Drs. John and Suanne Roueche
Students at ACC and community colleges across the nation have greatly benefited from the work of Drs. John and Suanne Roueche, who have focused their careers on increasing access to higher education and enhancing student success.
Dr. John E. Roueche was the director of the Community College Leadership Program (CCLP) at the University of Texas at Austin (1970-2012), where he held the Sid W. Richardson Regents Chair in Community College Leadership, the first endowed faculty position in the field of community college education. He is currently the Executive Director of the John E. Roueche Center for Community College Leadership at Kansas State University.
Dr. Suanne Roueche served as editor of publications and director of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) and senior lecturer in the Department of Educational Administration as well as CCLP at the University of Texas at Austin. For 75 years, she lived a life that mirrored her most dearly held beliefs: scholarship, compassion, kindness, love, graciousness, and leadership. Even dearer to her heart were her friends of the animal variety. Suanne never knew a stray she did not rush to embrace, nor would she allow a wounded critter within a mile’s radius of her to suffer without her medical intervention. Her affection for the animal kingdom extended far beyond those that were a part of the household, expanding to embrace all manner of wildlife: battered birds and ducks, wounded hawks, orphaned opossums and squirrels, feisty feral cats, wayward snapping turtles, and the occasional aged alley cat. So much did she enjoy providing refuge for wildlife, Suanne earned state-mandated licensure and certification permits necessary to rescue and rehabilitate injured and orphaned wildlife until they are healthy enough for release at approved release sites. She was affiliated with the National Opossum Society, the National Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Association, Kendalia Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation and the Austin Area Rescue and Rehabilitation Group. She passed from this world in 2017 and we miss her dearly.
The Roueches have taught and mentored community college leaders for decades, with the objective of developing student-centered institutions that empower individuals to reach their academic goals and better their lives. In 2012, they established the Drs. John and Suanne Roueche Endowed Scholarship at ACC, which assists students who exhibit high academic standards. The first scholarships were awarded fall 2012. In 2014, they also established the Dr. Suanne Roueche Vet Tech Scholarship for students enrolled in ACC’s Veterinary Technology program.
As they have shaped the direction of community colleges throughout the United States and internationally, John and Suanne Roueche have held special regard for Austin Community College. They are true friends of the college, and ACC is honored its graduates have an opportunity to hear their words of wisdom.