Clark State Community College’s Chief Information Officer, Matt Franz, has been appointed to the Commission on Research, Technology and Emerging Trends for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). His term began July 1 and will continue through June 30, 2019.
“It is noteworthy that Clark State has representation at the national level on such important matters as emerging higher education trends and technology,” said Clark State President Dr. Jo Alice Blondin. “I am proud of Matt's leadership at Clark State and know that his contributions to AACC will be well-reasoned and forward-thinking.”
Franz has been with Clark State for just over three years. He said the AACC Commission structure is a terrific example of inclusive leadership and information sharing, “This is such an amazing opportunity to learn from colleague institutions across the country and provide current information and recommendations to the AACC leadership and constituents.”
Franz hopes to share his own experiences and some innovations Clark State has implemented for students. He said technology is a critical resource for faculty and staff to engage with students. “We've seen recent huge growth in online learning…and today are looking at ways to incorporate augmented reality into learning,” he said. “I see technology solutions which take the entire learning lifecycle and make it into a customized process based on student expectations, and needs are going to become more prevalent.”
Franz believes creating new ways to communicate and engage with students will become very important; as will advanced predictive and prescriptive analytics.
Franz said he is excited to be a part of AACC Commission. “Clark State continues to evolve into a highly innovative and effective organization which enables students to succeed and is an excellent community partner,” he said. “Community colleges serve a very important role in changing lives.”
AACC is a nonprofit organization whose overriding mission is to "Build a Nation of Learners by Advancing America's Community Colleges."