Austin Community College District (ACC) hosted its July Virtual Employee Town Hall on Friday, July 10. Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart started the town hall by asking employees to share what has been bringing them joy, saying his recent moments have centered on the World Cup and his wife’s birthday.
ACC Budget Update
Following the Board of Trustees’ approval of the fiscal year 2027 budget at their July meeting, leadership discussed the factors that drove the decisions, including unexpected changes to the state’s community college funding formula that resulted in a $6 million reduction and a net $2.5M loss compared to initial budget expectations. While there is a possibility this funding will be temporarily restored in an interim capacity, the College is proactively structuring its budget as if it is not happening, as we feel the funding levels will be supplemented in the upcoming legislative session.
As he has done in previous town halls, Russell reiterated a strong commitment to avoiding layoffs. Instead, the College will navigate this shortfall by focusing on internal efficiencies, such as continuing efforts to flatten and realign the organizational structure, consolidating redundant software contracts, and ensuring all business travel is strictly purposeful. Moving forward, employees are asked to approach these adjustments with courage, clarity, and commitment as we thoroughly study our budget to optimize resources and reduce reliance on unpredictable political shifts.
Employee Compensation
In light of current budget uncertainties, leadership presented the final compensation plan approved by Trustees that balances fiscal responsibility with employee support. All employees will receive a 2% regular raise along with a one-time, lump-sum stipend equivalent to 2% of average employee pay — a structure intentionally designed to privilege and maximize the positive impact on ACC’s lowest-paid colleagues. See how much you can expect here.
Russell provided statewide context, noting that many colleges across Texas have lost millions of dollars and are facing difficult choices like raising tuition or property taxes. In fact, several institutions announced staffing and budget reductions the morning of the Town Hall. Thanks to careful planning, ACC remains stable and is actively working to avoid position eliminations or layoffs.
Web Redesign Update
The ongoing Web Redesign Project is moving forward with the primary goal of creating a trusted, single source of truth for everyone at the College. By intentionally designing the platform around user experience, the project aims to solve widespread organizational confusion and make navigating ACC systems dramatically simpler for both students, employees, and the community.
The College shared a sneak peek of the College’s potential new homepage. The primary audience for phase 1 of the redesign project is prospective students — we want them to feel a sense of belonging and to see themselves here.
Follow the progress on the Web Redesign Project web page.
Institutional Effectiveness Report Card
Employees received a preview of the Institutional Effectiveness (IE) Report Card — a cross-collaborative effort that the College has been working on for the past 12 months. The report card brings greater focus to the College’s existing priorities while also identifying new areas of work needed to strengthen operational excellence and improve outcomes for students. It introduces nine metrics that we will hold ourselves accountable to over the next three years.
Leadership encouraged all teams to review the goals together, identify their direct or indirect roles, and determine how they can help remove barriers to accelerate our collective operational excellence.
Telework Update
Russell thanked the employee associations for helping to craft a telework policy that aligns with state law and the College’s values. The Telework Administrative Rules are on his desk to sign, and managers can expect webinars to be offered at the end of July.
Other Topics
Russell noted that because the state is implementing upcoming changes to the core curriculum that are not yet finalized, ACC has temporarily paused the implementation of the Student Success Course Design Team and EDUC faculty plans until leadership can evaluate how the new state curriculum will affect those courses.