History
The Alvin Community College District was approved by the qualified voters of Alvin Independent School District on November 2, 1948. From its inception until the 1971-1972 academic year, the College was administered by officials of Alvin Independent School District. The 1971-1972 academic year marked the beginning of a new era in the history of Alvin Community College. A separate administration, tax district, and college board were established to assume the management, control, and operation of a newly created Alvin Junior College District.
Initially, when the College and public schools were in the same system, the College was part of Alvin High School. The first classes began on September 12, 1949 in facilities which grouped grades 11 through 14 in one building and which placed Alvin under a system known as the 6-4-4 plan. One of the more important changes in the program of Alvin Community College was the building of a separate physical plant for academic work at the college level and dropping of the 6-4-4 plan in favor of a 6-3-3-2 arrangement. The college program was strengthened by additional facilities, by an enlarged faculty, and by successfully meeting the standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools (1959). Alvin Community College moved to its present campus in the summer session of 1963.
By a vote of both the original district and voters of adjoining territories, the college district was enlarged to nearly twice its geographical size in 1974. Then, in the spring of 1975, an $8 million bond issue was approved, providing funds for the facilities necessary to meet an expanding enrollment. In 1998 the College expanded into its service area with the establishment of the Pearland Center in the former C.J. Harris Elementary School in Pearland. The Pearland Center was closed in 2013 and the campus was sold in 2016.
In 2005, a $19.9 million dollar bond issue was approved, providing funds for a new science/health science building to meet the needs of expanding health programs, to provide relief for overcrowded classrooms, and to update technology and simulation labs.
In 2016, the college was named a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. The college also received a $3.8 million grant to expand its offerings in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields.
That same year, the college was one of 67 in the United States to be named part of the Second Chance Pell program, which offers scholarship assistance for incarcerated students.
The Board of Regents approved a Maintenance Tax Note in 2018 for $25 million to upgrade infrastructure on campus including the replacement of water lines, roof repairs, HVAC equipment, electrical, security and more. The funds were also used to renovate the Student Center and the Nolan Ryan Center.
The college entered into an articulation agreement with the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 2018. The agreement establishes a transfer protocol that will create a clear pathway for ACC Associates of Arts graduates who want to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree at UH-Clear Lake.
The Alvin-Manvel Area Chamber of Commerce gave ACC the Lifetime Achievement Award for Business in 2019. It also awarded the college with the Large Business of the Year award in 2024.
ACC was listed among the top community colleges for the seventh time for the 2023 Aspen Prize.
In 2023 the Board of Regents finalized an agreement to create the ACC West Campus in the Manvel area to expand its career and technical, workforce and Career College training programs.
In 2024 ACC began offering its first Bachelor’s Degree with the Business Management program.
The enrollment of Alvin Community College has grown from 134 students in 1949 to almost 6,000, posting its highest enrollment ever in 2019. During this period of growth, Alvin Community College has had seven presidents. The seventh president, Dr. Robert J. Exley joined the college in 2021.
Mr. A.G. Welch 1949 - 1954
Dr. A.B. Templeton 1954 - 1964
Mr. D.P. O’Quinn 1964 - 1971
Dr. T.V. Jenkins 1971 - 1976
Dr. A. Rodney Allbright 1976 - 2014
Dr. Christal M. Albrecht 2014 - 2021
Dr. Robert J. Exley 2021 - Present
Mission Statement
Alvin Community College exists to improve the lives of its students and community by providing affordable, accessible, inclusive, high quality and innovative academic, technical and cultural educational opportunities for the diverse communities it serves.
Vision Statement
Alvin Community College will provide high-quality academic, technical and cultural educational opportunities that promote student success, enhance quality of life and support economic development.
Core Values
ACC began implementing its core values, called C.A.R.E.S. in 2019. The statements define the college’s purpose as well as acknowledging its responsibility to its students and the community. The core values were developed by students, faculty, staff as well as members of the community.
- Community Asset: Alvin Community College is a strong community asset.
- Accountable: Alvin Community College is accountable to all its stakeholders.
- Responsive: Alvin Community College is responsive to the needs of of students and the diverse population of the region.
- Excellence: Alvin Community College strives for educational excellence in programs and services.
- Student-centered: Alvin Community College prides itself on being student-centered.
Accreditation and Memberships
Alvin Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (www.sacscoc.org) to award certificates and associate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Alvin Community College.
Approved by:
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Memberships:
ACEN Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
Alvin Manvel Area Chamber of Commerce
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO)
American Association of Community Colleges
Association of Community College Trustees
Association of Higher Education and Disabilities
Association of Title IX Administrators
Brazoria County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
CAAHEP Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
CoAEMSP Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the EMS
CoARC Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care
CoA-NDT Committee on Accreditation for Neurodiagnostic Technology
CoA-PSG Committee on Accreditation for Polysomnographic Technology
Economic Development Alliance of Brazoria County
Ellucian - Texas State Reporting Solutions Team
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Honors Council
JBCC - Judicial Branch Certification Commission
JRC-DMS Joint Review Committee for Diagnostic Medical Sonography
NAPTA North America Process Technology Alliance
National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
National Institute for Staff and Organizational Dev.
National Junior College Athletic Association
NCMPR National Council for Marketing and Public Relations
NCRC National Certification Reciprocity Consortium
Pearland Chamber of Commerce
Region XIV Athletic Conference
TAP Texas Addiction Professional
TBON Texas Board of Nursing
TCOLE Texas Commission on Law Enforcement
Texas Association Against Sexual Assault
Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (TACRAO)
Texas Association of Collegiate Veteran Program Officials
Texas Association of Community Colleges
Texas Community College Teachers Association
Texas Counseling Association
Texas Department of Family & Protective Services (License)
Texas Department of State Health Services
TSSB Texas Skills Standards Board
Interpretation of Catalog
The administration of Alvin Community College acts as final interpreter of this catalog and all other college publications. The College may change requirements or regulations as necessitated by college or legislative action. For the purpose of college operations, class schedules published in the fall, spring, and summer are considered implementation of College policy and an extension of this catalog. Any of the regulations, services, or course offerings appearing in this catalog may be changed without prior notice. The regulations appearing here will be in force starting with the fall semester of the catalog year.
Please refer to the college website www.AlvinCollege.edu or The POD (currently enrolled students) for the most current information.
Facilities
The main campus of Alvin Community College is situated on 113 acres in Alvin, Texas and consists of seventeen buildings: Learning Resources Center, Fine Arts Center, Childcare Center, Business and Industrial Technologies Center, Student Center, Physical Fitness Center, Liberal Arts Building, Continuing Education - Workforce Training/Health Science Center, Occupational Technical Building, KACC Radio-TV, Nolan Ryan Center, Maintenance Complex, Transportation Center, Shipping & Receiving Science/Health Science Building and Art Instruction Laboratory.
A The first floor of the “A” building contains the Vice President of Information Technology, Office of the Vice President of Student Services, Welcome Center, Advising, Career Services, Student Accessibility Services, Financial Aid, Testing Center, Veterans and Graduation Offices, Cyberlink Lab and the Business Office. The second floor houses the Learning commons (Tutoring Center), classrooms, Library, and other offices.
B The Fine Arts Center contains facilities for the Music, Drama and Art Departments, rehearsal rooms, offices and the Theater. The offices of the President, Vice President of Instruction and Academic Support, Vice President of Workforce and Strategic Initiatives and Vice President of Financial & Administrative Services are located on the second floor along with the Communications Department and KACC Radio 89.7 FM.
C The first floor is where the Childcare Center houses classrooms, offices and kitchen facilities used by the Child Development Laboratory School. The Vice President of Development & Outreach and ACC Foundation are also located on the first floor. The second floor contains a multi-purpose conference room, faculty offices and classrooms, as well as offices used by the Upward Bound program and the Marketing department.
D Facilities for instruction in industrial programs include an electronics lab, a welding lab and fabrication shop. In addition to the many classrooms and offices located in the Business and Industrial Technologies Center, laboratories are provided for various programs. Human Resources and Vice President of Human Resources is also located on the first floor of the D building.
E The Student Center consists of the Game Room, E-Sports Arena and Student Activities offices including the student ID station, College Store and Food Services, Fine Arts Gallery and Study Grounds Coffee Bar.
F The Physical Fitness Center includes athletic offices, the gym, weight room, dance exercise studio, four racquetball courts, saunas, dressing rooms, lockers, baseball field, two-mile jogging track, soccer/football field, and a softball field.
G The Liberal Arts Center contains classrooms, the foreign language lab, faculty offices, and the offices of the Academic Dean of Arts & Sciences, Academic Dean of General Education & Academic Support and the Dean of Career and Technical Programs along with the Veterans Lounge.
H The Continuing Education Workforce Development Center contains the office of the Dean, Continuing Education & Workforce Development, classrooms, and laboratories supporting workforce training in health sciences, information technology, commercial driving, GED, veterinarian assistant and contract training. Campus Police is also located in the H building.
J/I The Art Instruction facilities contain offices and space for art instruction and creation (ceramics, sculpture & jewelry making).
N The Occupational Technical Building includes a drafting lab/classroom, computer laboratories, classrooms, faculty offices, Process Technology lab, and the Criminal Justice Training Center.
R The Nolan Ryan Center is a 12,000 square foot facility built by the Nolan Ryan Foundation and donated to the college in 1996. The building was renovated in 2021. It contains classrooms, a community room that seats 216 people, kitchen facilities, a Culinary Arts Lab and Board Room.
S The Science/Health Science Building contains four teaching theaters, laboratories, classrooms, faculty suites, offices of Allied Health Directors, and office of the Dean of Legal and Health Sciences.
ACC West – The ACC West campus was opened in 2024. The location includes 14,500 square feet and is used to offer training and certificate programs tailored specifically for local employers. Also housed in the facility are staff offices and student services.
Transfer Credit Programs
Alvin Community College hereby guarantees to students who have graduated with the associate of arts or associate of science degree that course credits earned as part of these degree programs will transfer to those Texas colleges or universities which participate in the Texas Common Course Numbering System under the following conditions:
- Transferability means acceptance of credit toward a specific major and degree. Courses must be identified by the receiving university as transferable and applicable in the Texas Common Course Numbering System Guide.
- Limitation on total number of credits accepted in transfer, grades required, relevant grade point average, and duration of transferability apply as stated in the general undergraduate catalog of the receiving institution.
- Only college-level courses with Community College General Academic Course Guide Manual approved numbers are included in this guarantee.
The transfer plan must include:
- courses to be taken for transfer,
- name of college to which student plans to transfer,
- the name of degree and major selected,
- the date the decision was made, and
- an Associate in Arts or Associate of Science degree plan.
If all of the above conditions are met and a course or courses are not accepted by a receiving institution in transfer, the student must notify the Vice President of Instruction, within ten (10) days of notice of transfer credit denial so that a “Transfer Dispute Resolution” process can be initiated.
Alvin Community College guarantees that if course denial is not resolved, the College will offer the student tuition-free alternate courses, semester hour for semester hour (not to exceed 12 semester hours) which are acceptable to the receiving institution. This guarantee will be good for a one-year period from the granting of a degree by Alvin Community College. The student is responsible for payment of any fees, books or other course related expenses.
This guarantee is designed specifically for those ACC students who have made firm decisions about their major and the institution to which they plan to transfer. In order to secure such a guarantee, students must begin the process with a Pathways Advisor. This guarantee does not apply when degree requirements set by some universities vary significantly from ACC’s degree programs.
Technical Programs - Competent Job Skills
Alvin Community College guarantees that recipients of an Associate of Applied Science degree or certificate of completion will have the job skills for entry-level employment in the occupational field for which the student has been trained. If such a degree or certificate recipient is judged by the employer to be lacking in technical job skills (identified as exit competencies for the specific program by ACC), the recipient will be provided up to nine (9) tuition-free credit hours of additional skill training. The following special conditions apply to this guarantee:
- The student must have earned the Associate of Applied Science degree or certificate as of May 1993 or thereafter in a technical or occupational program listed in ACC’s catalog.
- The student must complete the program within four (4) years prior to the date of graduation and earn, as a minimum, 75% of the credits at ACC.
- The student must be employed full time within six (6) months of graduation in an occupation directly related to the specific program completed at ACC.
- The employer must certify in writing that the student lacks the entry-level skills identified by ACC as program exit competencies and must specify the areas of deficiency within ninety (90) days of the student’s initial employment.
- Upon receipt of the employer’s written notice, an educational plan for retraining will be developed by the appropriate Dean and other appropriate personnel.
- Retraining will be limited to nine (9) credit hours related to the identified skill deficiency and to those classes regularly scheduled during the period covered by the retraining plan.
- All retraining must be completed within a calendar year from the time the educational plan is agreed upon.
- The student and/or employee is responsible for the cost of books, insurance, uniforms, fees and other course related expenses.
- The guarantee does not imply that ACC graduates will pass any licensing or qualifying examination for a particular career.
- Additional training for skill deficiencies shall be limited to nine (9) tuition-free credit hours under conditions described above.
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