The Austin Community College District's Board of Trustees held a dual session on July 1—both a work session and its regular meeting—at Highland Campus, looking to make moves that impact faculty, students, and facilities. In a significant financial shift, the trustees unanimously approved a budget exceeding $500 million for the 2024-25 year. This budget outlines a 4.5% salary increase for all employees and raises the minimum wage at the college to $23 per hour. Further cementing its commitment to affordability, ACC continues to maintain its tuition and fees stable—unchanged for the 11th year in a row, as decided previously in April.
In response to a new initiative, the ACC Board of Trustees also greenlit the Affordability Scholarship program, which promises to cover the cost of tuition for 15 credit hours toward a student's first associate degree program. The program targets students enrolled during the spring 2024 semester, coinciding with the approval of the Free Tuition Pilot Program, and requires them to complete at least 45 credit hours at ACC to qualify. Unanimously approved, this initiative symbolizes a step toward alleviating financial burdens and encouraging degree completion.
Updates to the college's infrastructure were also on the agenda, with the trustees nodding through a contract with TK Elevator Corporation for modernization of the elevators at the Highland Business Center. The project is estimated to come with a $680,000 price tag. Additionally, trustees have pushed forward with significant policy revisions, specifically concerning the college’s free speech guidelines. Stirred by Executive Order 44 from the Texas Governor, these revisions include a composed response to antisemitism and amendments aiming to uphold and clarify the principles of freedom from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation on campus.
Special moments also arose during the meeting, with a showcase from ACC’s Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS). Their participation in the 2024 Spaceport America Cup marked the college's footprint on the international stage. With gratitude, the students recognized the support from ACC’s leadership and departments, instrumental in their ability to compete against top-tier institutions worldwide. The student's rocket, an impressive construct standing over 8 feet tall and weighing 22.5 pounds, is slated to be featured in the ACC Make It Center at Highland, a beacon aiming to inspire the upcoming generations of students.
