Round Rock Leader September 14, 2006
With enrollment increasing, ACC extends Kinslow's contract
LAURI ZACHRY
Education Reporter
Last week, the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees voted to extend President Stephen Kinslow's contract through June 2009 and increase his annual salary to $215,000.
Kinslow is on the board of Leadership Round Rock, having served as chair three times, a graduate of Leadership Austin and serves on the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of Community Colleges.
Since his appointment in June 2005, he has led initiatives with ties to Texas' Closing the Gaps initiative.
"With the contract extension, we were able to keep some good momentum going from the previous year," Kinslow said. "We had a good year and helped align our priorities. It just extended that vote of confidence that we are providing education for a more trained and qualified workforce. ACC is a critical part of that."
The state's Closing the Gaps initiative is to promote higher education in Texas and to have at least 633,000 enrolled in higher education institutions by 2013.
Before being appointed ACC president, Kinslow previously served ACC in the roles of interim president, executive vice president of academic, student and campus affairs, vice president of school relations, provost and vice president, dean and associate dean. He joined ACC in 1977 as an adjunct instructor of English and human development.
Currently, his responsibilities include developing partnerships that help advance the mission and master plan of ACC.
From the fall 2005 semester to the spring 2006 semester, Kinslow, along with other faculty members, helped increase enrollment figures among high school graduates, current ACC students and minority students for fiscal year 2006.
Enrollment for high school graduates increased by 36 percent while enrollment for Hispanic students increased by 10 percent. Enrollment figures for African American students increased by 9 percent.
Because of the expansion of ACC's College Connection and Early College Start programs, the college has recruited more junior and senior-level high school students. For fiscal year 2006, junior and senior high school student enrollment has increased by 25.6 percent.
College Connection provides first-time college advising and career advising such as tips on how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
"We take all the services we would provide to first-time college students to the high schools, which eliminates barriers of not being able to get to that information," Kinslow said. "We answer that question of 'how do you create that college-going culture?' We want to promote that culture even if students decide not to enroll at ACC."
Selected schools throughout 13 Central Texas school districts, including RRISD's Stony Point High School, are a part of ACC's College Connection program.
"ACC is an important part of this region's economic health," Kinslow said. "It's important for people to know good things about what is going on this district."
Prior to ACC, he worked for the Dallas County Community College District for El Centro College.
Kinslow earned a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin, a master's degree from Southern Methodist University, and a bachelor of arts from the University of Texas at Arlington.