American Campus Communities 2023 Year in Review: Top 10 Stories of Industry Leadership and Recognition

Our key wins include awards, new leadership and lots of giving back

To recap 2023, American Campus Communities is taking a look back at some of the biggest stories and accomplishments we’ve shared this year. Today our focus is on how our company and team members are having a positive impact on our industry and our communities.

It all starts with cultivating an exceptional work environment where team members are inspired to do their best. And this year we continued to receive top national awards recognizing this commitment. As our CEO Rob Palleschi said when we earned the Great Place to Work designation: 

“Our people are our strength. Day in and day out, our staff continues to bring the same level of enthusiasm and commitment to creating an exceptional live-learn environment for college students across the nation.” 

Here are 10 wins we’re particularly proud of. While they’re numbered, they’re all #1 in our book.

1. American Campus Communities Named One Of Newsweek’s Most Trustworthy Companies In America For Second Year

   ACC ranked number four in the real estate category of this prestigious and highly competitive award, which is based on a comprehensive assessment of our commitment to exceptional value, customer service, industry innovation, and superior organizational leadership.

2. American Campus Communities Implements Succession Plan

   Rob Palleschi, who most recently served as the CEO of G6 Hospitality, joined ACC on Jan. 17, 2023, as our new CEO. Bill Bayless, ACC’s co-founder and CEO, transitioned to the role of vice chair and then retired from ACC in 2023. 

3. American Campus Communities Earns 2023 Great Places To Work Certification

   ACC is proud to be Certified™ by Great Places to Work® for the third year in a row. The prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at ACC. This year, 90% of employees said it’s a great place to work compared to 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company.

4. American Campus Communities To Preserve Austin's Iconic Hi, How Are You Mural

   When ACC purchased the Goodall Wooten, we committed to preserving Daniel Johnston’s famous “Hi How Are You” mural of Jeremiah the Innocent on the side of the building. The artwork is not only an important part of Austin history but also a reminder of the importance of creating open dialogues around mental health–which we’re doing in partnership with the Hi, How Are You Project.

5. American Campus Communities Named Among Globe St.’s 2023 Best Places To Work

   ACC earned this distinction for our prioritization of employee well-being and satisfaction. This includes exceptional attentiveness to staff success, modeling transparent communication practices, and implementing thoughtful employee engagement programming.

6. College Student Mental Wellness Advocacy Coalition Launches Second Annual Survey to 800,000 Students

   The largest college student questionnaire of its kind will provide benchmarking for the 2024 Thriving College Students Index Report. ACC launched the Mental Health Wellness Advocacy Coalition in 2022 with our partners at Hi, How Are You Project, and the results of the first survey were released in January 2023.

7. American Campus Communities Presented With Four Innovator Awards At Annual Student Housing Business InterFace Conference

   In 2023, Student Housing Business Magazine recognized the excellence of ACC’s on-campus communities. 55H at Georgetown University won On-Campus Best Architecture and On-Campus Best Use of Green & Sustainable Construction/Development. Disney’s Flamingo Crossings Village won On-Campus Best Implementation of Mixed-Use/Live-Learn. And University of California, Riverside, North District won On-Campus Best New Development.

8. American Campus Communities Publishes 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance Report

   We used data to set new ESG goals, such as reducing emissions by 15% over the next 3 years. Our 2022 highlights included continuing to lead the student housing industry in green building, with 39 projects that are LEED-certified and another six that are tracking LEED certification.

9. American Campus Communities Makes Fortune Best Workplaces In Real Estate List For Second Year In A Row

   Fortune Best Workplaces in Real Estate™ List is based on an analysis of survey responses from over 27,000 employees from Great Place To Work Certified™ companies in the real estate industry. ACC team members’ responses put our company on this prestigious and highly competitive list.

10. Honoring Our Veterans By Supporting Their Children’s Education

    At the Florida State University v. Miami football game on Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11, 2023), American Campus Communities and Folds of Honor took the field to award $5,000 scholarships to five FSU students. Through our partnership with Folds of Honor, over the last six years ACC has awarded $150,000 in scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service members.

See ACC’s News & Insights for all of our 2023 stories and announcements.