Austin Community College (Round Rock, Lakeway, Leander: appointed, credit, transferring to)

[cjbailey]

If we relocate from Michigan this summer I have a senior who may be coming with us. She would probably need to go at least 1 year to ACC before enrolling in a 4 year university, is that a common program there in Texas?

If we are living in Lakeway, are there ACC campuses within a reasonable distance?

[brubaker]

Let me google that for you.



But seriously, um, I did...just google it for you :

Find a Campus Near You!
University of Texas - Austin
UT Transfer Guides:
ACC/UT Transfer Guides

I would think only one year before transferring would not be common. Most
people I know that go to ACC are there as long as they can be...to avoid the steep UT tuition costs when they do transfer.

[cjbailey]

Thanks for the info. I was not being lazy and have Googled it all, however, not living there it is hard to judge commute distances (not knowing best routes, traffic,etc) and details that residents are aware of.

Even when visiting last year, the most common answer I got from locals as to how long will it take me to go.......? The answer was consistently "20 minutes".

[Trainwreck20]

How far to ACC can be short or long, and not all classes are offered at every campus. There are more and more people that are taking a year at CC before transferring into a major institution, although 2 years used to be the norm.

[HappyTexan]

Lots are doing just the 1 year to get residency qualified. IMO the 2 year is fine and then transfer. Texas has standardized the basic core classes and has a common course system.
ACC has many transfer agreements and has a list of classes needed for transfer to various universities and also major undergrad requirements. Very extensive for a community college.
You can start off knowing exactly what classes are needed at the CC level to move on to a university later on.
U.S. Universities

They work both way..UT has a bunch of transfer guides for ACC students too.
ACC/UT Transfer Guides

[cjbailey]

Thank you so much for your kind responses. There's lots of research to be done yet on the CC credits that transfer to full universities.

[texastea]

Also note that tuition is cheaper if you live "in-district":

In-district students –

residents are considered in-district based on their address on file at ACC by the residency change deadline published in the course schedule if their address:

is in the Austin, Del Valle, Leander, Manor, or Round Rock independent school districts; or
pays City of Austin taxes. Property owners and their dependents living in Texas but outside the ACC tax district who own property in-district and pay taxes supporting ACC may be eligible for in-district tuition. A current property tax statement and dependency documents are required for verification each semester of enrollment. Property owners on most temporary visas are not eligible for in-district classification. All P.O. Boxes are out-of-district.

[G Grasshopper]

I have looked at the ACC offerings, and see the course catalog supports new college students and offers classes aimed at qualifying adults for many occupations, but I am disappointed in the Biology and Geology departments. I was hoping for classes to orient to the flora, fauna and geology of Texas. I see one class on native plants, but no herpetology, or other animal studies, local geology (which has to be extremely interesting) or local ecological studies. Any suggestions? I will be living in Lakeway, and am not too interested in driving all the way to UT, nor in paying the high tuition of regular courses there. That's why I was hoping for a community college for learning about the local environment.

[HappyTexan]

G Grasshopper, you might try the Ag Extension office.
Sounds like the Master Gardner course might be right up your alley !

Aggie Horticulture
Texas County Extension Offices
Texas Master Gardener

Here's both Travis and Williamson county sites:
http://www.tcmastergardeners.org/
http://grovesite.com/page.asp?o=mg&s=wcmg&p=222791

[TexasHorseLady]

My daughter (now doing GIS) actually discovered her passion for geology via the ACC geology offerings, so they may be better than you're thinking from looking at the catalog. I know while at ACC she took several field trips around the area to study the local geology. She ended up transferring to UT in the Geography department (thus the GIS connection), but taking UT courses in geology.

For local plants, the suggestions above are great, and you might also want to simply go to The Natural Gardener in Oak Hill and tell them, "I'm new here. Help me!" and they will.

Also, for the other items on your list, go to the Austin Nature Center in Zilker Park. I have a friend who works there and they have lots of offerings on such things.