Austin Community College Fall Graduation Class Hits Record Level

AUSTIN, TX — The upcoming Austin Community College fall graduation ceremony on Saturday will showcase a record number of graduates, officials said.

The 2020 commencement — slated to take place virtually given the continued need for physical distancing amid the coronavirus — will showcase 3,400 graduates, district officials said in an advisory. That's up nearly 50 percent over the past three years, and follows the district's record-setting spring commencement this past May in which more than 2,900 students were invited to participate.

“This has been an extraordinary year. Even though we can’t be in person, it’s important we take the time to honor the dedication and commitment our students have accomplished,” Dr. Richard Rhodes, the district's chancellor, said in a prepared statement. “I am proud and humbled to celebrate all their successes. The work and perseverance of this class embodies what it means to be a Riverbat.”

The virtual celebration honors those who have completed an associate degree, certificate, or high school equivalency program. School officials said the college will provide every graduate with a personal profile to celebrate their accomplishments. Graduates also will have a platform to enjoy a communal moment through social media with personalized ACC commencement filters and frames.

The virtual event will kick off with a pre-show celebration and includes special videos and messages to graduates and their families and friends from Austin Community College faculty, staff, and members of the community. In addition to Rhodes, speakers include the college district's Board of Trustees Chair Gig Edwards Bryant. Sen. Kirk Watson is scheduled to deliver the keynote address.

“I am the president of the ACC fan club,” Watson said during a previous visit to the college. “I see the value it places on changing lives, and I see firsthand the fact that it is in fact changing those lives. This is something that we as a community can wrap our arms around.”

For more information about ACC’s 2020 virtual commencement celebration or to view the live stream, visit the ACC 2020 Virtual Commencement Celebration.