Meeting & Agendas

The Advisory Board acts as our area industry advisors. We want to teach to the standards of the board, and produce graduates of the quality and knowledge that our area employers will want to hire. We have hired two new full time faculty members, Brent Werner and Henry Stone. We have added adjuncts Evan Richardson, David Schenk, August Brauer, and Justin Dyke. Adding faculty enables us to offer additional sections to meet demand.

Professor Thomas Hinkle updated the Board on the Welding Department’s participation in SkillsUSA. SkillsUSA is a United States career and technical student organization serving high school, college and middle school students and professional members enrolled in training programs in trade, technical and skilled service occupations, including health occupations. ACC Welding Technology has been competing at the state and national level since 2012. We are the only chapter in our area competing at the post-secondary level. Our welders and sculptors have set the bar very high at these competitions. Dynamic Manufacturing Solutions (DMS) has generously supported our SkillsUSA chapter and enabled the team to travel to the national competition last year. Thomas Hinkle suggested that anyone who has a charitable of volunteer program for which they need welder should let him know, and he can get the SkillsUSA students involved.

The Welding Technology Department has responded to the Board’s input that our graduates need better fabrication skills by adding an Advanced Layout and Fabrication course (WLDG-2435) to our course inventory. This course is now required for the AOM Metal Sculpture AAS. This course currently teaches sheet metal fabrication skills. It will evolve to include instruction and experience on installations, bidding, and other practical aspects of the welding job. We would like to increase the accessibility of this course and Introduction to Layout and Fabrication (WLDG-1417) by creating an option within the Code Welding AAS that includes these courses. The proposal will be forthcoming, and will be accompanied by a request for the Board to weigh in on an email discussion and vote. Bob Gilde stated that he thinks that teaching Introduction to Layout and Fabrication with a furniture building emphasis is useful, as it will help students learn to fit parts together for welding. WLDG 1417 at Riverside is subtitled Furniture. Mr. Gilde also suggested making room in the Code Welding AAS for fabrication courses by combining the two pipe welding classes (WLDG 1435 and WLDG 2453) together. Brady Foster asked if WLDG 1417 Introduction to Layout and Fabrication could be more student-driven (i.e. technical projects for those students with a technical/ code welding focus, and creative projects for the AOM students). Christian Klein asked if we could take that idea further and allow technical students to choose a focus of either pipe welding or fabrication. In certain courses, students would complete the pipe-focused assignment or the fabrication-focused assignment, as aligned with the student’s focus. In addition, Brent Werner is working on a pipe fitting component for the Structural Connections or the Advanced Blueprint Reading course, which is currently required for the Structural Welding Certificate, and the Code Welding and Welding Inspection AAS’s.

Robb Misso asked what more the Advisory Board can do. Troy DeFrates responded that we appreciate material donations (which can be deducted on your taxes). We appreciate the Board employing our students and graduates. Taking on our students as interns will be very important as well. We want the Board to tell us what skills they might need us to add to our curriculum. We appreciate monetary support for SkillsUSA.

Troy asks if the current Chair and Vice Chair are interested in continuing as our Advisory Board officers. Brady Foster (Chair) and Robb Misso (Vice Chair) agree. All approve.

In Academic Year (AY) 2015 the Welding Technology Department had 78 certificate earners and 26 AAS earners, for a graduation rate of 21.44%. In AY 2016 the Welding Technology Department had 104 certificate earners and 28 AAS earners, for a graduation rate of 24.86%. In AY 2017 the Welding Technology Department had 85 certificate earners and 26 AAS earners, for a graduation rate of 20.79%. In AY 2018 the Welding Technology Department had 69 certificate earners and 36 AAS earners. Graduation rate is not yet available. Certificate graduates peaked in AY 2016 due to the sunsetting of the Plate Welding Certificate. For a time, students were able to earn both the old Plate Welding Certificate and the new Structural Welding Certificate. Graduations with Welding Technology awards was down in 2018. We feel that this is because it is no longer possible for students to change their own majors. For this reason, many AAS majors are not applying for the certificates for which they are eligible. This change in access has negatively impacted our graduation numbers. It would be ideal if the college would auto-graduate a student once they meet the requirements of an award. The Welding Department sends out graduation application deadline reminders and offers to help students with changing their majors, applying for graduation, and changing their major back to the AAS.

The number of seats offered has been increasing as we have added faculty (adjunct and full time). Enrollment numbers are consistently strong in recent years, with virtually every seat filled at the end of registration. Spring 2016: 533 seats offered Art Metals=150 RVS Technical Welding=183 RRC Technical=200 Fall 2016: 566 seats offered Art Metals=150 RVS Technical Welding=188 RRC Technical Welding=228 Spring 2017: 554 seats offered Art Metals=138 RVS Technical Welding=166 RRC Technical Welding=226 TSD=24 Fall 2017: 562 seats offered Architectural and Ornamental Metals=128 RVS Technical Welding=186 RRC Technical Welding=238 TSD=10 Spring 2018: 538 seats offered Architectural and Ornamental Metals=140 RVS Technical Welding=200 RRC Technical Welding=198

New Faculty hires: We have hired Henry Stone (previously adjunct faculty and then temporary full time faculty) and Brent Werner (formerly adjunct faculty and Continuing Education instructor) as full time faculty members. We have hired adjunct professors David Schenk, Evan Richardson, Justin Dyke, and August Brauer. Professor Thomas Hinkle is now serving as the Welding Department’s Assistant Department Chair. We have been offering Friday/ Saturday classes at the Round Rock Campus and they are filling consistently. Dual credit courses are going well. We have been offering dual credit courses at the Texas School for the Deaf for TSD students. These classes are taught by Graham Howison. Professor Howison states that the courses are going well. He finds the students to be ready and willing to work. One TSD graduate is now at ACC working toward his AAS in Welding Technology. A challenge that Prof. Howison sees these students face is learning and understanding the related terminology.

In fall 2019 we will begin teaching dual credit Welding Technology classes at Elgin High School. Elgin HS received a P-Tech (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) grant, which has enabled them to build a welding facility suitable for teaching college credit Welding courses. ACC will hire a professor to teach these courses. ACC intends to offer dual credit courses at Elgin HS indefinitely, even after the grant period ends. Because of the local demand for trained welders, Elgin HS chose Welding Technology as the focus of its grant application. Elgin HS built out a large shop with the intent of serving a large number of students. The first year will accommodate 12 students. In year two 12 more will be added. The program is anticipated to grow from there. This program enables Elgin HS students to take college classes and even complete an AAS for free. The students begin the program in their freshman year, working to become TSI ready. Their first ACC course will be POFT-1171 College to Career Success. They will progress to non-welding ACC courses that apply toward their AAS in the summer. Then in fall 2019, the first cohort will begin welding classes at Elgin HS. Elgin High School hopes to see these students earn their AAS and then graduate from high school. Mr. Peckover said that there is an opportunity for employers to come to the high school and present to the students, and even to teach soft skills. There is also an opportunity to have the students visit welding-related employers’ facilities. Elgin has a budget available to support field trips, and would like to use these to get the students excited about their course of study and their opportunities.

At the Advisory Board meeting on 3-3-17 the board voted to add a new Associate of Applied Science degree in Welding Inspection. Troy DeFrates presented this to the Curriculum and Programs Committee on 3-24-17 and it was approved. Six students have already earned this award to date.

At the Advisory Board meeting on 3-3-17 the board voted to update the Art Metals awards by changing the headings from “Art Metals” to “Architectural and Ornamental Metals”. The Board also decided that WLDG 1417 Introduction to Layout and Fabrication should be added into the awards in place of WLDG 2476 Layout and Fabrication: Furniture. On this date, the Board also voted to add WLDG 2435 Advanced Layout and Fabrication to the Metal Sculpture AAS. Troy DeFrates presented these changes to the Curriculum and Programs Committee on 3-24-17. All proposed changes were approved and implemented in fall 2017.

Troy DeFrates explained that the program would be stronger if we add an internship as an alternative capstone for Code Welding AAS students. This will give our students real-world experience and the ability to see how their training will translate into a career. The course limit will be 12. We will need to be able to place these interns in businesses in the Austin area, and will need companies willing to host them. This should be a good opportunity for both the students and the employers. There will be no obligation to hire the students after the internship. However, employers will likely find that they want to hire on some of these students after the internship period. Christian Klein suggested that it would work best within Drophouse Designs if they could rely on having an intern each semester. This way they could have a position open for an intern on an ongoing basis without causing disruption to staffing. Troy DeFrates suggested that the employers could administer certification tests in the process being used on the job. This could provide an extra incentive to achieve. Robb Misso noted that Austin Regional Manufacturing Association recently received a grant for internships. This could potentially help with funding internships. Internship hours and days would depend on the needs of the employer and the availability of the student. Tracy Cortez pointed out that some of our students who are already working would not be able to accommodate an internship in their schedules. WLDG 2179 will still be an option for them.