More than 1,000 Austin Community College District (ACC) employees tuned in to the July Virtual Employee Town Hall on Friday, July 11. College leadership provided updates on the budget, the work of the Theory of Change Basic Needs team, the enrollment surge, legislation passed this session, and the lawsuit. 

At the start of the conversation, Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart informed employees that the College is once again observing No Meeting Week the first week of July (June 30 through July 4), and No Email Fridays throughout July, with the exception of helping students.

Below are highlights from the discussion.

Basic Needs Updates

Basic Needs was the first Theory of Change team to finish its work. Cara Crowley, Special Advisor to the Chancellor for Basic Needs Systems (BNS), said that the framework to holistically address the needs of students will launch this fall. 

One of the tools is a Basic Needs Assessment—a 10-question survey to proactively identify the early needs of our students to provide early intervention through advocate support. It will be piloted at the Round Rock and Highland campuses before being expanded collegewide.

Also launching this fall are: 

  • Riverbat Bites food pantries on every campus.
  • A new healthcare pilot program with TimelyCare to offer 24/7 access to mental health and medical services for 5,000 eligible students at no cost.
  • ACC’s first Community Assistance, Resources & Empowerment (C.A.R.E.) Network Center at the Round Rock Campus to provide mental health counselors and advocates in one space. A second phase includes a drop-in child care facilty and a health clinic.

For faculty, starting this fall there will be a training program on academic alerts, which will also include alerts on students for mental health, basic needs and disability services. Staff will have access to a BNS form as a one-stop referral for students facing mental health, basic needs, and accessibility challenges. Both forms will be reviewed by BNS staff, who will connect students with services and then follow up with faculty and staff.

The Basic Needs Theory of Change Final Report can be found HERE.

Enrollment Surge

Enrollment is expected to grow significantly this fall. OIRA Vice Chancellor Dr. Jenna Cullinane Hege said that students are coming to ACC in a big way and staying with us — important for HB 8 outcomes — and walked attendees through the data. 

The College’s unduplicated headcount is up 3,600 students from two years ago, an increase of about 40%. And, there is a 14% increase from the same time last year. Students are also taking more courses—46% more than two years ago and 17% more than last year.

She said that free tuition is playing a big role in these increases, with a 44% growth in this population of students last year versus prior direct-to-college students. She said that the College typically sees these students drop off over time, but there are almost 1,000 more students from the high school graduating class of 2024 enrolled this year compared to last year. Then, if you factor in the Class of 2025 cohort, we are up by almost 4,000 students.

To ensure there are enough sections available for students, the College is hosting an Adjunct Faculty Hiring Fair on Friday, July 25, opening up and tracking waitlists, and right-sizing section enrollment caps.

FY 2026 Budget

ACC Trustees passed next year’s budget at their July 7 meeting, which included a 3% compensation increase for all employees. Russell put the conservative raise into context, explaining that the College is worried about the years to come with all the political, economic, and social uncertainty.

Read more about the FY26 budget HERE.

Board of Trustees Lawsuit Update

Russell went over the basis for the lawsuit that the Board has filed challenging the permanent injunction on the Texas Dream Act. He said they expect an initial ruling on the Board’s ability to be a plaintiff the week of July 14. 

Read more about the lawsuit HERE.

Legislative Updates

ACC Vice Chancellor of Community and Government Affairs Chris Cervini and Russell provided updates on legislation passed this session by the Texas Legislature.

Senate Bill (SB) 37 concerns higher education governance. The College has been working with the Faculty Senate on the implementation of the bill, and they don’t anticipate any major changes with how the College interacts with faculty leadership. The bill also includes new curriculum-review processes and a statewide higher education ombudsman appointed by the governor.

SB 2615 prohibits full-time faculty from working remotely except under certain circumstances. Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC) leadership is meeting later this month to discuss and share information about this bill. 

Read more about the bills passed this legislative session that impact ACC HERE.

View the recording and Q&A transcript on the Virtual Employee Town Hall web page.