Two days after announcing a new permanent president for SSCC, Alabama Community College System Chancellor Jimmy Baker visited Snead State Community College to meet with President Joe Whitmore and the Cabinet on Thursday, Nov. 12.
Chancellor Baker discussed the future of ACCS and his vision for the college system and Snead State, both of which will become clear with the development of the ASPIRE 2030 plan.
ASPIRE 2030 is a system-wide initiative to inspire community-focused strategic planning for capital improvement projects. The acronym ASPIRE (Achieving Systemwide Potential through Increased Resources and Engagement) aptly captures the initiative’s intent – for the ACCS to realize its potential for improving Alabama through strategic investments in local college projects – projects that will engage the local community, strengthen relationships with key stakeholders, better align services to business and industry needs, and, ultimately, increase student success.
Each college within the system is developing a strategic planning document addressing several criteria outlined in ASPIRE with the help of key stakeholders such as K-12 representatives, city officials, students, employees and community leaders. Topics addressed in the plan include teaching and learning, student success, community development, community engagement, economic development, workforce development, adult education, financial management, technology, and campus and facilities.
“We appreciate Chancellor Baker’s dedication and support of helping Snead State grow to meet the education demands and expectations of the Marshall County area,” said President Whitmore, who was approved by the ACCS Board of Trustees to become the 12th president of Snead State during its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
The Chancellor also discussed enrollment for the System’s colleges as well as the changes made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including moving instruction to a primarily online format for the fall semester. For the spring, Snead State plans to have on-campus classes in a variety of formats to allow for compliance of COVID-19 prevention measures.
Because of financial restraints some people have encountered due to COVID-19, Snead State is also offering the Parson Pledge tuition discount to assist in removing any financial barrier for students registering for spring classes. To receive the tuition discount, eligible students must register and pay for one class before adding a second class that would be tuition free (fees still apply). The Parson Pledge may be applied to up to nine credit hours of courses, which means if a student registers and pays for nine credit hours, they may register for up to nine additional credit hours that would be tuition free, for a total of 18 credit hours this spring.
For more information, visit snead.edu/parsonpledge.
