ACC Regents Review 2020-21 Budget
The Alvin Community College Board of Regents reviewed the proposed 2020-21 fiscal year budget during their meeting on June 25.
The proposed $35.25 million budget is a 2 percent increase from the current fiscal year budget.
Community colleges are funded through three main sources: state appropriations, student tuition and fees and local property taxes. Estimated revenues for the upcoming fiscal year include $20.16 million from property tax revenue, $6.4 million from tuition and fees and $7.72 million from state appropriations.
According to uncertified values from the Tax Assessor’s Collector show that property values in the ACC district increased 15.8 percent from the previous year.
Regents will review the budget several more times before they vote on a final version in August. They will also vote on the tax rate at a future meeting.
In other action, the board approved emergency purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic that included a contract for sanitization services, online safety training, personal protective equipment, technology for students and UV-C germicidal light fixtures for the Lab School.
The purchases also included a contract for Honorlock, which is an online proctored testing software that will ensure integrity in tests taken by online students. The new software will help with the recent expansion of courses offered online.
President Dr. Christal M. Albrecht talked to regents about a recent survey among students to determine how they feel about returning to campus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey showed that 63 percent of students preferred to take classes online only or in a hybrid format while 31 percent said they would prefer face to face and 6 percent had no preference. The survey had 569 students who participated.
A similar survey will be issued to faculty and results are not yet available.
Sixty-five percent of the students responded their health and safety as their highest concern as they prepare for Fall courses.
Regents also:
-approved hiring of faculty for Psychology and Process Technology
-approved hiring of executive director of Institutional Effectiveness and Research
-approved agreement with Microsoft for campus software
-approved contract with Spectra for flooring in G Building
-approved 2020-21 schedule for board meetings and workshops
-approved board policy local revisions to DBB, FFAC and DBF
-approved revisions to TASB Board Policy Update 38
-approved monthly financial reports
The board will have its next meeting on Thursday, July 23 at 6 p.m.