Austin Community College Breaks Ground on New Round Rock Campus

Round Rock will soon be home to a new $119 million Austin Community College District campus.  According to Austin Biz Journals, the college broke ground on the new campus recently and will expects to be open to students by 2010.

The new campus, which will be able to serve 11,500 students, will cover approximately 600,000 square feet.  The building, on the other hand, will cover 275,000 square feet.  This building will include both classroom and administrative space.  In addition to housing traditional classrooms, it will also be home to science labs as well as several specialized facilities that are designed to assist students with getting into the workforce. Some of these will include renewable energy facilities and automotive technology facilities.

"We are working closely with the community to ensure citizens have affordable access to high-quality higher education and training programs to help them pursue successful careers," Stephen B. Kinslow, the ACC President and CEO, was reported as saying in Austin Biz Journals.

Among the many programs being offered at the new campus is a nursing program, which will allow students to earn an associate degree in the field. 

Round Rock residents have many reasons to be excited about the construction of the new campus.  Not only does the construction offer employment opportunities to residents while also making it easier for them to advance their careers or start a new one, residents will also be able to pay a low tuition of $39 per hour.  This was made possible when the Round Rock Independent School District joined the Austin Community College tax district on May 10.

"We've seen phenomenal growth among Round Rock students since voters approved the Annexation," Kinslow is reported as saying.  "Spring enrollments are up 54% over last year for students residing in Round Rock."