From day one, Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart has said that ACC is going to love our students to success. To do so, he has committed to listening to faculty, staff, and students to understand our students’ needs during his First 100 Days.

“I believe in the student voice, we are going to listen to students a lot,” said Dr. Lowery-Hart at the first Campus Conversation at Eastview Campus. “They may not have the confidence or experience to voice their needs. So, we’re going to have to make sure we build structures to listen.”

To learn more about our students and their experiences at the college, Dr. Lowery-Hart hired a team of student secret shoppers and called for focus group sessions with faculty, staff, and students. 

Student Secret Shoppers

Dr. Lowery-Hart says he employs student secret shoppers to provide the college with an unfiltered understanding of how our students receive us. Some of the feedback he has shared include:

  • Students are scared they don’t belong,
  • Students feel that scheduling is an issue,
  • A lot of barriers students face are outside the classroom (child care, healthcare, housing, food insecurity, mental health challenges, emergencies),
  • Students don’t think they are smart enough.

Student Focus Groups

During his first two months, Dr. Lowery-Hart also called for a series of student focus groups hosted by SWIM Digital. These confidential sessions offer students an opportunity to share their thoughts about what the perfect college looks and feels like.  

In November, the Chancellor will meet with a select group of students to begin work on reviewing and developing college values. Learn more about the student focus groups HERE. 

Virtual Student Town Halls

Dr. Lowery-Hart will host the first Virtual Student Town Hall on Thursday, November 9. Similar to the first Virtual Employee Town Hall, Dr. Lowery-Hart will discuss his First 100 Days and open the chat for students to share more about their needs and challenges. The session will last an hour. Learn more about the Student Town Halls HERE.

Additional Opportunities for Student Input

The Chancellor’s website is an additional opportunity to provide comments. Click on the ‘Connect’ tab to go to the form.