{"id":1106,"date":"2025-07-15T14:14:15","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T14:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/chancellor\/?p=1106"},"modified":"2025-07-17T14:14:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T14:14:56","slug":"message-from-the-chancellor-a-reminder-of-campus-protocols-update-on-federal-funding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/chancellor\/news-and-updates\/message-from-the-chancellor-a-reminder-of-campus-protocols-update-on-federal-funding\/","title":{"rendered":"Message from the Chancellor: A Reminder of Campus Protocols &amp; Update on Federal Funding"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dear Colleagues,<\/p>\n<p>A few months ago, new federal executive orders impacting immigration enforcement went into effect. More recently, we saw changes to federal funding that impact colleges and universities. As we prepare to start a new semester, I want to remind you of our safety and security protocols\u2014especially as it relates to immigration\u2014and share updates with you on those federal funds.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Safety &amp; Security Protocols<br \/><\/strong>The new order allows immigration officers to come to campus without advance notice. While it is unlikely these officers will appear unannounced, I don\u2019t want you to feel alarmed or alone if it <em>does<\/em> happen.<\/p>\n<p>Our College leadership and ACC Police will step in to manage the situation and ensure our protocols are followed. You won\u2019t be asked to handle this alone. Here is what you should do if an officer shows up at your classroom, office, or campus:<\/p>\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Remain calm and stay where you are.<\/li>\n<li>Politely ask the officer to wait.<\/li>\n<li>Immediately call the Chancellor\u2019s Office at 512-223-7598.<\/li>\n<li>Continue doing your work as usual.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Our police will join the immigration officers and will notify you of the next steps if needed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>ACC is\u2014and will remain\u2014a safe, welcoming, and inclusive institution for our students, our employees, and our community. We will continue to follow the law. This process helps us do our work while protecting the rights and privacy of everyone.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Federal Funding<br \/><\/strong>A new U.S. budget bill recently passed. It includes changes to Pell Grants, federal student loan programs\u2014including repayment and forgiveness initiatives\u2014and other federal grant opportunities that support workforce and student success initiatives. There may also be funding reductions to adult education and literacy programs.<\/p>\n<p>We are working to understand the full implications of these changes. Our Financial Aid team is evaluating support resources for students who may be impacted, and our Adult Education team is working to figure out the best next steps forward.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>There are still too many unknowns right now, but I promise we will navigate this together with love and transparency. I\u2019ll keep you updated as we learn more. Thank you for your continued service and for the care you show our students and each other.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Much love,<br \/>russell<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart<br \/>Chancellor<br \/>Austin Community&nbsp;College&nbsp;District<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dear Colleagues, A few months ago, new federal executive orders impacting immigration enforcement went into effect. More recently, we saw changes to federal funding that impact colleges and universities. As we prepare to start a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/chancellor\/news-and-updates\/message-from-the-chancellor-a-reminder-of-campus-protocols-update-on-federal-funding\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-and-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/chancellor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/chancellor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/chancellor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/chancellor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/chancellor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/chancellor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1106\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/chancellor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/chancellor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/chancellor\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}