Alumni Association's main fundraising event is an annual golf tournament. All proceeds go toward a scholarship fund for San Antonio College students. The SAC faculty must nominate scholarship candidates, and all nominees must meet specific criteria. Faculty recommended four candidates and the association awarded three $1,000 scholarships in 2000-01. This money is available each academic year the student attends SAC and may be transferred to a sister school.
St. Philip's College has an alumni program with 130 members. Their mission reads:
"We, the members of the St. Philip's College Alumni Association and Friends, of San Antonio, Texas will strive to enhance a closer communication and contact with fellow graduates, friends, and (retirees) faculty in meaningful ways that encourage support of the College. This shall be through the commitment of time, resources and good will, whether financially, morally or spiritually. Emphasis will be placed on providing scholarships for educational opportunities, social programs, and benefits to meet the diverse interest of the College, the development of the alumni leadership, and inspiring volunteer resources that will support its continued growth and operations for the benefit of future students and continually improving programs."Graduates may join for $12 annually or $100 for a lifetime membership. SPC's alumni hold monthly meetings where usually eight to 15 members are present. Alumni volunteer at graduation ceremonies, Fine Arts programs and other special events. In addition, they gather at two annual fellowship dinners and an annual reunion.
The association awards two $100 scholarships each academic year. Scholarship monies primarily are raised through annual dues, alumni t-shirt sales and additional donations. An association committee selects winners based on written essays.
Effective alumni associations provide an excellent vehicle for colleges to increase their support base. Other reported benefits include:
- providing an awareness of what is happening on campus;
- providing additional monies for scholarships;
- promoting the interests and welfare of the district;
- connecting alumni and students in sharing career-related information; and
- encouraging fellowship among alumni.
Many colleges use one or more of the following steps when establishing and increasing membership in existing alumni associations:
- survey other colleges for best practices;
- hold focus groups to determine the needs, expectations and interests of recent graduates;
- publicize the creation of an association through class reunions, campus events and/or word-of-mouth;
- enroll new graduates into association automatically for a period of two years;
- allow former students to join the association online; and
- send invitations to all past graduates.
Phoenix College, part of the Maricopa Community College District, has a large and active alumni association. The association was established in March 1989 and has more than 16,000 members. If you graduated from or attended Phoenix College, you are considered an alumnus. Membership is free and there are no dues.
The Phoenix College Alumni Association (PCAA) launched the PCAA Scholarship in 1992 to help deserving students in need of financial assistance. Scholarship recipients are matched with an Alumni Mentor who shares experiences, provides guidance and supports the student. Since 1992, more than 300 full semester scholarships, worth more than $150,000, have been awarded by the PCAA and the Half-Century Club. The Half-Century Club is made up of more than 1,000 alumni that attended the school more than 50 years ago. Monies are collected through cash donations, gifts, an annual hall of fame dinner and silent auction. The PCAA has a Web page on the district's Web site, which includes information on alumni chapters, campus events and activities.
Recommendation 104:
Create a task force to develop strategies and establish alumni committees at each of Alamo Community College District's colleges.
As membership increases, the alumni associations will become more valuable to the colleges. The associations will have the resources needed to raise and distribute more money to needy students, as well as increase the college's community presence.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1. The ACCD Foundation Board, the Foundation executive director and the alumni directors from San Antonio College and St. Philip's College create a task force to develop a plan to increase existing alumni membership and create alumni associates at Northwest Vista and Palo Alto College. September 2003 2. The ACCD Foundation Board, the executive director of the Foundation and the alumni directors from San Antonio College and St. Philip's College create alumni committees for all four colleges and select directors for Northwest Vista and Palo Alto's alumni associations. October - December 2003 3. The task force surveys other colleges for successful strategies to promote active membership. January 2004 4. The directors initiate a database of alumni that can be the nucleus of the alumni associations and the four alumni association directors begin implementation. February 2004
and OngoingFISCAL IMPACT
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
