Austin Community College District’s (ACC) Theory of Change process to help the college reach its new North Star—a 70% completion rate by 2030—is underway. 

The process kicked off with a retreat for the college’s Theory of Change Steering Committee, Cabinet members, leadership from the four employee associations, and Design Team co-chairs. From May 14 to 15, they learned about design thinking and how to lead change, established charges and appointed co-chairs for the design teams, and began the process of selecting design team members.

Listed below are the members of the steering committee and the co-chairs selected for the design teams. 

Steering Committee

Co-Chair: Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart – Chancellor
Co-Chair: Dr. Monique Umphrey – Provost
Co-Chair: Dr. Samantha Croft – Faculty
Charity Benford – Coordinator, Institutional Effectiveness
Jason Brown – Director, Talent Search Program
Charlene Buckley – Director, Equal Opportunity Compliance
Susan Burkhauser – Director, Institutional Research
Shaunyale Canada – Manager, High School Programs Academic Success
Dr. Chris Cervini – Vice Chancellor, Community & Public Affairs
Mary Ann Cicala – Director, Alumni
Cara Crowley – Special Advisor to the Chancellor, Basic Needs
Larry Davis – Vice Chancellor, Belonging & Purpose
David DeRouen – Supervisor, AOS Advising, Hays/President APTA
Edwin Escamilla – Vice President, Student Government Association
Dana Gutierrez – Program Assistant, Riverside/Member
Christine Michura – Dean, Eastview /Adjunct Association Past President
Dr, Mary Harris – Vice Chancellor, Institutional Effectiveness and Grant Development 
Dr. Ron Johns – Associate Dean, Assessment & Evaluation
Dr. Monique Johnson-Jones – Executive Dean, Academic Support Services
Brette Lea – Vice Chancellor, College Relations & Marketing
Laura Lucas – Director, Strategic Initiatives
Maegan MacKenzie – Faculty, Professional Nursing
Alejandra Polcik – Manager, Student Support Systems Ascender
Misty Rasmussen – Associate Dean, Planning & Accreditation
Dr. Ruth Reinhart – Associate Vice Chancellor, Student Support Services
Dr. Nancy Stano – Faculty, Student Development
Edward Terry – Director, College Web
Dr. Susan Warner Sanchez – Associate Vice Chancellor, Teaching & Learning Excellence
Dr. Khayree Williams – Director, Truth, Racial Healing, & Transformation Center

Design Team Co-Chairs

8-Week Courses and Programs
Chelsea Biggerstaff – Interim Manager, Faculty Development
Vanessa Lazo – Professor, World Languages
Idolina Maldonado – Regional Director, Admissions & Enrollment/ SIS Core Team Lead

Academic Tutoring & Coaching
Ursula Parker – Professor, Composition and Literary Studies
Jose Resendez – Regional Director, Academic Support Services

Belonging & Engagement in the Classroom
LaKisha Barrett – Associate Professor, Biology/Associate Dean of Belonging and Purpose in Teaching and Learning
Cam Claassen – Process Analyst & Trainer

Co-Requisite Courses
Kendall Dingee – Associate Professor, Composition and Literary Studies
Jessica Oest – Success Coach, Ascender
Rosalba Schramm – Project Coordinator, Continuing Ed 

Demonstrated Practices of Caring from Staff
Queen Samantha R. Ackers – Academic Coach
Dana Gutierrez- Program Assistant, Building Construction Technology
Khayree Williams – Director, Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Center

Direct-to-College Matriculation
Vincent Bustillos – Manager, Recruitment 
Cheryl Thompson – Program Supervisor, Adult Education 

Dual Credit
Shaunyale Canada – Manager, High School Programs Academic Success
Matthew M Daude – Dean, Liberal Arts – Humanities & Communications
Theodore Hadzi-Antich Jr. – Professor, Government

Meet Basic Needs
Cara Crowley – Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Basic Needs Systems
Amber Sarker – Associate Professor, Student Development

Paying for College
Karina Hernandez – Associate Dean, Digital Fluency and Innovation / Professor, Computer Science and IT
Lottia Windham – Regional Director, Financial Aid

Required Advising
David DeRouen – Supervisor, AOS Advising HYS
Arun John – Associate Professor, Composition and Literary Studies
Elizabeth Maze – Career and Transfer Center Assistant

Strategic Scheduling
Nancy Stano – Professor, Student Development / Assistant Dean, SBS  Division 
Sarah Wright – Manager, South Austin Campus Learning Lab

Student Success Course
Susan Burkhauser – Director, Institutional Research
Grant Potts – Professor, Philosophy, Religion, and Humanities

Transfer
MaryAnn Cicala – Director, Alumni Relations
Maegan MacKenzie – Associate Professor, Professional Nursing 
John Wilsonmay – Product Owner

Vibrant Student Community
Charity Benford – Coordinator, Institutional Effectiveness
Tim Outlaw – Manager, Make It Center IT/AV

Theory of Change Process Phases

The steering committee identified a three-phase approach for implementing the Theory of Change. The first phase will start in fall 2024, with the launches of the other two phases still to be determined.

Phase 1 | Fall 2024
Start Strong: Dual Credit
Start Strong: Required Advising
Meet Basic Needs: Meet Basic Needs 
Belonging & Connection: Demonstrated Practices of Caring from All Staff 
Enroll Full-Time: Paying for College
Enroll Full-Time: Academic Tutoring and Coaching 

Phase 2 | TBD
Start Strong: Corequisite Courses 
Start Strong: Student Success Course 
Belonging & Connection: Foster Belonging and Engagement in the Classroom
Belonging & Connection: Transfer
Enroll Full-Time: Strategic Scheduling 

Phase 3 | TBD
Start Strong: Direct-to-College Matriculation 
Belonging & Connection: Foster Vibrant Student Community
Enroll Full-Time: 8-Week Courses and Programs

Next Steps

Members for the first design teams are expected to be announced soon. 

The college also will soon launch a Theory of Change website to provide the latest information on the process. Stay tuned!