AACC Approves $113M Budget, Slight Tuition Hike

Anne Arundel Community College's latest budget includes a small tuition hike, and grants salary increases to employees for the first time in four years.

Simulator Shows Effects of Drinking, Texting, Driving

Anne Arundel Community College on Wednesday offered students a lesson in driving while under the influence of alcohol and technology.

After ingesting eight beers in about two hours, I should not have been behind the wheel. But there I was, swerving across the road, grazing unsuspecting pedestrians and completely ignoring the speed limit.  The ride ended when I crashed into the back of a Jeep Cherokee. Thankfully, it was just a simulator. But it was enough to get a taste of the effects of driving under the influence. Drive Square partnered with Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) on Thursday to show off the simulator, which also offered ways to see the impact of texting while driving. Count AACC student Zanna Paquette among those who didn't have much success with the "drunk setting" of the simulator.  "I didn't know where I was going at all," she said. "Even thought it'…

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AACC Appoints 2 Edgewater Women to Lead Grants Initiatives

The college's institutional advancement division is geared at gathering more grants for the college.

The following release was issued to Patch by the Anne Arundel Community College's media relations department. Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) selected two Edgewater women and another woman from Severna Park to lead the college’s institutional advancement, development and grants initiatives. Kathleen E. Bolton of Severna Park was appointed as Executive Director of Institutional Advancement and the AACC Foundation, Inc. In this role she is responsible for providing innovative leadership and direction for the Offices of Institutional Advancement and Sponsored Programs which seek private and public sector funding to enhance the college’s educational endeavors. Gretchen Tomkies of Edgewater has been named director of development, the lead…

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County Exec Calls for Cybersecurity Funding on 9/11

As first responders and community members gathered for a moment of silence on the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Anne Arundel's county executive focused on what he said he sees as the next great threat.

Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold focused his remarks at a 9/11 memorial on Tuesday on the importance of cybersecurity. "Cyberterrorism will shut down our electrical grids, shut down our air-traffic-control system, shut down our financial networks," Leopold said. "We spend $4 billion on cyberdefense in this country, which is less than what we spend on agricultural subsidies. We need to do more." He called Anne Arundel County the epicenter of national security effort to combat cyberterrorism because of U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade.  In 2011, Patch reported on an increase in congestion around Fort Meade as thousands of new workers commuted to the area on a daily basis. And in 2012, discrepancies between how the White House …

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Financial Aid for Fall Classes Available at AACC

The college offers assistance in obtaining financial aid and a no-fee, no-interest payment plan that spreads tuition costs throughout the year.

Students considering classes at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) this fall can lean on some financial aid before school starts up again. The college issued a statement Wednesday detailing its no-fee, interest-free payment plan that helps students spread the cost of tuition throughout a term. This year, the college's Board of Trustees raised tuition fees by $16 per credit hour to balance its budget. A full-time student taking 15 credit hours will see a $240 total increase per semester under these new rates. Students can apply for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by filling out a free application. AACC's financial aid staff can provide one-on-one assistance in completing these applications. Students who need financial assistance must be …

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Top 5 Stories: Maryland Primaries, AACC Gets New President

Recapping the biggest headlines from the week of April 1-7.

Here's a collection of the five biggest headlines to grace the front of Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch this week.  No. 1—New AACC President Has Local Ties The next president of Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) is Dawn Lindsay, a Maryland native. Lindsay said she was excited to be chosen. She visited the college over the past week during the final interview process and the longer she was here, the more she wanted the job, Lindsay said. "This is a dream come true for me. I cannot tell you how happy I am," Lindsay said to a crowd Tuesday at the college. "To take this college and facilitate continued growth is something I look forward to." No. 2—Maryland Primary Congressional Election Results Incumbent candidates easily won their …

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New AACC President Has Local Ties

Dawn Lindsay was announced as Anne Arundel Community College's next president on Tuesday.

The next president of Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) is Dawn Lindsay, a Maryland native. Lindsay said she was excited to be chosen. She visited the college over the past week during the final interview process and the longer she was here, the more she wanted the job, Lindsay said. "This is a dream come true for me. I cannot tell you how happy I am," Lindsay said to a crowd Tuesday at the college. "To take this college and facilitate continued growth is something I look forward to." AACC's Board of Trustees Chairwoman Victoria Fretwell said the board unanimously chose Lindsay as the successor to current president Martha Smith at a press conference on Tuesday morning. Lindsay was selected from among 120 applicants for the position. …

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AACC Trustees Name Finalists in Presidential Search

The chairwoman of the college's Board of Trustees said a final decision on the new president will come soon.

The three finalists in Anne Arundel Community College (AACC)’s presidential search were announced Wednesday. The Board of Trustees has entered the final phase of its selection process for picking a new president to replace Martha Smith, who is set to retire in August. Smith has been the president for 18 years, the longest tenure of the five presidents since the college's founding in 1961. The finalists are: The three candidates were narrowed down from a national search that included 120 applicants.  Throughout this week, the candidates will tour the Arnold campus and be interviewed again before the board makes its final determination, said AACC Board of Trustees Chairwoman Victoria Fretwell. “These meetings will be an extension of what has…

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Tuition Hike Helps Balance AACC Budget

The college's 2013 budget calls for a tuition hike and asks for additional money from the county.

Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) is asking the County Council for $5 million more and students to pay $240 more per semester in order to balance what trustees called a bare-bones budget. The college’s 2013 budget was approved on Tuesday by the Board of Trustees. Included in the $110,621,000 budget is a tuition hike that raises the credit hour cost by $16. With that increase, a full-time student taking 15 hours of courses would pay $240 more each semester. “These are tough times,” said trustee Walter Hall. Hall, also chair of the budget committee, said the tuition hike could be a hard pill to swallow for some students. But it was necessary in order to supplement declining funding from the county. “We’re going to have to ask the …

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James Freeman

1:34 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012

Illegal aliens broke the law. Why don't you get it? Do I get a reward if a drive with a burned out tag light? I did not know it was out. I do not see how it is a safety hazard, as the ticket says. But I get a $100 fine. Why should illegal aliens who break the law be rewarded? What other criminals do you want to reward, Bowie?   more ›

Cyber Security Scholarship and Summer Fun for Kids at Anne Arundel Community College

The McKowns of Edgewater establish the college's first cyber scholarship fund.

Students who enroll in cyber-related studies at Anne Arundel Community College could get a whole lot of help from Barrett and Anne McKown of Edgewater. The couple have established a $25,000 scholarship fund to help offset tuition and other educational expenses for those who enroll in cyber-related studies. “We hope that our contribution will become a catalyst for more student support in this area,” the couple said. The AACC CyberCenter offers an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree, certificates and individual courses. Two of the five certificates are new this fall, including a Digital Forensics – Network and Mobile Device Certificate and a Network Security Certificate. The curriculum prepares students for careers or transfers to four…

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