The ACCelerator Advances Student Success Through an Innovative Learning Space at Austin Community College: An Interview with Curtiss Stevens

Abstract

Curtiss Stevens, is the executive dean of the ACCelerator and Strategic Initiatives at Austin
Community College (ACC). In 2019, Curtiss was awarded the President’s Leadership Excellence
Award and the John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award for outstanding leadership, service, and
dedication to ACC. Curtiss holds a bachelor's degree in Geography from Valparaiso University, a master's degree in Geographic Education and Research from Western Michigan University, and pursued doctoral studies in Economic Geography at Indiana State University. He has amassed over 2 decades of experience in the field of higher education, serving in various capacities such as admissions and financial aid, student affairs, international education, academic and life skills training, grants and fundraising, curriculum, and athletics. His previous employments include positions at Valparaiso University, Western Michigan University, Indiana University, and Purdue University. Apart from teaching Geography and Geosciences, he has also worked as an Executive Director of a Boys & Girls Club and as a TV personality. The ACCelerator, at Austin Community College (ACC) Highland’s campus, is a 32,000-square-foot space that fosters dynamic learning. The ACCelerator features classrooms, study rooms, and numerous computer pod stations that can be reserved by ACC faculty and staff for a variety of purposes. The ACC Highland campus serves over 8,000 students, with over 17,000 student visits to the Highland ACCelerator per year. The ACCelerator features innovative teaching and instruction, learning support services, student support services, and community engagement, which provides an engaged student-centric customer service vision.