ACC enrollment grows in Cedar Park, Leander, Round Rock

ACC enrollment grows in Cedar Park, Leander, Round Rock

By Joseph M. de Leon Friday, 19 June 2009

Students will find the same classes and quality of instruction that is available during weekdays. Adding weekend courses has allowed the college to accommodate a growing student population without adding new buildings.

Cypress Creek campus of Austin Community College
By the numbers
Enrollment at ACC - Cypress Creek has risen about 26 percent in two years; about 29 percent more students at Leander Center attended class in 2008 than in 2007.
	Cypress Creek	Leander Center
Fall 2006	3,402	N/A
Fall 2007	3,919	100
Fall 2008	4,298	129

Enrollment at the Cypress Creek campus has risen about 26 percent in two years, from 3,402 students in fall 2006 to 4,298 for the 2008 fall semester.

Brette Lea, a spokeswoman for the college, said the campus would consider adding more courses if the budget allows.

“Student response has been strong, and a Leander ISD counselor noted that weekend college has provided more flexibility for Early College Start students,” Lea said.

The weekend schedule is based on classes that students usually pick.

Previous research showed a growing interest in core curriculum classes, such as science, math and English courses, which are transferable to other institutions of higher education.

While enrollment is expected to continue to climb and more course offerings are on the horizon, officials have not planned any classroom expansions.

To accommodate growth, administrators increased the number of science labs so students can choose from more anatomy and physiology classes. That will also allow the addition of physics, organic chemistry and geology courses later this year. Expansion north of Austin remains a part of the college’s long-term master plan. ACC plans to develop a campus in Leander, but there is no timeline or plan to break ground there.

But that does not mean students in Leander cannot attend ACC classes in their town. Students at Leander Center, located in Leander High School, may enroll in allied health science, art, computer science, U.S. government and psychology classes.

Enrollment at the Leander Center increased 29 percent year over year. In 2008, 129 students enrolled for the fall semester, compared to 100 students who enrolled in fall 2007.

Even though officials predict enrollment at Leander Center will keep increasing, they remain uncertain when construction on a Leander campus will begin. Officials have focused on other construction projects, including a parking garage expected to open this fall at the Rio Grande campus.

College leaders have expressed interest in acquiring property in Leander that would be developed sometime in the long-term future, a practice often called land banking. The master plan also calls for land to be banked in Manor and Bastrop.

Last year, the Austin Community College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to move forward with negotiations to buy between 50 and 100 acres in Leander. Land of that size would accommodate growth and future parking. The board received several proposals of a sale and/or donation of land, but officials have not reported any progress.

The college expects a campus in Round Rock to open next year that will offer residents of Cedar Park, Leander and surrounding areas access to vocational training, such as automotive technology, heating, air and refrigeration technology, welding, surgical technology, sonography, and similar programs.

“The opening of the Round Rock campus in 2010 will provide Leander ISD and other Williamson County residents with more convenient access to high-demand workforce programs,” Lea said.