Overview

Click on any of the following links for information:

• Mission
• Goals
• History
• Legislation
• Board of Regents
• Central Administration
• Accreditations
• The AC Foundation, Inc.

Enriching the lives of our students and our community by helping learners identify and achieve their educational goals.

• Completion - Develop Comprehensive Transfer/Completion Pathways
• Align Degrees and Certificates with Labor Market Demand - Align all HB5 Endorsements with AC Career Pathways
• Learning - Infuse and Scale High Impact Practices
• Equity - Build Systems for Equity Gains
• Financial Effectiveness - Build Systems for Financial Viability and Fund Raising

On July 16, 1929, Amarillo College became the first junior college district in the state to be organized independent of a school district. The first classes were held in September 1929. The College moved to its present location with the construction of its first permanent building in 1937.

After serving primarily as a junior college offering arts and sciences courses, the curriculum was expanded in 1942 to include vocational courses.

In 1958, Amarillo College was granted its own board of regents independent of the trusteeship of the Amarillo Independent School District. The 1960’s brought expansion in College facilities and programs. A number of allied health and occupational-technical programs were added to the curriculum along with an extensive array of continuing education and community service courses.

In 1995, state legislation transferred Texas State Technical College - Amarillo, which opened its doors in Amarillo in 1970, to Amarillo College. Today, the East Campus (formerly Amarillo Technical Center), continues meeting the region’s technical education needs.

January 2000 saw the opening of Amarillo College/Moore County Campus in Dumas. The Hereford Campus opened in the Fall of 2005.

Amarillo College served more than 9,945 credit students in the Fall of 2015. During the 2014-2015 academic year, 23,594 individuals attended continuing education classes at six AC campuses: the Washington Street Campus, 2201 S. Washington, 371-5000; the West Campus, 6222 W. Ninth, 354-6000; the East Campus, I-40 East and Exit 80, 335-4201; the Downtown Campus, 1314 S. Polk, 371-2900; the Moore County Campus, 1220 E. First, Dumas, 934-7220; and the Everett and Mabel McDougal Hinkson memorial Campus in Hereford, 1115 W. 15th, 379-2700.

A public junior college is an institution of higher learning, controlled by a local board of trustees or regents, and operated under statutory provisions. A public community college (State Statute 130.003, as amended in Senate Bill 30, 73rd Legislature, effective May 23, 1993) shall be to provide:

1. technical programs up to two years in length leading to associate degrees or certificates;
    
2. vocational programs leading directly to employment in semi-skilled and skilled occupations;
    
3. freshman and sophomore courses in arts and sciences;
    
4. continuing adult education programs for occupational or cultural upgrading;
    
5. compensatory education programs designed to fulfill the commitment of an admissions policy allowing the enrollment of disadvantaged students;
    
6. a continuing program of counseling and guidance designed to assist students in achieving their individual educational goals;
    
7. workforce development programs designed to meet local and statewide needs;
    
8. adult literacy and other basic skills programs for adults;
    
9. such other purposes as may be prescribed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board or local governing boards in the best interest of post-secondary education in Texas.

Jay L Barrett, Michele Fortunato, Dr. Neal Nossaman
Terms Expire 2017

Michael Kitten (appointed representative for Hinkson Memorial Campus), Johnny E. Mize, Dr. Paul L. Proffer, Michael M. Running (appointed representative for Moore County Campus), Dr. David C. Woodburn
Terms Expire 2019

Annette J. Carlisle, Daniel E. Henke, Patrick R. Miller
Terms Expire 2021

Institutional Accreditations and Memberships

Amarillo College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees and certificates. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Amarillo College

When program accreditation or other reviews are required or advantageous to the College, the administration may require or recommend program or institutional compliance to the prescribed standards as set forth by the accrediting body or any agreed upon entity.


Amarillo College is a member of:

• the American Association of Community Colleges,
   
• the American Technical Education Association,
   
• the Association of Texas Colleges and Universities,
   
• the National Council for Occupational Education,
   
• the National Council of Instructional Administrators,
   
• the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges,
   
• the Texas Administrators of Continuing Education for Community/Junior Colleges,
   
• the Texas Association of Community Colleges,
   
• the Texas Association of School Boards,
   
• the Texas Community College Teachers Association,
   
• the Texas Junior College Association and the Texas Association for Community Service and Continuing Education.

The Amarillo College President’s Office will make available for review to any enrolled or prospective students, upon request, a copy of the document describing the institution’s accreditation.

Program Accreditations and Memberships

Specific programs of the College are approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The Associate Degree Nursing program is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing [ACEN, 3343 Peachtree Road, NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, GA, 30326, 1-800-669-1656] and approved by the Texas Board of Nursing (BON).

The Aviation Maintenance program is certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Basic Peace Officer and Law Enforcement In Service programs are certified by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer’s Standards and Education (TCLEOSE).

The Center for Continuing Healthcare Education is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Texas Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. The Center is also approved as a Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program (NATCEP) and Medication Aide Training Program by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services.

The Child Development Lab School (Child Care Center) is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

The Dental Hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation American Dental Association.

The Emergency Medical Services Professions program is an Emergency Medical Services Education Program approved by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The Medical Laboratory Technology program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences [5600 N. River Road, Suite 720, Rosemont, IL 60018-5119, (847) 939-3597or (773) 714-8880].

The Mortuary Science Associate of Applied Science Degree Program at Amarillo College is accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE), www.abfse.org, [3414 Ashland Avenue, Suite G, St. Joseph, Missouri 64506 (816) 233-3747].

Amarillo College is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music.

The Nuclear Medicine Technology program is accredited by The Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology [2000 W. Danforth Rd., Suite 130, #203, Edmond, OK 73003, (405) 285-0546, email: jrcnmt@coxinet.net, web address: www.jrcnmt.org].

The Occupational Therapy/Occupational Therapy Assistant program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s telephone number, c/o ACOTE, is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

The Paralegal Studies Program is approved by the American Bar Association.

The Physical Therapist Assistant program at Amarillo College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) [The Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education; Department of Accreditation; American Physical Therapy Association; 1111 North Fairfax Street; Alexandria, VA  22314; Telephone: 703-706-3245; Website: www.apta.org/CAPTE].

The Radiation Therapy and Radiography programs are accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology [20 North Wacker Drive, Suite 2850 - Chicago, Illinois 60606-3182, (312) 704-5300].

The Respiratory Care program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).

The Surgical Technology program is accredited by the Accreditation Review Council on Education in Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs (CAAHEP).

The Theatre program is accredited by the Texas Educational Theatre Association.

The Vocational Nursing Program is approved by the Texas Board of Nursing (BON).

The Developmental Coursework Program is recognized as an Exemplary Certified Program by the National Association for Developmental Education.

The Amarillo College Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit and tax-exempt foundation, seeks to promote excellence at Amarillo College. The Foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.

The Foundation exists to solicit and administer gifts and grants for the benefit of Amarillo College, its students, faculty and staff, its programs and facilities.

The Foundation accepts gifts from individuals, groups, and businesses. Support may be designated by the donor for specific purposes or for general unrestricted support of College Foundation activities.

The Foundation accepts gifts in the form of cash, stocks, and property upon approval by the Board of Directors. Many donations are made as memorials for friends or relatives. The Foundation invests these contributions in Texas’ greatest natural resource - its students.

Donors may derive substantial tax advantages through estate planning, trust funds, bequests, and property conveyances to public foundations such as The Amarillo College Foundation.

Private support can mean the difference between mediocrity and excellence at a community college. It can likewise help determine whether a deserving student gets that chance to further his or her education. Those public institutions that have achieved exceptional performance and have produced leaders in each new generation have done so with the help and encouragement of private leadership and private resources.

For additional information, contact (806) 371-5107, Kathy Dowdy (kbdowdy@actx.edu), Co-Executive Director or Tracy Dougherty (tddougherty@actx.edu), Co-Executive Director, The Amarillo College Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 447, Amarillo TX 79178.