| ACCD
News & Events
PAC
Hosts "Community Conversation"
For
Immediate Release
November 20, 2006
Contact: Vincent Bosquez, Director of Public Relations,
Palo Alto College
(210) 921-5269
vbosquez@accd.edu
Dr.
Ana M. “Cha” Guzman, President of Palo
Alto College
A
consortium of south San Antonio students, educators,
community organizations and business leaders came
together at Palo Alto College recently to participate
in a “Community Conversation” centered
on ways to help PAC students achieve their educational
goals.
The
“Community Conversation” event is part
of the Alamo Community College District’s “Achieving
the Dream” initiative. The District, and each
of its colleges, has held a “Community Conversation”
in their sectors in order to engage their community
and stakeholders in dialogues to raise awareness on
collegiate activities and issues, and to establish
partnerships designed to help students succeed.
“Our
goal is to uncover new ideas and initiatives that
will allow more students to graduate with an associate’s
degree, or obtain their certification,” said
Dr. Ana M. “Cha” Guzman, PAC president.
“With your help, we can continue to provide
a multitude of opportunities to help students achieve
their academic goals.”
At
the end of the evening, participants who had been
divided up into three groups were rejoined in the
Student Center where they presented their top three
recommendations to Dr. Guzman:
- Red
Group: The group’s #1 recommendation called
for “Post-secondary Fairs in Elementary Schools.”
The group felt it was important for students in
elementary school to have a plan, or at least an
idea, that they are going to college upon graduation
from high school. The second recommendation called
for inviting more business leaders to partner with
PAC in providing additional opportunities and financial
resources, and a third recommendation called for
PAC to increase distance learning.
- Blue
Group: The group’s #1 recommendation called
for “State-funded Mentoring Programs”
that would help students gain more direction. The
group wants to see more businesspeople and professionals
partner with students in order to offer them an
insight into how they became successful. The second
recommendation called for educating faculty on various
resources available to them in order to enlighten
students, and a third recommendation called for
PAC to identify existing programs, or renewal prior
successful programs, to bring adults back into the
classroom.
- Green
Group: The group’s #1 recommendation called
for “Parent Orientation” at the start
of the academic year. The group felt that parents,
along with their children, need a college orientation
session so that they know what to expect and the
resources available to them. The second recommendation
called for a “Student Mentor Program,”
and the third recommendation called for a “PAC
Summer Camp for K-12 Students.”
Palo
Alto College will now review the recommendations and
form a “Follow-up” work group to ensure
that the ideas presented are considered and implemented
as appropriate.
Palo
Alto College is a fully accredited community college
located on the Southside, and awards associate degrees,
short-term certificates and offers non-credit continuing
education classes. The college is recognized nationally
for its high transfer rate. The campus is located
at 1400 W. Villaret Blvd. at I-410 South and Texas
Hwy. 16 or online at <www.accd.edu/pac>.
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