Anne Arundel Community College Mission
With learning as its central mission, Anne Arundel Community College responds to the needs of our diverse community by offering high quality, affordable, accessible and innovative lifelong learning opportunities.
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College Vision
Anne Arundel Community College is a premier learning community that transforms lives to create an engaged and inclusive society.
Values
Community and Relationships
Opportunity
Positivity
Innovation and Creativity
Equity and Inclusion
Philosophy
Anne Arundel Community College strives to embody the basic convictions of our country’s democratic ideal: that individuals be given full opportunity to discover and develop their talents and interests; to pursue their unique potentials; and to achieve an intellectually, culturally and economically satisfying relationship with society.
Strategic Plan
Goals
- Entry and Engagement - Increase engagement with students, employees, and community.
- Progress and Growth - Increase progress, growth, and connection of students and employees.
- Retention and Completion - Increase retention and completion of all students.
Objectives
- Excellence - Ensure that every interaction contributes to a high-quality education.
- Innovation - Innovate to ensure equity in college systems and practices to provide positive student and employee experiences.
- Engagement - Create an equitable culture of engagement where each member of the college community is committed to providing high-quality student and employee experiences.
- Resources - Allocate resources in support of the college mission in responsible, sustainable, and equitable ways.
For more information on AACC’s strategic plan, visit https://www.aacc.edu/about/mission-and-vision/strategic-plan/.
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Anne Arundel Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pa. 19104 (215-662-5606 or http://www.msche.org) and approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission.
The Emergency Medical Services - Paramedic (A.A.S.) program is accredited nationally by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and in the state by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS). The Hotel/Restaurant Management, A.A.S. (Hospitality Management Concentration) degree is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA). The Hotel/Restaurant Management, A.A.S. (Culinary Arts Concentration) degree is accredited by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFEFAC). The Human Services (A.A.S.) program is accredited by the Council for Standards in Human Service Education (CSHSE). The Medical Assisting (certificate) program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Medical Assisting Education Review Board. The National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences has accredited the Medical Laboratory Technician (A.A.S.) program through April 2022. The Nursing (A.S.) program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. (ACEN), 3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30326 (404-975-5000 or www.acenursing.org/) and approved by the State of Maryland Board of Nursing. For information about accreditation of the Physical Therapist Assistant program, see the Physical Therapist Assistant (A.A.S.) section of this catalog. The Radiologic Technology (A.A.S.) program is accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT). The Surgical Technology (A.A.S.) program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
The Architecture and Interior Design (A.A.S.) degree option is approved by the American Institute of Architects. The paralegal studies associate of applied science (Paralegal Studies (A.A.S.) ) and certificate (Paralegal Studies (certificate) ) programs are approved by the American Bar Association. The AACC Testing Center received accreditation from the National College Testing Association.
History
On Jan. 2, 1961, the county Board of Education established Anne Arundel Community College, a comprehensive community center of higher learning. The college opened in September that year for 270 students in late-afternoon and evening classes in temporary quarters at Severna Park High School. Dr. Andrew G. Truxal became our first president. The college moved to its own 165-acre Arnold campus in September 1967. The Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, now known as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, awarded the college full accreditation in April 1968.
Dr. Robert P. Ludlum became the second college president upon the retirement of Dr. Truxal Aug. 1, 1968. He oversaw the expansion of the college on the Arnold campus and started the practice of offering credit and noncredit classes in locations around the county. Ludlum began the collaboration with Fort Meade so transient soldiers could continue their studies and granted tuition waivers to those older than 60, both of which continue today. He retired June 30, 1976.
Dr. Justus D. Sundermann served as the third president, July 1, 1976 to June 30, 1979, during which he established several programs ongoing today, including Weekend College, tutoring and contractual training with agencies and businesses. He opened the college’s first location in Glen Burnie and the Child Development Center.
Dr. Thomas E. Florestano became the fourth president July 1, 1979 until his retirement June 30, 1994. During his tenure, the campus expanded in size to 230 acres and grew in enrollment, programs and services as a comprehensive community college. He collaborated with the county government and established two centers still active today, the Center for Environmental Studies and the Center for Study of Local Issues. The Glen Burnie Town Center, the college’s current Glen Burnie location, opened during his term.
Dr. Martha A. Smith served as the college’s fifth president from Aug. 1, 1994-Aug. 1, 2012. With a mantra of students first, she shared a vision that the college would meet the call for higher expectations, respond to the challenges of a global economy and educate its students to be among the best-prepared citizens and workers of the world. During her term, AACC continued expansion, adding the Hotel, Culinary Arts and Tourism Institute in Glen Burnie, the AACC at Arundel Mills Regional Higher Education Center, Center for Cyber and Professional Training and Sales and Service Training, all at Arundel Mills in Hanover and several new or renovated classroom buildings and a Student Services Center to the Arnold campus. In December 2009, AACC launched Student Success 2020, a 10-year commitment to help more students succeed that includes a goal of doubling the number of degrees, certificates and workforce credentials earned by the year 2020.
The college’s sixth president, Dawn Lindsay, Ed.D., began her presidency Aug. 1, 2012. A Maryland native, Dr. Lindsay came to the college after serving as president of Glendale Community College in California. Her vision is to create a synergy on campus that stimulates innovation and collaboration, building on a foundation of transparency, honesty and trust that are hallmarks of the philosophy of servitude leadership, a style she has embraced. She aims to make sure the college’s programs are sustainable over time, AACC is accountable to its stakeholders, the college delivers value and it remains true to its mission with commitment to learning at its core.
Schools of Study
Anne Arundel Community College has five Schools of Study with programs that lead to a variety of associates degrees, certificates and letters of recognition.
Antiracism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The vision of Anne Arundel Community College (“College”) is to “transform lives to create an engaged and inclusive society.” As a product of and a contributor to Anne Arundel County’s workforce, culture, and general demographics, the College values the uniqueness of every individual, including differences in life experiences, knowledge, viewpoints, innovation, self-expression, capabilities, and talents.
Antiracism is the practice of identifying, challenging, and changing the values, structures and behaviors that perpetuate systemic racism.
Diversity includes all the ways in which people differ, and it encompasses all the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another, including but not limited to race, color, ethnicity, gender, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, genetic information, military or veteran status, and physical appearance. It also involves different ideas, perspectives, and values.
Equity is providing everyone with access to the same opportunities and potential for success. Equity ensures fairness by adjusting for differences in advantages and barriers.
Inclusion is authentically bringing traditionally excluded individuals and/or groups into processes, activities, and decision and policy making in a way that shares power.
The College embraces and promotes antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion and fosters, cultivates, and sustains antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion in its activities, admissions, community involvement, curriculum, employment, policies, and programs.
College-Wide Core Competencies
Consistent with the institutional mission and vision, Anne Arundel Community College expects students to gain and demonstrate appropriate proficiency in core competencies which encompass general education and essential life skills. The college is committed to offering experiences that allow students to acquire, develop and demonstrate growth in these competencies. The attainment of these competencies provides the foundation for lifelong learning.
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Communication:
Using listening, speaking, reading, writing and visual communication skills effectively.
Technology Fluency:
Utilizing technology to enhance productivity in one’s academic, professional and personal life.
Information Literacy:
Recognizing when information is needed and locating, evaluating, and using information appropriately.
Personal Wellness:
Demonstrating the use of strategies that promote holistic health and wellness.
Self Management:
Displaying accountability and adaptability as a learner.
Scientific Reasoning:
Applying logic and the scientific method to interpret observable evidence.
Quantitative Reasoning:
Applying mathematical concepts appropriately to analyze and interpret quantitative information.
Social and Civic Responsibility:
Participating in communities as an informed, committed and productive individual.
Global Perspective:
Awareness and understanding of the diversity and interdependence among cultures, communities and the environment.
Innovative and Critical Thinking:
Integrating knowledge to analyze problems using different modes of thinking (critical, creative and innovative).
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Learning Outcomes Assessment and Accountability
Anne Arundel Community College is committed to ensuring that its students and graduates are among the best-prepared citizens and workers of the world by offering high quality, affordable, and accessible learning opportunities while also continuing the institution’s excellence, accountability, and continuous learning. To this end, practices and procedures are established to ensure faculty, staff, and administrators systematically access student learning outcomes at the course, program and institution levels.
The assessment activities may take diverse forms including, but not limited to, standardized assessments, placement tests, faculty-developed evaluations, focus sessions, surveys, and evaluation of student work. The college believes that such input is vital to its responsibility to maintain quality instruction. Therefore, class time may be used at times for these activities and it is expected that students will participate in the processes when asked. Confidentiality of responses is ensured.
Engaged Learning
In 2008 and again in 2015, Anne Arundel Community College received the Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation. The selection recognizes the college’s excellent alignment among mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement.
Spirit of Community
The college discussed, developed and adopted this statement in light of continuing national discussions on civility in American society. We work hard to promote the spirit of community here at AACC. Our Spirit of Community statement follows.
- Anne Arundel Community College is built on our commitment to excellence, engagement in the learning process and mutual respect and courtesy.
- As a member of the Anne Arundel Community College community, I have the obligation to accept responsibility for my conduct. I will:
- respect the rights and property of all members of the campus community
- uphold personal and academic integrity
- practice honesty in communication
- listen to others’ viewpoints
- recognize the strength of diversity
- oppose bigotry
- work with others to uphold these standards
(Approved by the Committee Advisory to the President on March 4, 1998)
Commitment to International Education
Recognizing the new opportunities and challenges facing residents of our community who are increasingly affected by worldwide social, economic and political systems, the college affirms a commitment to providing our students with the education and experience they need to understand and deal with issues that transcend national boundaries. The college recognizes that increased immigration to Anne Arundel County, increased employment of county residents abroad and increased local employment of county residents by foreign companies require that students develop a new set of basic skills in order to participate in the rapidly emerging global economy.
The international education mission of the college includes providing our students with opportunities to participate in study abroad programs as well as internationalizing the curriculum, providing English as a second language, offering courses in international business and culture studies and initiating short-term programs on campus for students, scholars and business and government leaders from abroad.
College Events and Services
The college sponsors special events, lectures, clinics, workshops, topical seminars and a variety of other services to benefit the community. We share college facilities and services to enrich business symposiums, conferences, government, professional and avocational interests. Each year, thousands of community citizens participate in and attend campus events ranging from dramatic productions to athletic contests.
Student and faculty groups present a variety of concerts, lectures, art exhibits, plays and other campus events for community benefit. Faculty and staff share knowledge and expertise with numerous community groups through the Speakers Bureau. Website: www.aacc.edu/campus-life/
Locations
Classes are held at many locations throughout the county.
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