Austin Community College District (ACC) is exploring a unique opportunity to expand high-demand, high-skill programs in the Southeast Travis County region. ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart talked about the decisions ahead during the March 13 Virtual Employee Town Hall.

ACC is deepening its commitment to Southeast Travis County by entering negotiations for a new facility dedicated to the Infrastructure Academy. This move is about more than just a building; it’s about serving the southeast community by accelerating the College’s ability to offer the high-demand training and certifications our neighbors need to thrive in the local economy.

“We can put more students to work, and I think we can do it bigger, and we can do it faster, and we can do it for less than building an entirely new facility,” said Russell. “It gives us a chance to reimagine what the Riverside Campus and Southeast Travis County (SET) land can become.”

The development comes after a conversation Russell had with Round Rock ISD Superintendent Dr. Hafedh “Az” Azaiez about the ISD’s decision to purchase an existing building to renovate instead of building a new career and technical education building — resulting in big taxpayer savings.

The College’s original plan to build on the existing SET land was expected to cost ACC approximately $320-350 million and take 5-6 years to complete.

By opting to renovate the current facility, ACC can accelerate the timeline, potentially launching programs in Southeast Travis in just 1–2 years.

“That was the promise we made to voters when they voted for [the 2022 G.O. bond],” said Russell. “Now, we can establish a new campus in Southeast Travis County sooner than expected and for less money.”

Russell expects to be able to share more details by the end of April.

Campus Purpose Conversations Begin with Riverside Campus

The Chancellor and Cabinet had met with the Riverside Campus community prior to the March Town Hall to share information about the purchase underway in Southeast Travis County and begin discussions on reimagining all that Riverside could become.

Guided by the Facilities Master Plan, the College is working toward a potential site in Southeast Travis County to relocate infrastructure-heavy programs such as Welding and Advanced Manufacturing. As ACC moves through the final phases of this opportunity, the College is simultaneously opening a collaborative dialogue with students, employees, and community members to help shape the future purpose and community impact of the Riverside Campus.

Russell recognized that Riverside has been historically ignored and underserved, and that the area is being gentrified.

“We want to make sure that we get this right,” explained Russell. “This property gives us an opportunity to rethink both the Southeast Travis Campus and the Riverside Campus, but we need to do it thoughtfully now, not after the fact. We’re going to plan with each other and plan with our community. It’s all got to be in service of our North Star. It’s got to serve the needs of our students. I’m trusting that we can get there.”

He announced that Riverside will be the first campus to undergo the Campus Purpose process. As part of the process, each campus will have a dedicated cabinet member and will create a campus leadership team to reach out to the community to ask what it needs from us.

Due to its importance, Russell and his chief of staff, Aaron Henry, will oversee Riverside. He informed the community that once the deal is finalized, the College will start conversations about what the community wants and needs, both at the new campus and at Riverside.

“I don’t know what Riverside is going to look like or what Southeast Travis is going to look like, but we’re going to get to do it together. Not just in those communities in that campus, but as a college as a whole. I know it’s uncertain and scary because when you’re taking half a campus and you’re trying to split them. We don’t want to do that without deep care and thought. The conversation we had with Riverside made it clear what the essence is of this community. We want to hold on to and honor that.” 

You can watch the full conversation from the Town Hall here. This portion of the Town Hall begins at the 40:00 mark.