Austin Community College District (ACC) is asking a big question: How can we better focus our work on the things that help students succeed the most?

The College already tracks important information about how students are doing, like whether they stay in school, finish their programs, and reach their goals. This information is organized into the Institutional Effectiveness (IE) Report Card. 

The Report Card serves as more than a summary of results. It’s a strategic tool that provides a clear, shared view of how well the College is delivering on its mission and where focused effort can make the greatest difference for students. The IE Report Card includes important metrics related to student completion and operational excellence:

  • Student Completion – “Are students earning credentials of value and progressing efficiently?” This looks at data such as:
    • Completion of degrees and awards (credentials of value)
    • Time and semester credit hours (SCH) to associate degree completion
    • The percentage of First-Time-in-College students who graduate, complete, or transfer within 3 years
  • Operational Excellence – “Are students experiencing a clear, supportive, and connected path?” and “Are we strengthening operational excellence and cross-functional effectiveness to support students well?” This looks at data, including:
    • The percent of students who report they “seldom get the runaround” when seeking information on campus
    • Students’ access to technology
    • The overall student digital experience
    • Cost per contact hour
    • Fill rate of core course classes overall (and by campus)
    • Cross-divisional collaboration effectiveness
    • The percentage of employees completing professional development

What’s Happening 

Over the past month, leadership from departments and divisions across the College started working together to build our new IE Report Card structure. 

The goal is simple: let’s identify a small, clear set of shared goals and actions that we can all put our work behind to truly make a difference for students and ultimately help the College:

1. Align priorities across the institution: The Report Card will create a shared definition of success so every department is working toward the same outcomes—not separate or competing goals.

2. Guide data-informed decision-making and resource allocation: Results will help the College decide where to invest time, funding, staffing, and new programs.

3. Measure progress over time: We’ll see whether strategies are working and whether changes are improving student outcomes year over year.

4. Strengthen accountability and transparency: Employees, leadership, governing boards, and the community can see how well the College is serving students.

5. Identify gaps and opportunities: The College will see where some student groups may need more support, so solutions can be targeted and effective.

6. Create a continuous improvement cycle: It will connect data → goals → action → evaluation → improvement, to ensure ACC learns and improves over time.

“This isn’t about adding more work. It’s making sure our time and energy are going to the things that really matter,” said ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart. “When we focus together and align our efforts, we create better experiences for students and a clearer sense of purpose for our employees. This work represents a significant step toward a more focused, coherent, and impact-driven approach to serving students—one grounded in data, shaped by shared purpose, and guided by ACC’s commitment to continuous improvement.”

Timeline & Next Steps

Currently, divisional leaders are drafting Institutional Effectiveness goals within their areas, actively inviting feedback, and ensuring team members understand how their work connects to completion and operational excellence before goals are finalized. Teams also will make recommendations on what needs to stop or pause so that the College can spend more time on projects that are moving the needle. Here’s what you can expect: 

  • January 28: IE Report Card kickoff convening — Completed
  • February 13: Preliminary goal and actions developed and submitted — Completed
  • March 6: IE teams will review recommended goals and actions and provide feedback
  • March 13: Revised submissions are due
  • April 14: Cabinet will review recommendations and may approve identified, aligned goals 
  • Spring 2026: Announcement of approved goals and strategies 

You can follow along with our progress and action. A centralized IE Report Card landing page will be available soon with additional context, FAQs, and updates.