Austin Community College District (ACC) continues its tradition of welcoming our students on the first two days of the semester, with a record number of employees participating in Welcome Riverbat events this fall.
The growth in volunteers comes on the heels of a new College tradition launching this fall—a two-day calendar blackout period at the beginning of every academic semester. During these Calendar Blackout Days, internal meetings, trainings, and non-essential College-hosted events will pause so we can focus entirely on welcoming and supporting our students.
As of Wednesday, August 20, 633 employees have signed up to volunteer on campus and help greet the influx of new and returning students. There are more than 740 volunteer shifts available at campuses across the district. Volunteers will be grouped at stations strategically placed in and around our campuses to provide students with information, directions, and Riverbats swag.
There is still time to sign up for a Welcome Riverbats shift — specifically at the Highland Campus.
With the expected enrollment surge, it’s more important than ever to make a great first impression and help our students feel like they belong.
As of Tuesday, August 19, 40,397 students are enrolled this fall—an almost 10% increase from last year and a 25% increase from two years ago. Of those students, 11,127 are new-to-ACC students—a 5% increase from last year and a 31% increase from two years ago.
The College created nearly 500 new course sections to accommodate the enrollment surge. From accounting and biology to visual communications and welding, nearly every department has grown.
About 100 new full-time faculty and 252 new adjunct faculty were hired over the summer to support the growth. Additionally, 192 of the 715 active adjuncts who were not scheduled to teach in the fall are now assigned to teach one or more courses.
The College continues to schedule and staff sections for fall 2025, focusing now on 14-and 12-week terms. This will necessitate continued capacity building in terms of hiring and thoughtful deployment of its existing human resources.