Preliminary plans for ACC’s newest purchase to include consolidating administrative offices
Looking toward the future, Austin Community College officials have big plans in store after purchasing the final tract of land at Highland Mall on Aug. 4 for an estimated $15.9 million. This purchase, along with previous purchases of land and buildings at Highland Mall totals more than $40 million.
The Environmental Health, Safety and Insurance (EHS) department held a meeting with campus officials on Feb. 1 to discuss increased rodent sightings at the Rio Grande Campus. Student Life representatives, campus management, Purchasing and Building Maintenance personnel, and EHS met to provide each other with a clear understanding of their individual roles and responsibilities in trying to fix the problems under their control, according to Rebecca Cole, the executive director for EHS department.
ACC partners with Gallaudet University as regional center for deaf students from eight southwest states
Two new campuses are scheduled to open in 2013 in Elgin and Hays County. Elgin residents are invited to attend an event from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 1 at the Elgin Center to register for classes that will begin Feb. 14. "It's exciting to have the opportunity to take ACC classes at the Elgin Center without paying an arm and a leg," said 22-year-old Elgin resident Tracy Munn.
Eastview Campus and Northridge Campus are now part of ACC's plan to reduce its carbon footprint. The "ACC Energy Project" will bring in enough electricity through solar panels on these two campuses for nearly 50 homes per year. This could save the college about $44,000 each year and makes it the largest array of solar panels in Austin.
Smokers can expect covered, designated smoking areas to go up on every campus. This decision was reached by the Administrative Service Council (ASC) after a two-year debate.
The October lead test results for the water at Rio Grand Campus are in and there is still lead in some fountains and sinks according to the report posted on the ACC Environmental Health, Safety and Insurance website.
The Texas Community College Association (TCCTA) will be completing their yearly faculty salary survey this month.
Remote location causes cable service issues
All of the blank television screens on Round Rock Campus might eventually be showing something, but it won't be cable programming.
RGC remodel the only way to fix the problem
The water fountains at the Rio Grande Campus, which have been off since Sept. 29 will be out of commission for the foreseeable future. The fountains will not be turned back on until the building is remodeled with new lead free plumbing.
Lead levels not immediate danger to students, staff according to experts
The drinking water at Rio Grande Campus was tested once more for lead in early October and the results will be posted soon on the Austin Community College website according to ACC's Public Information and College Marketing Department.
Students with fuel efficient cars should have better spots in Nov.
The Green Car Preferred parking program is not quite ready. The signs signifying the green parking spots are up and the list of approved cars is available online, but on Sept. 25 the Green Car Parking signs at the Rio Grande campus were covered with plastic bags.
"The tentative date for opening the spots for use is early November, but that is subject to change," said Andy Kim.
ACC verifies signatures on Bastrop petition
Bastrop ISD voters will definitely be making a decision on whether or not they should be annexed into the ACC taxing district this November. The Bastrop County Friends of Higher Education submitted 1750 signatures on a petition to include annexation on the Nov. 2 ballot. They had to get signatures from five percent (1,177) of registered voters.
Construction wraps as new campus gets ready to rock
The construction time line of Austin Community College's new Round Rock Campus is currently running tight but staying on schedule to open for the fall semester classes of August 23. The construction crews have stayed on schedule with minimal interruptions and within the budget as they work toward finishing each of the five buildings for the Certificate of Occupancy.
Controversial health care bill to affect students
The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 has many implications for students. New health care and financial aid options have opened up, and the Accent has full coverage on how the new law will affect students. Last time 23-year-old psychology major Keegan Frick was sick, she avoided going to the doctor because she doesn't have health insurance.
The Capital MetroRail system in Austin is ready and running.
MetroRail service started March 22 after several delays due to safety tests and measurements in the past year.
The MetroRail began its first week offering free rides to passengers.
The board of trustees proposed methodology change for computing faculty pay has found resistance from the Adjunct Faculty Association.
The proposed change to the F10 board policy would expand the current comparative payment structure that uses the Austin market to one using "Texas metropolitan community colleges."
News Briefs
As more solar energy companies are forming in Austin, Austin Community College will be offering two women focused classes. The two classes on solar installation will start on March 22 and will meet on Mondays and Wednesday at 6 p.m. to 9 p.m at Highland Business Center.
News Briefs
A new parking lot is currently under construction at Pinnacle Campus. Projected to open for the fall 2010 semester, it will provide an additional 440 parking spots for students, faculty and staff.
In the meantime, students can catch a five to ten minute ride to campus with the help of a free shuttle servce. Located at the former Albertson's parking area in Oak Hill Plaza, shuttles will run throughout the day. The first shuttle starts at 7 a.m. and the last runs at 8 p.m..
According to a press release, the ACC Board of Trustees unanimously approved the purchasing of three tracts of land adjacent to the Rio Grande Campus. "Basically we purchased an office building we were already leasing," said Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration Ben Ferrell. "It's one property subdivided into three."
The tracts are located at 1209 and 1215 Rio Grande St., and 605 W. 13th St. The tracts add up to about half an acre, and will cost the college $2.1 million plus closing costs. Revenue bonds from 2009 will be used to cover the cost.
Proposed plan would make biking near Rio Grande easier and safer
The City of Austin is currently reviewing a plan that that would turn Nueces Street from W. Third Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard into a bicycle boulevard.
A bicycle boulevard is a road that caters to both cars and bikes. Recently, plans for such a road have been discussed at two open houses. The third, and possibly last, will be taking place on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at Pease Elementary School. New findings about how traffic will be altered by the bike lane will be discussed.
Changes to the registration schedule that would move late registration and the add/drop period to the week before the first day of class are being considered by the ACC administration.
Currently students have three days after the first class day to register for class and make changes to their schedule by adding and dropping courses. If the new schedule is approved, students would have to register and make all changes to their schedule before the first day of class.
News Brief
The state of Texas recently approved the establishment of a $25 million Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) fund which will provide community colleges and other training providers with equipment and resources to train workers.
The original proposal for the expansion of The Orientation Program and the redesign of Student Life has changed. While Student Life will not look exactly the same as it did this semester, the changes being made appear, as of right now, to be much less drastic than originally predicted.
Dept. head petitions for more space
A small exhibition space is being built in the remodeled gym at Rio Grande Campus, but Art Department Chair Gary Webernick said the department still needs a larger gallery. Webernick and the ACC Art Department are once again petitioning the ACC administration for more gallery space in which to display student and faculty art.
At the start of every fall semester, the Office of Human Resources starts collecting applications to fill faculty positions for the next fall semester. Around 30 full-time faculty members are needed in order to keep up with enrollment demands. The number of full antd part-time faculty hired is based on the ACC District Master Plan which is reviewed yearly and revised on a rolling three year schedule.
Austin Conservation Corps, a new organization created by ACC's Center for Public Policy and Political Studies (CPPPS), now offers students the job opportunities maintaining and building parks around Austin.
New mandatory orientation leads to restructuring of Student Life programs
Student Life (SL) is being reorganized in order to expand The Orientation Program (TOP) as a result of the college deciding to make orientation mandatory. Diversity, Intramural Sports and Recreation and the Leadership programs will no longer be stand-alone clusters. Some of the most successful aspects of these clusters will be blended into remaining programs.
ACC has announced that the closure of the Pinnacle campus has been extended through Wednesday, Oct. 21. The college plans to re-open the campus on Thursday, Oct. 22.
Students with fuel efficient cars should have better spots in Nov.
The Green Car Preferred parking program is not quite ready. The signs signifying the green parking spots are up and the list of approved cars is available online, but on Sept. 25 the Green Car Parking signs at the Rio Grande campus were covered with plastic bags.
"The tentative date for opening the spots for use is early November, but that is subject to change," said Andy Kim.
Fifty percent more students applied for aid than last fall
This semester, there was an unprecedented increase in applications for financial aid. Last fall, 11,609 students applied for financial aid at Austin Community College, compared to this fall's, 17,470 applicants. This is a 50 percent increase.
"We've had to work weekends, and we've had to definitely alter schedules to compensate for additional student body," Financial Aid Supervisor Jason Briseno said.
Nearly 4,500 more students than last fall
Austin Community College's official enrollment tally for fall 2009 is 40,248 credit students, an increase of more than 12 percent compared with fall 2008, when ACC had 35,798 credit students according to the Public Information and College Marketing Department.
Students, faculty find old parking issues solved as new ones arise
The new Rio Grande Parking Garage is up and running for the fall semester. There is a total of 543 new parking spaces with 346 open for students, 195 reserved for faculty and staff and two additional spots for the retail space that is yet to open.
The Round Rock Public Library is hosting a public forum to discuss plans and take questions about the new ACC Round Rock Campus, scheduled to open fall 2010. The forum is Monday Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. "This is giving the people of Round Rock an opportunity to look at the plans for the design and talk about the programs offered," Executive Director of Public Information and College Marketing Brett Lea said.
While formal policy is being debated, original decision to remove posters has been reversed
The decision to have posters of President Obama and Michelle Obama removed from the walls of administrative offices on the Riverside Campus and other ACC offices was formally reversed Thursday, March 26. Until a new policy is crafted, the posters of President Obama will be allowed on the walls of the administrative offices.
The parking garage at the Rio Grande campus is currently on target for its completion date of Aug. 2009. The garage, located on the corner of 12th and Shoal Creek, was approved for another level in late Oct. of last year, making the planned structure seven stories.
The parking garage at the Rio Grande campus is currently on target for its completion date of Aug. 2009. The garage, located on the corner of 12th and Shoal Creek, was approved for another level in late Oct. of last year, making the planned structure seven stories.
Pinnacle Campus has expanded the "Park & Ride" shuttle service to Pinnacle Campus. Due to City of Austin code enforcement, the former unpaved dirt parking lots at Pinnacle were closed on Sept. 26, removing approximately 400 parking spaces on that campus. The "Park & Ride" system is serviced by two charter busses, and is free to ACC students.
After years of health concerns and legal battles, renovation could finally end college's headache
John O'Connor Staff Writer To some, the long-disputed history of Rio Grande Campus Room 221 rings like a campy horror flick, and to others it screams of a real life nightmare. The former science office is undergoing renovations and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks to make way for a drama department scene shop.
New skate park construction at a standstill
Christina Chapman Staff Writer The City of Austin through the Austin Recreation Center at Shoal Creek plans to build a skate park adjacent to the parking garage that ACC is building for the Rio Grande Campus. While construction for the parking garage has begun, construction on the skate park is at a standstill.
About 70 new parking spots opened up for students at the Rio Grande Campus. The Shoal Creek tennis courts located next to the AISD House Park and the Recreation Center have been turned into parking. The addition is only temporary. The spots will be available until spring of 2009.
As the technology age moves along swiftly, Austin Community College seems to be on a close pace behind it. One of the hot, new technology waves to hit the scene has been wireless Internet, or "Wi-Fi." Almost everywhere in cities across the nation wireless "hotspots" can be found.
Rio Grande area undergoes a facelift
During the next 18 months, students and faculty at ACustin Community College's Rio Grande Campus should be prepared to battle even more parking shortages - and a storm of dust. Several construction projects are slated for the area beginning this summer. The erection of an Austin Community College parking garage and the rennovation of the RGC gymnasium are part of a dual plan made possible by the ACC Board of Trustees' recent approval of $15 million and $12 million budgets, repectively.
Forum at RGC addresses most concerns
While the last half of the spring semester winds down at Austin Community College, design plans for a new parking garage at the Rio Grande Campus have been solidified. The garage, one of two construction projects at the campus, will contain 456 parking spaces - at a cost of nearly $33,000 per space.
Without a gallery of their own, the Art and Photography Department heads are waiting for ACC administrators to see the big picture
Walk through the front doors and into Austin Community College's Rio Grande Campus and you may not notice anything out of the ordinary. But when some students took a harder look around the entryway, they noticed the sculpted faces hanging in a display case that have long welcomed them in.
Austin Community College's newest campus, located at 1820 Stassney Lane, on the northeast corner of the junction of Manchaca Road and Stassney, began construction in March 2005. Today ACC's South Austin Campus (SAC) is a beautiful 86,000 square-foot edifice that provides its 2,300 students with three stories of state-of-the-art learning space.
Students concerned about dwindling parking spaces may not see an expansion this semester, but a recent report has indicated that numerous projects are being evaluated in the hopes of addressing the parking problems that have plagued various ACC campuses.
The city of Round Rock is now one checkmark closer to hosting its own Austin Community College campus. After an 11th hour effort galvanized enough support from the local community, the issue now goes before the ACC Board of Trustees at an Oct. 30 meeting - the last step before the issue reaches the voting booth.
When one thinks of old buildings, does the word "asbestos" come to mind? It might have crossed your mind as you walked through the halls in some of the older Austin Community College campuses. Currently, the Rio Grande Campus and Pinnacle Campus are the only two campuses that have asbestos containing materials (ACM).
Austin Community College is looking at constructing new campuses in Round Rock, San Marcos, and other surrounding communities after the release of consultant recommendations on how to properly meet state-mandated education initiatives. Priority areas are cities with low land costs and high-expected population growth.
Round Rock campus now in the hands of voters
On May 10, voters in the two-thirds of the Round Rock Independent School District not already in the Austin Community College taxing district will decide whether to be annexed by the college. Only one-third of RRISD is currently in-district because that part of RRISD is located in an Austin zip code.
The Rio Grande parking garage project is on schedule and in budget. The garage is scheduled to open in 2009 with 453 new parking spaces. Austin Community College is striving for a two star green rating from the city of Austin, and should be able to achieve it when the garage opens.
A building adjacent to the Rio Grande Campus parking lot is boarded up and unused. Nearby are dilapidated tennis courts and a makeshift skate park popular among local youth. The inside of the building is filled with graffiti and litter. Walking inside can be dangerous.
Due to the generosity of former graduate and Texas' latest millionaire, Lauren Esparza, Austin Community College will receive $2.5 million, if the school agrees to add a new language course. Imagine for a second you're Texas' latest jackpot winner. You've paid off your family and close friends' debt and you're back from a European dream vacation, what's a millionaire to do? "I've been able to take care of my family, my close friends and now I'm ready to give back to my community," said Esparza.
It is 7:45 a.m. The sun is rising. The dew is still coating the grass like a blanket. A dark-haired man pulls a six-iron from his bag, swings and hits the ball crisply onto the green. This is a beautiful day to play golf at Austin Community College. The long-renowned Riverside Golf Course (formerly the Austin Country Club) became home to something other than just golf when ACC took ownership in 1984.
The city of Austin is no stranger to growth, with a booming population that is only expected to rise in upcoming years. A sure sign of Austin's expansion can be found in its ever increasing downtown skyline, which looks more like Houston or Chicago with each passing day.
The official grand opening of Austin Community College's Cypress Creek Campus Building 2000 was held on March 2. The event was attended by a large group of campus employees, Cedar Park and Leander city officials, and the public. The crowd filled the new plaza that was created in between the new and old building.
SMCISD residents decide on May 13
Citizens of San Marcos may soon be paying in-district tuition at Austin Community College if a proposed annexation goes into effect. If passed, the immediate impact would be a reduction of tuition for more than 700 San Marcos residents who currently attend ACC, an increase of businesses in the area and a more educated workforce.
A recent study conducted at Austin Community College's Rio Grande Campus discovered substantial quantities of lead in the water supply. In some cases, the lead content exceeded by as much as three times the acceptable levels. A sampling taken on Dec. 19 from 79 water sources at RGC revealed nine sources where the water samples exceeded the action level of lead concentration.
The new three-story ACC campus, which will be opening in Fall 2006 at the intersection of Manchaca Road and Stassney Lane, will offer single occupancy unisex bathrooms, available to both male and female students, along with the traditional gender-specific bathrooms on every floor.
Pinnacle campus students who are used to hopping the curb to find parking in the non-paved parking area near the campus will have to start using the new parking lot addition instead. The dirt parking lots will be closed permanently beginning Sept. 26, eliminating 200-300 spaces.
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