Starting September 28, 2026, Austin Community College District (ACC) is taking a proactive step to enhance digital security by expanding Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to all student accounts. While MFA is already mandatory for faculty and staff, extending this requirement to students will address critical security vulnerabilities and protect our broader college community.
Why MFA for Students is Essential
Account compromise remains one of the largest security risks facing higher education. Phishing attacks and stolen passwords target student accounts to exploit personal banking information, financial aid funds, and academic records. MFA requires a secondary verification step, ensuring hackers cannot access accounts even if they obtain a password.
National data show that MFA blocks over 99.2% of account compromise attacks, making it our most effective tool against cyber threats. It will reduce the risk and incidence of financial aid or data fraud and better secure their email accounts and access to records. Student MFA will support faster financial aid processing and help staff spend less time monitoring for fraudulent student accounts.
What Our Students Can Expect
Beginning September 28, ACC students will be required to verify their identity via MFA when logging into platforms using their ACCeID and password. This includes access to programs such as Blackboard, ACCmail, Zoom, and other major College services.
How Employees Can Support Students
While the IT Information Security team is leading the setup and support efforts, students may turn to faculty and staff with questions. Here is how you can help ensure a seamless transition:
- Share the Information: Encourage students to set up their MFA method before and during rollout week, so their access to course materials and College resources isn’t disrupted.
- Direct Them to Resources: The College is building an informational webpage that you can point students to if they need help. It will feature tips, guides, and frequently asked questions. You can find it at austincc.edu/itsafety.
- Address Device Access Concerns: If a student mentions they do not have a reliable personal smartphone or device for MFA, reassure them that ACC is working on alternative verification solutions so their experience won’t be disrupted.
Is this a trainwreck waiting to happen? What about students who do not have a smart phone or cannot accept text messages? Why is this being launched in the middle of the semester? How are we helping students by creating this disruption to their academic pursuits.
Will this also pertain to the accounts of those of us who have retired and now have new ACC email accounts? I was issued an ACC YubiKey before, but when I retired I had to turn it in. What will I need to do now? Please let me know. Thank you.
Are you serious?
Will ACC offer full refunds to the large number of us forced to drop our classes because of this new requirement in the middle of the semester? (Please refund the cost of our textbooks and materials, as well.)
I use a Chromebook, where your available options (Okta Verify and Google Authenticator) do not work. We will now be required to access our Bb classes through a phone or tablet. Do you really think this is how most of us access our classes, especially when we need full screens; access to the whiteboard; in my case, multi-language keyboards; and all of the benefits that laptops offer?
It is unacceptable for ACC to change course requirements in the middle of the semester. This is not what we signed up for and not what we paid for since we had Blackboard access before the mandatory MFA. You have made our classes inaccessible through an ill-conceived rule change in the middle of the semester.
And to add insult to injury, the Help Desk wasn’t able to answer my questions because, they said, the rule is new to them, as well.
I recommend that you 1) make Bb MFA optional rather than mandatory, and 2) reconsider making sweeping rule changes in the middle of a term that cause multitudes of students to lose access to our education.
Thank you. We have shared this with the appropriate parties and hope to share a reply soon.
Thank you for your questions. We have shared this with the appropriate parties and hope to share a reply either here or via email soon.
Thank you for your questions. We have shared this with the appropriate parties and hope to share a reply either here or via email soon.
I don’t have a phone and probably many other people don’t as well, did y’all expect us to buy phones and/or security keys? Because if you do then you should provide at least security keys for students.
I also agree with ‘disappointed student’ and highly recommend y’all to do what he proposes.
The College is aware that not all students have access to a smartphone or mobile device. Please visit austincc.edu/itsafety for information on who to contact for assistance.