In December of 1978, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), the regional accrediting agency, extended full accreditation to Austin Community College. Now all courses taken by ACC’s more than 12,000 students would be recognized by all other institutions belonging to the Southern Association. Full accreditation also gave the College credibility within the city, state, and nation.
Dr. Cecil Groves
At the start of the year, ACC’s new president, Dr. Cecil Groves (1977-83), had delivered a “State of the College” address to a general assembly of faculty and staff. Groves challenged everyone associated with the school to meet five goals. Number one on the list was gaining full SACS accreditation. Since the College’s founding five years earlier, accreditation had been provisional, which was standard for new schools. ACC had been given five years to prove that it measured up to SACS standards for acceptable teaching and learning. Groves declared that Austin Community College had moved beyond “survival status.” Now it was “here to stay.” And full accreditation went a long way toward establishing the school’s credibility.
But another huge challenge loomed: meeting the growing demand for classes. Student enrollment had grown an average of 20 percent each year since its inception; yet, the College still owned only two full-time campuses, both of which desperately needed renovation.