The Austin Community College District (ACC) Board of Trustees met for its regular meeting on Monday, April 1. During the meeting, trustees made a historic vote to approve the ACC Free Tuition pilot program. More information and additional highlights from the meeting are below.
Adoption of 2024/25 Tuition and Fees
The Board of Trustees unanimously approved maintaining tuition and fee rates for the 2024-25 academic year. This marks the 11th consecutive year tuition and fees remain unchanged at ACC. The approved rates go into effect for the fall semester. In-district students at ACC will continue to pay $67 for tuition—with fees, it comes to $85 per credit hour.
College Affordability Program
After months of discussion and planning, the ACC Board of Trustees approved a bold proposal to offer FREE tuition and general fees to high school graduates and GED® completers—starting first with the class of 2024. The ACC Free Tuition Pilot Program—also known as the College Affordability Plan—is a five-year pilot that will offer free tuition and general fees for high school seniors, including public, private, charter, and homeschoolers, and GED® completers who live in the ACC service area.
Read more about the pilot program here.
Comprehensive Analysis Job Classification and Compensation Structure
Trustees approved the administration’s negotiation and execution of a contract to analyze ACC’s job classification and compensation structures for staff. The comprehensive analysis will help the college develop a plan of action and provide guidance on topics like employee job descriptions, job family and reporting structures, employment qualifications, and compensation philosophy and practices.
Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice
In an 8-to-1 vote, the board approved a new Associate of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice. The new program was developed in response to workforce demands to provide a clear transfer pathway to a baccalaureate degree. The degree was developed in partnership with primary transfer institutions to ensure that all classes will transfer and apply to a baccalaureate degree at the receiving institutions. Criminal Justice courses also will be offered as dual credit in area high schools.
Read more about the program here.
Work Session Includes College Affordability Proposal and Strategic Plan
During a work session before the regular board meeting, the ACC Board of Trustees discussed several topics related to student success.
Dr. Mary Harris, Institutional Effectiveness & Grant Development Vice Chancellor, provided the board with an update on the next steps for the new Strategic Plan. The Chancellor requested the new Strategic Plan align directly with the Theory of Change. The next steps include including language related to the Theory of Change, approval from the board, implementation steering team, and a fall 2024 implementation.
The Chancellor invited leaders from the seven steering committees involved in the Free Tuition program to speak. Each provided an update on their team’s work and the program’s next steps. There are currently 125 members across seven different workgroups.
Board Approves Series of Contracts
The board unanimously approved multiple contracts. First, the board authorized college administration to execute a contract for districtwide Adobe Software Licenses. The contract provides the full Adobe Creative Cloud Suite to all ACC faculty, staff, and students in certain programs.
The second allows the college to execute a contract for tree-trimming services on an as-needed basis for all campuses across the district.
Another contract will allow the college to negotiate a contract with Sequel Data Systems for current security and network assessment. It will support ACC’s Data Center managed services and related buildout work. Over the next 12 months, the college will upgrade and modernize its data centers, including enhancing security.
Finally, the board approved allowing the college to move forward with contracts for Indefinite Delivery and Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) for Districtwide Mechanical Maintenance. The contracts are for qualified mechanical maintenance service firms for ACC’s Building and Maintenance department’s districtwide repairs and maintenance of existing mechanical systems, like HVAC, as needed.
View all recordings from the meeting here.
Tags: Board, Board of Trustees, Board Recap, College Affordability, Criminal Justice, New degree, Strategic Plan, tuition and fees
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