Austin Community College District (ACC) welcomed new Student Life Director Troy Jefferson in May. Jefferson is an ACC alum and recently served as the director of Student Life at Wharton County Junior College. He previously worked for Houston Community College and has about 20 years of experience in higher education with an emphasis on student programming, engagement, intramural sports, student organizations, Title IX investigations, and more.
Student Life staff recently asked the new director some questions:
Tell us about yourself.
I am a native Texan, born and raised in Houston. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in history, and I was also an ACC student!
I started working in student services more than 30 years ago while still a student. My first professional position was as a recruiter for UT Austin. Since then, I have been an academic advisor, dual credit coordinator, student life coordinator, athletic director, and director of student life and recreational sports.
I enjoy sports, music, and travel, but my primary hobby is baking. I am single and don’t have any children or pets, but I am strongly in favor of both!
What are some things you envision for Student Life?
Growth-growth-growth in all program areas. All of student life is about student retention. What programs/activities retain a student can be as varied as the number of students we have. So growth is another way of saying cast a wide net to find something of interest to someone. The net is student development, and within that we will explore programs with a focus on mentoring, leadership, community service, civic responsibility, health and fitness, wellness, recreation, athletics, and just plain ol’ fun.
We will also seek data to illustrate the impact of what we all do. The end goal is continuous improvement of the student experience. Since students will always change, the goal will always be just beyond the horizon, much like the end of a rainbow. Success occurs when the students reach their goals.
Do you have a quote to live by?
“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.” – Abraham Lincoln