Amarillo College's News Source Since 1930 acranger.com
Volume 91, Issue 11
May 6, 2021
Brittani McGhee
Garrett Miller
Graduation speakers selected By RAYGAN LOPEZ Page Editor
Amarillo College officials have chosen two students to speak at the 2021 commencement ceremonies May 14 at the Hodgetown Stadium. “We want the ceremony to be about students,” Bob Austin, the vice president of enrollment management, said. “We want students to know how much we appreciate them. And that’s why we try to choose one of their peers to deliver the commencement address,” Austin said. Brittani McGhee, an associate degree nursing major will speak at the health services, industry and public service graduation ceremony at 3 p.m. “I’m a get-it-done type of person. Do what you have to do however you have to do it,” McGhee said. “I like to think of myself as somebody who is extremely determined. I’m very ambitious. I might have experienced some stuff but I’m not
going to let that stop me. I keep going,” she said. Although McGhee has faced many challenges she maintained her faith and pushed through her struggles. “Sometimes it’s timing. I feel like God gave me another assignment. I may have wanted to do it at a particular time but at the time my assignment was school or taking care of my family or whatever I had to do,” McGhee said. When McGhee received the confirmation call to give the commencement speech she said she was a little overwhelmed but also teary eyed. “People always say that I speak well and communicate well but I had never been selected on such a magnitude before,” she said. Garrett Miller, a business administration major, will speak at the business, CIS, creative arts, education, liberal arts, STEM and general studies ceremony at 7 p.m. “My first reaction was a little bit nervous but I was very excited of course. But I love
getting in front of people and being in that position,” Miller said. Miller spent his time at AC as a Presidential Scholar, an officer of the Student Government Association and the founder and president of AC’s Rotaract club. He describes himself as a community servant. “I hope my peers see me as a friend and hopefully as a leader,” Miller said. “I’ve always learned and grown up to provide myself as a servant leader. So I hope that they see me as such,” he said. Both speakers said they plan to give speeches that emphasize the adversities everyone has faced during the past year, but also that the difficulties were surpassed. “It’s not over yet. These next years in our lives will bring about their own struggles and that is where success is derived through,” Miller said. “And from that comes wisdom. We begin to build ourselves much stronger than we could ever imagine.”
Campus faces enrollment decrease, budget cuts By RAYGAN LOPEZ Page Editor
Amarillo College is facing budget cuts due to a drop in the number of students attending. “We lost 8% of our enrollment and are projected to lose $2 million in state funding over the next two years as a result,” Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, president of AC, said. Lowery-Hart said the
budget cut will have no effect on students, instruction or staff. The decrease was simply due to the pandemic and its influence on enrollment. “We’ve found ways to ensure the budget cuts do not affect our current employees or our current services to students. It shouldn’t mean anything for our future programs. We will move forward with the programs we have and hopefully
Illustration by SIDNEY WEST | The Ranger
even add something that will grow our enrollment and budgets over the next three years,” Lowery-Hart said. The college is starting several new degrees and certificates. “New programs include VFX, film performance, motion picture production and construction trades/ carpentry,” Frank Sobey, associate vice president of academic affairs, said. Sobey said mortuary science, medical data specialist and pharmacy tech will be closing. The dental assisting program will be deactivated as well. “For each of these programs, the decision to close or deactivate was not a result of budget constraints. No new student cohorts will be accepted. However, current students who are already admitted in these programs will have the opportunity to complete,” Sobey said. Sobey said the chosen programs were being closed due to low enrollment, the opportunities or lack thereof provided to students and via-
bility of programs. “The mortuary science program is closing due to losing its accreditation through the American Board of Funeral Service Education in summer 2020. The medical data specialist program historically has been a small program that no longer meets healthcare needs,” Sobey said. Sobey said the pharmacy tech program has also been historically small and is no longer necessary as there are other options for students to become certified pharmacy technicians. However the dental assistant program is being deactivated because of the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners not requiring formal education to work as a dental assistant. “As a community college, particularly one focused on student success, our goal especially for our workforce programs is to give students the ability to find a high or living wage job,” Sobey said. Lowery-Hart said students shouldn’t see any direct impact of the budget cuts.
AC has been preparing for cuts and some CARES ACT funds to help other shortfalls. “We’ve done this by having departments cut their budget by 5%. We are not cutting any personnel,” Chris Sharp, vice president of business affairs, said. “Categories such as travel, supplies, alterations and improvements are areas that we’ve cut. We’re awaiting word from the state as to how much our funding will be for the next two years. We’ll budget for the worst and see where our numbers settle from the state,” Sharp said. Ultimately the decisions being made are with hopes of benefiting current and future students of AC, Lowery-Hart said. “With the vaccine, students will feel more comfortable coming back to Amarillo College. I am confident in our future and am not panicked about our budgets because we’ve been so financially effective,” Lowery-Hart said.