The team responsible for shaping Austin Community College District’s (ACC) physical and digital campus environments is growing to meet the needs of the College — today and in the future. The Campus Planning, Construction & Sustainability (CPCS) team, led by Associate Vice Chancellor Aziz Hussaini, has more than doubled, expanding from 15 to 32 employees as part of a strategic reorganization of Campus Operations.
This growth is about more than just numbers — it’s about enhancing the team’s ability to create a College that is welcoming, inclusive, and built for the future.
Improving Collaboration
The expansion brought two key groups into the CPCS division: a new In-House Construction team and the Furniture, Fixture, and Equipment (FF&E) team. The creation of an in-house team of skilled carpenters and painters allows the department to respond more quickly to smaller construction projects, keeping costs down while ensuring high-quality results due to their skill set and knowledge of ACC construction standards.
This new structure is already fostering a stronger culture of collaboration.
“Having the FF&E team work literally side-by-side with our Capital Project Managers has resulted in much better collaboration on projects because communication is so much easier,” says Hussaini.
Creating Spaces To Help Students Thrive
This integrated approach is already delivering positive results across the district.
Over the summer, the expanded team demonstrated its collaborative power by completing the districtwide Riverbat Bites Food Pantry project. In partnership with the Basic Needs department, this initiative established 11 food pantry spaces, directly supporting students and helping to break down barriers to their success. The project served as a pilot, showcasing how the Capital Project Management, FF&E, In-House Construction, and Facilities Information Systems (FIS) teams could work together to deliver high-quality, low-cost projects quickly.
The team also worked together to help make ACC campuses easier to navigate this summer by executing a districtwide wayfinding signage project. Further, the FIS team has been working on a better digital wayfinding experience by piloting an indoor positioning system and improving campus maps and digital space floor plans by adding details to enhance visualization.
Additionally, the Capital Project Management team has been working on bond and infrastructure improvement projects, while the Office of Energy & Sustainability has focused on programming for Campus Sustainability Month in October and partnering with other areas to reduce energy use and grow sustainability outreach.
A Commitment to Experiential Learning
The vision extends beyond construction and into the student experience itself. Hussaini shared that the department is committed to providing experiential learning opportunities.
“We continue to expand the learning and teaching environment within the department by hiring ACC students so they can learn, practice, and gain valuable real-world experience,” he says.
Ultimately, the work is driven by a deep sense of purpose for ACC’s mission.
“I feel blessed to work at ACC and lead a team of caring, talented people whose work centers around being stewards of the College,” says Hussaini. “They create spaces that lead to student success and provide them with a sense of belonging.”
Looking ahead, the team is focused on long-term improvements, including new districtwide standards for furniture and equipment; a renewal and replacement program for infrastructure, FF&E, and space improvements; and building more energy-efficient and sustainable facilities in partnership with Maintenance & Operations.