Austin Community College Events: Dec. 16-22, 2019

AUSTIN, TX — Austin Community College (ACC) hosts a series of community events from December 16 through Dec. 22.

Events include:

• ACC delivers gifts through annual Giving Tree Program: ACC’s Giving Tree Program is an annual holiday event designed to connect faculty and staff with students in need who have young children. Students submit the names of their children along with a holiday wish list. Faculty and staff later collect the names and become a ‘secret Santa’ for the family. In recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Giving Tree program, the college hosts a series of Giving Tree parties for the student-parents and their children to pick up their surprise gifts. This year’s events also include visits with Santa and R.B. the Riverbat, holiday music and refreshments, and cookie decorating. The final Giving Tree party is Monday, December 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Eastview Campus, 3401 Webberville Rd..

• Two ACC nursing degree paths named best in Texas: NursingProcess.org — a leading online source for nursing education and career information — named ACC’s Registered Nursing program No. 7 in Texas, while the Vocational Nursing program was ranked No. 5 in Texas. The site analyzed 134 institutions based on academic quality, graduation rates, retention rate, and affordability. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects Texas will need more than 50,000 additional RNs to meet health care needs. For more information, visit the Nursing Program webpage.

• ACC closed for winter break: ACC will close for winter break beginning 5 p.m. Friday, December 20. Offices will reopen at 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 2. No weekly advisories will be sent out until Monday, Jan. 6.
• Spring registration remains open over winter break: Current and prospective students may continue to sign up for spring classes through the winter break. Students may view the spring course schedule and register for classes online at austincc.edu/spring. ACC offers 16-, 12-, and 8-week sessions. The college offers specialized support services for online and distance education students, including an online tutoring service to help reach students with limited access to campus. The spring semester begins Tuesday, Jan. 21.
• ACC Student Money Management celebrated with National Award: The Association of Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE) honored ACC’s Student Money Management Office with the 2019 Outstanding Financial Counseling or Planning Center Award. The award honors programs that exhibit evidence of widespread support of students through financial counseling, planning, and support materials. AFCPE recognized ACC’s financial services including a text messaging program, financial education workshop, and cost-saving measures. Data show ACC students saved more than $43,000 through the college’s incentivized savings program. For more information, visit austincc.edu/money.
• ACC students can sign up for the entire Adobe suite at minimal cost: ACC is the first and only community college designated as an Adobe Creative Cloud Campus. The recognition allows ACC students access to Adobe’s entire creative cloud including graphic design, video editing, and web development such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier Pro, and Spark for as little as $10 a semester. Employees also are given the suite to integrate the Adobe systems into cross-disciplinary curricula. For more information, visit austincc.edu/adobe.
• Applications now accepted for ACC Honors Program: New and current students may apply now for the spring 2019 Honors program. The program provides preparation for university-level work. Classes include an emphasis on research, collaboration, interdisciplinary projects, and letters of recommendation from Honors professors. For more information about the ACC Honors Program, visit austincc.edu/honors.

For more information, visit austincc.edu.

About ACC

Austin Community College is a nationally recognized two-year college serving Central Texas. ACC is focused on student success and providing affordable, flexible pathways to help students reach their education goals, learn new job skills, or advance their career. The college currently enrolls more than 70,000 students annually.