Leander Higher Education

Leander Higher Education

Written by Christi Snow Wednesday, 07 February 2007

Of Leander’s 21,000 residents, 26 percent have a four-year or advanced college degree, according to City Council Member Vic Villarreal. He wants that percentage to increase—and soon.

During the last year, Villarreal, with the support and help of the council and city, compiled a study of 432 participants responding to the possibility of a local higher education facility. This month he reported his findings to Austin Community College’s board of trustees, asking them for the second time to build a campus in Leander.

“I have no doubt in about ten to 15 years our population [increase] will make sure we get this, but if we can speed up the process by a decade then that would be wonderful,” he said.

He first pitched the idea of a local campus in November 2005, but the ACC president and board of trustees responded by asking for more research and a survey of the community.

Community Expectations

Villarreal solicited the help of people like Leander’s Economic Development Director Kirk Clennan and Mayor John Cowman. They distributed surveys to the library, high school and city offices. Villarreal found the results supported his cause.

If residents could stay in Leander, 79 percent said they would enroll in either the first two years, final two years or professional workforce training courses. He also found the length of commute provided the biggest obstacle for residents wanting to further their education.

ACC has more than a decade of history with the city. In 1985, the Leander Independent School District was the first school district to become a part of the college’s taxing jurisdiction through annexation. Residents pay additional taxes, and in return, receive cheaper classes in the college’s two-year programs.

“We have already paid millions of dollars to ACC,” Villarreal said. “We have paid our dues.”

During the early years of the LISD and ACC partnership, the college offered classes in the high school and resumed offering classes this spring semester to help gauge local interest.

Villarreal, who is also an ACC adjunct professor of business and management, believes the courses are just the initial step toward increasing higher education opportunities in Leander.

The Competition

Although the college is quick to express their appreciation of Leander’s past support, they have not made any promises.

“Our future is determined by our Master Plan, and the plan does include expansion of higher education services in Williamson County, but we don’t know where that will be in the county,” Veronica Obregon, public information and college marketing spokesman for ACC, said. “It will be up to the board [of trustees] to decide.”

Round Rock also has worked in recent years to expand their higher education services, but Villarreal argues the region west of IH 35 has a greater need for a major campus. He notes the eastern length of the interstate has Southwestern University, Temple College in Taylor and the Round Rock Higher Education Center, while his side of the highway can only claim ACC’s Cypress Creek Campus in Cedar Park.

Cypress Creek’s proximity is the only reason Villarreal sees for ACC not building in Leander. The college recently finished spending $25 million at the campus, which more than doubles its space with an additional 70,000 sq. ft.

However, Villarreal believes Leander and the outlying areas will soon require more service. Because of heavy traffic, it takes him 40 minutes to drive from Leander to the campus. The state projects that by 2025, Leander will have more than 160,000 people living within the city limits. That is why LISD Superintendent Tom Glenn also believes a Leander campus should be a priority.

“If you look at the demographer’s report for the northern part of the district, it’s basically going to explode in the next 10 years,” he said. “ACC is doing a wonderful job at Cypress Creek, but I think we need more space and another campus.”

Ideally, a 100-acre site would support an emphasis in biotech and business courses, according to Villarreal. Although ACC would find its own location, he thinks the city’s planned transit-oriented development would be a good area because of the rail and bus lines, which will connect Leander to Austin.

Council Initiative

“ACC would be a catalyst for the TOD. They will spur more business. Companies will have a source of qualified labor. Education equals economic vitality. There are so many models that prove that.” — Vic Villarreal, Leander City Councilman

By the Numbers

• 1/3 of all high school respondents intend to enroll at Austin Community College
• 97 percent of respondents would take classes in Leander if an institution were in the city
• 55 percent of respondents cited the commute as the biggest challenge to furthering their education

Statistics taken from a Higher Education Needs Survey and Education Gap Analysis

Austin Community College: Cypress Creek Campus Expansion

Overview

The project adds 70,000 sq. ft. of classroom and support space to the campus, more than doubling its size. The new building houses the student welcome center, administration, learning labs, library, computer labs, science labs, faculty offices and classrooms.

• Location: 1555 Cypress Creek Road, Cedar Park
• Budget: $25 million, included in a $99 million general-obligation bond referendum approved by voters in 2003
• Construction: August 2005 - Summer 2007

ACC Tuition Rates

• In district (pay ACC tax) - $39 per hour
• Out of district (does not pay ACC tax) - $110 per hour

Highlights

• Increased space for computer labs, both scheduled and open access, testing center, art studio, nursing lab, IVC classroom, library, student services and student activities
• All classrooms have state-of-the art multimedia teaching stations
• Wireless Internet access across campus
• A new multi purpose room for instructional use and special events
• Future expansion possible on current tract and adjacent acreage
• Expanded workforce and university transfer programs:
  • Anthropology
  • Criminal Justice
  • Geology
  • Kinesiology
  • Nursing
  • Physics
  • Teacher Education