The Austin Community College District (ACC) Board of Trustees approved the 2021 state legislative priorities during its regular board meeting Monday, January 11.

All policy initiatives are in line with ACC’s mission to promote student success and community development through accessible and affordable education and workforce training for our service area. Priorities for the 87th Texas Legislative Session include:

Funding

ACC’s legislative priorities mirror those of the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC) and include a flat funding request from the legislature. ACC also endorsed a special item in the state budget to help fund workforce programs targeted to people who have been displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic. This would be a $50 million statewide initiative ($1 million per college district). The overall ACC and TACC 2021 budget request will move some money around, increasing funding tied to success points and core operations while reducing funding from contact hours.

Baccalaureate Degree Expansion

ACC is planning to ask the legislature for the ability to offer more than three baccalaureate degrees. The college currently offers two bachelor’s degrees — in Nursing and Information Technology — and is planning its third applied baccalaureate degree for Manufacturing. The new proposal would allow qualified community colleges that can demonstrate critical workforce needs in their regions the opportunity to offer more than three applied baccalaureate degrees.

The federal legislative priorities will be discussed during the February 2021 board meeting.

For more information about ACC's public-policy agenda, contact Dr. Molly Beth Malcolm, ACC Campus Operations and Public Affairs executive vice president, at 512-223-7638 or Chris Cervini, ACC Community and Public Affairs associate vice president, at 512-223-7619 or chris.cervini@austincc.edu.