Central Texas News

Austin Community College District (ACC) announces updates to its health and safety protocols, after the Board of Trustees authorized the Chancellor the flexibility to increase or decrease COVID-19 health and safety measures of ACC students, employees, and anyone coming to an ACC campus. The authorization allows ACC’s administration to respond more readily to the current health situation.

“These decisions do not come lightly. We have convened with health experts, discussed among our Emergency Operations Center, and weighed the feedback of our Return to Campus Committee — a cross-section of representatives across the college — to learn more and explore what changes make sense for our community,” says Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC Chancellor. “A lot has changed in our region. Case numbers are down. Austin-Travis County is now in Stage 2 guidelines. Nationally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) revised its face-mask guidance. The CDC now recommends indoor masking for all only in communities at a high-risk level for COVID-19. We want to be able to respond to these developments more readily, and our Trustees stand by this approach.”

Changes to the college's health and safety protocols will begin Monday, March 21, and include the following:

• Face masks will be optional.
• The college’s Appian health screening app will remain available to everyone who visits campus but will not be required.
• Health Liaisons will continue to be available on campus. 
• ACC will expand access to events and activities that are hosted by the college on campuses and centers. Access will be restricted to outside groups.
• Any employee who has a qualifying medical condition or disability and needs to request an accommodation in order to complete their essential duties is encouraged to submit an ADA accommodation request.

To date, ACC has had no reported cases of COVID-19 transmitted on our campuses or centers. The college will continue to monitor what’s happening in the community and will work to align risk levels with health and safety measures to quickly adjust our protocols as needed.  

ACC does not require students, employees, or visitors on campus to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but does encourage everyone to be vaccinated if they’re eligible. The college continues to host vaccination clinics, All clinics are walk-up and available on a first-come, first-served basis unless otherwise noted. To view the schedule and/or make an appointment, visit austincc.edu/vaccinations.

ACC continues to closely monitor the regional COVID-19 impacts across the district. Updates and more details are posted on the college’s COVID-19 informational website at austincc.edu/coronavirus.