Alabama Commission on Higher Education holds September meeting

Last Friday, Sept. 13, at the quarterly ACHE Commission Meeting, Joseph Lulka, an engineer at Mercedes-Benz U.S.  International, discussed workforce development in Alabama from a young professional’s perspective. A University of Alabama graduate, Lulka shared insights on how his academic journey aligns with ACHE’s “Building Human Capital” statewide plan, specifically Priority Four: Developing Alabama’s Economy and Workforce.

He emphasized three key practices to be considered for ensuring student success: 

1. Requiring high school students to complete job shadowing hours to explore career options.
2. Strengthening ties between industry and academia to enhance higher education’s community role (Priority Four: Goal One). 
3. Promoting language learning across all fields to meet workforce needs, especially with Alabama’s expansion of international companies (Priority Four: Goal Two). 

Lulka concluded by commending ACHE’s plan as led by Dr. Purcell and by acknowledging the vast opportunities for young professionals in the state of Alabama. 

Executive Director Jim Purcell briefed the Commissioners on his recent activities representing ACHE and Alabama, registration information for the AI Conference at Auburn in October, federal level changes to withholding students’ transcripts, and state level institutional requirements. He also highlighted top challenges in higher education management as outlined by Full Fabric, a higher education admissions and enrollment platform, and data from the Lumina Foundation in regard to Alabama’s educational attainment. 

Commissioners approved the following new academic programs: 

Troy University

Master of Business Administration in Analytics 

University of Alabama  

Bachelor of Science in Informatics 

Bachelor of Science in Real Estate 

Master of Arts in Philosophy 

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology and Criminal Justice 

University of Montevallo 

Master of Science in Nutrition 

University of North Alabama 

Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant 

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy 

University of West Alabama  

Master of Science in Nursing in Nursing 

Coastal Alabama Community College  

Associate of Applied Science in Advanced Manufacturing-Mechatronics 

Gadsden State Community College 

Associate of Applied Science in Surgical Technology 

Trenholm State Community College

Associate of Applied Science in Data Analytics