Written by ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart
How We Can Make College Affordable for Everyone
When I first came to Austin Community College District in fall 2023, I knew I wanted to get to know our students and learn about our community. What I discovered wasn’t a surprise, but it was unsettling.
People are experiencing a life that’s not affordable, and they can’t find a way to climb out and up.
The cost of higher education is, more often than not, too great to bear. It’s the biggest challenge students today face. The numbers may surprise you — our data show that 58% of students who applied to go to ACC and then chose not to enroll say affordability is their main concern.
We have been asking students to mortgage their future — to take on big loan debt. They’re not enrolling because they can’t afford it or they don’t see the return on investment. There has to be a better way.
So, we asked ourselves at ACC — if we can eliminate that barrier, can we make college a reality for more people? We think so. Starting in the fall of 2024, we’re going to test it out.
With the support of our Board of Trustees, Austin Community College will pilot the ACC Free Tuition Program. It’s the first step in a bold idea to make college tuition free for everyone.
It’s going to take time to get there. So, we’re starting small, beginning with a pilot program that will cover the cost of tuition and general fees for the class of 2024 — that means all high school graduates from local school districts and charter schools across the ACC service area, as well as home-schoolers and GED completers.
We picked this group for a couple of reasons. When you look at the demographic shifts over the last decade, you’ll see that more students are not going to higher education than are going. Only 43% of high school graduates are enrolling in postsecondary education. Our competition isn’t between colleges and universities. Our competition is between somewhere and nowhere, and nowhere is winning. It’s a startling reality.
There are growing questions about the value of a degree because college has become almost unaffordable. We need to do better. There is a profound national discussion on the cost of higher education. A discount doesn’t mean anything on something already financially out of reach. Free means something to those who need us most.
This is just the beginning. It’s not about getting students in the door. It’s about eliminating barriers so that they not only come, they persist, they graduate, and they enter our local workforce with the skills and talents our community needs. This is particularly important for those students and families living in the war zone of poverty. We believe in those students so much, that we want them to use their financial aid and scholarship to support their lives, while we find resources to cover their tuition for learning.
A program like this won’t be easy. We have teams at ACC working to identify potential issues and develop solutions. I have no doubt a free tuition program can work at ACC, and I have no doubt it can grow. I think that’s exactly what our community needs.
Every student’s success is something we can all celebrate. It’s going to force us to think in new and different ways, and it will be worth it. We can lead the nation in redefining how colleges and communities work together to lift lives.
The future of our region, and the economic stability that we enjoy, rests on our ability to ensure that more of our students who are graduating high school get a credential of value that leads to a family-sustaining wage.
ACC is making some changes at the top to prepare the college for the hard work of aligning our work with our Theory of Change.
The updates to these positions allow the college to have a stronger focus on strategic initiatives, improved communication with employee associations, and knowledgeable leads for some of our priority programs.
Cabinet ChangesDr. Garrett Groves, ACC’s Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives, will no longer have the additional responsibility of Chancellor’s Chief of Staff to allow him to focus all his efforts on collaborative partnerships.
As the Chancellor’s 100 Days concluded, and the college began identifying priorities that are now embedded within the Theory of Change, it became clear that a strong focus must be maintained on strategic initiatives that will have a significant impact on our students and the college at the regional and national level. Recent examples include transformative investments in our region’s semiconductor industry by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Act, the City of Austin’s newly announced Infrastructure Academy, and the cross-departmental work to prepare and implement the Free Tuition Initiative.
Additionally, with a pause on the college’s Workday Student Information Systems (SIS) implementation project, Mike Midgley is transitioning from Senior Vice Chancellor of SIS to a new role as Special Advisor to the Chancellor.
During his lengthy tenure at the college, Midgley has served as a faculty member, an Instructional Administrator, and, for the past year, as part of the leadership team for the Workday SIS implementation project. In his new role, he will draw on his extensive knowledge and experience to support ACC’s Theory of Change implementation and work as a conduit between the employee associations and the cabinet.
Lastly, ACC’s Executive Vice Chancellor of Operations & Public Affairs, Dr. Molly Beth Malcolm, has announced that she will retire in August 2024 after more than 12 years of service to the college and the Central Texas community. Dr. Malcolm has led the development and growth of the college’s government and community relations programs, as well as the college’s safety and operations initiatives.
Read the full announcement and her plans for retirement here.
Other administrative updatesThe college has filled the role of Associate Vice Chancellor of Workforce Education, which has been vacant since Gretchen Riehl’s retirement in December 2023. Dr. Brandon Whatley will return to ACC to serve in the role. He brings with him valuable experience as a department chair in Welding and instructional dean of DMCAT as well as a record of accomplishments at ACC that include leading the development and launch of our Bachelor of Applied Technology in Manufacturing Engineering Technology.
Additionally, after serving in an “interim” capacity for four years, Mison Zuniga has been named the Associate Vice Chancellor of College & High School Relations.
Finally, the college will be hiring for the new role of Associate Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences. Health Sciences is a large, complex group of 14 programs, each with accrediting bodies, competitive admissions, clinical applied learning requirements, and licensing exams to enter one’s chosen field. Central Texas has asked the college to double many of our health sciences programs, and these programs need strategic leadership from an AVC who can actively engage with our large and small healthcare partners in Central Texas. The college hopes to fill the role sometime this summer.
Austin Community College District (ACC) partners with The Steve Fund to bring an interactive series to faculty and staff on “Supporting the Mental Health of Diverse Parenting Students at Community Colleges.”
Community college students of color who are also parents face unique challenges and stressors that often go unaddressed, creating significant barriers to graduation.
This series aims to improve the understanding of the complexities facing parenting students of color so that faculty, staff, and providers of student support services can better address their mental health needs and support their path to graduation. Participants will walk away with strategies and best practices to establish a more inclusive classroom environment and campus community.
Session I – Mental Health Matters
Friday, April 12, 2024
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Register here
Session II – Strategies for Success
Friday, April 26, 2024
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Register here
For more information, visit the Supporting the Mental Health of Diverse Parenting registration page.
The H-E-B Center at Cedar Park was awash in purple and Riverbat pride on Wednesday, March 27, as thousands of ACC employees gathered for the college’s inaugural Data Summit.
Attendees learned more about the results from Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart’s first 100 days, took a deep dive into our data, and discussed strategies to embrace our new Theory of Change.
Throughout the summit, employees were given the opportunity to interact with the data and provide feedback. They also heard from cabinet members to learn how the different areas of the college will work together to lead us to our North Star: We’re going to love our students to success and achieve a 70% completion rate by 2030.
Chancellor Lowery-Hart reiterated that the work won’t be a top-down effort but a horizontal approach and that employees will define the work while administration will provide support.
The college closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. so that all employees could take part in the day of learning, networking, and inspiration. The Data Summit was recorded for those who were unable to attend or would like to revisit the day.
Watch the discussion here using your ACC credentials to log in. The slide deck from the Summit can be found on the Data Summit web page.
All employees should have received a copy of the book “Class” by Stephanie Land to read. Written as a memoir, the book can help us better understand the point of view of a struggling student.
Copies are still available for employees who did not receive one. Contact your nearest ACC Library to arrange a time to pick up a copy.
Share your experienceShare your photos and videos by sending an email to tledcomms@austincc.edu with the subject line Data Summit Content Submission.
Click here to view a photo album of images from the summit.
Provide your feedbackA short survey has been sent out to all employees to help the college know what parts of the Summit were most helpful. Please take a few minutes to share your feedback and help improve future experiences. Take the short survey here.
Keep the journey goingEmployees are encouraged to keep the conversation going. Here are some ways to do so:
The Chancellor will continue the discussion in the next Virtual Employee Town Hall on Friday, April 5. Learn more about the processes for:
Join the town hall HERE.
The Office of Institutional Research & Analytics (OIRA) invites you to take a deep dive into ACC data.
The office is hosting a series of webinars to provide employees with ongoing opportunities to explore the Theory of Change and North Star.
Five Data Deep Dive sessions are scheduled for April and May. The webinar dates, times, and Zoom links are posted on the OIRA Data Deep Dive web page.
All sessions will be held virtually via Zoom and are open to all ACC employees. Each session will be recorded and posted for those who want to learn more but are unable to attend live.
Visit oira.austincc.edu/ds/data-deep-dive for more information. Attendees can receive professional development credit for attending.
ACC leadership asks employees to share their perspectives and experiences working at the college in the 2024 Employee Climate Survey launching in late March.
The anonymous online survey will help ACC better understand employee engagement, satisfaction, and feedback about the college’s mission and operations. It is an opportunity to identify strengths and areas for growth as a workplace.
“I will review the employee climate survey results with my senior team and with you all. We rely on these data to help us make improvements within the college,” says ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart. “This year’s survey will also provide an important baseline for the new values and improvement work that lies ahead in the next several years.”
The biennial Climate Survey is anonymous and confidential. Only aggregate data will be reviewed to ensure employee privacy, and a summary report will be developed. Individual responses will not be accessible.
Employees will receive an email containing a link to access the “ACC Employee Climate Survey 2024” from Dr. Jenna Cullinane Hege at the Office of Institutional Research & Analytics (OIRA).
Emails to some employees were inadvertently held up in IT security filters. OIRA and IT worked diligently to resolve this issue.
This climate survey will remain open until April 12.
ACC launches a new resource this spring for students who want to stay informed and updated on relevant issues and college decisions that may impact them called the Student InfoHub.
After piloting the student-dedicated newsroom earlier this spring, the Office of College Relations & Marketing (OCRM) surveyed select groups of students to learn how well the page meets their needs. The college received feedback from targeted student groups, including the Student Government Association, Phi Theta Kappa, and Student Life members, and incorporated it into the current version of the Student InfoHub.
Feedback included clear titles, requests for information about campus activities and events, news from leadership and Board of Trustees updates, and information impacting students. Students indicated they felt more informed and planned to visit the new resource regularly.
The web page’s goal is to foster a sense of community among students and provide them with one place to receive critical updates and news. OCRM will work closely with partners throughout the college, including Student Affairs offices, to gather news and important updates to share with students.
Students can find news about college initiatives or programs, opportunities to learn about campus events, and read about Board and leadership news and actions. Students can also look through multi-media slideshows featuring students, activities, and events from across the district and read about fellow Riverbats through our student stories section.
The new site is available at students.austincc.edu/infohub and is expected to launch in April 2024.
Spring marks a time of renewal and rejuvenation—for some of us, that means spring cleaning and engaging in the age-old tradition of refreshing our homes. It is equally important to extend this practice to our digital spaces, particularly our computers.
Taking proactive measures to ensure our digital devices are up-to-date and running smoothly can greatly enhance their performance and longevity.
Simple yet effective steps such as decluttering our ACC email, removing unused applications and unnecessary photos from our devices, and using multi-factor authentication tools like OKTA can fortify the security and efficiency of our digital lives.
Additionally, regularly updating computer software ensures access to the latest features and patches, guarding against potential vulnerabilities.
By incorporating these practices into our spring cleaning routine, we streamline our digital experiences and safeguard our devices against potential threats.
Steps To Consider2. Remove unused apps and photos on your devices — For more information on how to back up and organize your data, visit issue 46 of the ACC IT Newsletter here.
3. Update software — Ensuring your software is up to date is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check manually for updates if automatic updates are not available and keep operating systems, antivirus software, web browsers, and applications up to date.
4. Use strong authenticators — Authenticator is the new industry term for passwords that take into account multi-factor authentication (MFA).
ACC’s Chief Information Officer, Jason Marshall, announced in December 2023 that the college is fast-tracking how IT manages computer equipment. All Windows devices are enrolled in a centralized unified endpoint management (UEM) tool called Workspace One (WS1).
Even though WS1 allows ACC IT technicians to remotely manage Windows devices (called endpoints) and deploy software and security updates, it is important that you also make sure your device is up to date with the latest Windows updates and take precautionary steps to keep your system running smoothly and securely.
For more information on WS1, visit the WS1 webpage.
ACC’s Student Government Association (SGA) hosts a Menstrual Products Donation Drive this spring to promote the health, dignity, and empowerment of students across ACC campuses.
They will be collecting unopened menstrual hygiene products including:
These items are essential to ensuring that students have access to the resources they need to manage their menstrual health effectively.
Donations can be made at ACC’s Highland Campus ACCelerator, Welcome Center, and Veterans Resource Center through Wednesday, May 1.
April is Community College Month—a time to celebrate the invaluable contributions of community colleges to the educational landscape. The nationwide initiative is led by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) to elevate the recognition of community colleges’ critical role in providing accessible, high-quality education.
The primary goals of #CCmonth are to increase awareness of the economic, academic, and equity advantages of attending community colleges and to bust longtime stigmas wrongly associated with public two-year colleges.
Austin Community College District (ACC) is the largest trainer of the Central Texas workforce, serving approximately 70,000 students each year, offering more than 100 degrees, including key programs in health sciences, skilled trades, computer science, and transfer programs. The college has earned a national reputation for innovation and academic excellence and has the fastest-growing graduation rate among its peers.
ACC invites students, employees, and the community to join the celebration.
ACC will highlight students throughout the month as part of Community College Month. Know an amazing student? Nominate them for a spotlight by emailing sydney.pruitt@austincc.edu.
The Austin Community College District (ACC) Board of Trustees met for its regular meeting on Monday, April 1. During the meeting, trustees made a historic vote to approve the ACC Free Tuition pilot program. More information and additional highlights from the meeting are below.
Adoption of 2024-25 Tuition and FeesThe Board of Trustees unanimously approved maintaining tuition and fee rates for the 2024-25 academic year. This marks the 11th consecutive year tuition and fees remain unchanged at ACC. The approved rates go into effect for the fall semester. In-district students at ACC will continue to pay $67 for tuition—with fees, it comes to $85 per credit hour. Read more here.
College Affordability ProgramAfter months of discussion and planning, the ACC Board of Trustees approved a bold proposal to offer FREE tuition and general fees to high school graduates and GED® completers—starting first with the class of 2024. The ACC Free Tuition Pilot Program—also known as the College Affordability Plan—is a five-year pilot that will offer free tuition and general fees for high school seniors, including public, private, charter, and homeschoolers, and GED® completers who live in the ACC service area. Read more about the pilot program here.
Comprehensive Analysis Job Classification and Compensation StructureTrustees approved the administration’s negotiation and execution of a contract to analyze ACC’s job classification and compensation structures for staff. The comprehensive analysis will help the college develop a plan of action and provide guidance on topics like employee job descriptions, job family and reporting structures, employment qualifications, and compensation philosophy and practices.
Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal JusticeIn an 8-to-1 vote, the board approved a new Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice. The new program was developed in response to workforce demands to provide a clear transfer pathway to a baccalaureate degree. The degree was developed in partnership with primary transfer institutions to ensure that all classes will transfer and apply to a baccalaureate degree at the receiving institutions. Criminal Justice courses also will be offered as dual credit in area high schools. Read more about the program here.
Work Session Includes College Affordability Proposal and Strategic PlanDuring a work session before the regular board meeting, the ACC Board of Trustees discussed several topics related to student success.
Dr. Mary Harris, Institutional Effectiveness & Grant Development Vice Chancellor, provided the board with an update on the next steps for the new Strategic Plan. The Chancellor requested the new Strategic Plan align directly with the Theory of Change. The next steps include including language related to the Theory of Change, approval from the board, implementation steering team, and a fall 2024 implementation.
The Chancellor invited leaders from the seven steering committees involved in the Free Tuition program to speak. Each provided an update on their team’s work and the program’s next steps. There are currently 125 members across seven different workgroups.
Board Approves Series of ContractsThe board unanimously approved multiple contracts. First, the board authorized college administration to execute a contract for districtwide Adobe Software Licenses. The contract provides the full Adobe Creative Cloud Suite to all ACC faculty, staff, and students in certain programs.
The second allows the college to execute a contract for tree-trimming services on an as-needed basis for all campuses across the district.
Another contract will allow the college to negotiate a contract with Sequel Data Systems for current security and network assessment. It will support ACC’s Data Center managed services and related buildout work. Over the next 12 months, the college will upgrade and modernize its data centers, including enhancing security.
Finally, the board approved allowing the college to move forward with contracts for Indefinite Delivery and Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) for Districtwide Mechanical Maintenance. The contracts are for qualified mechanical maintenance service firms for ACC’s Building and Maintenance department’s districtwide repairs and maintenance of existing mechanical systems, like HVAC, as needed.
View all recordings from the meeting here.