Session One

DESCRIPTION: Access to courses and programs at ACC is everyone's responsibility. Learn about the benefits of following universal design principles, the challenges students face when materials aren't accessible and how to start thinking about access and equity as you plan your courses or events.

Participants will gain an understanding of how access and equity benefit all students, universal design, and what responsibilities lie with them.

PRESENTERS: Dr. Lauren Sebel, Director of Student Accessibility Services; Ginger Bennett, Director of Interpreter Services

DESCRIPTION: Netiquette, the correct or acceptable way of communicating on the internet, was once something only needed for online chat rooms and web-based social settings. However, since the dawn of text-centric communication and, more recently, the forced virtual world of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we find ourselves relearning how to connect and build relationships with our students. While effective student communication has always been an evolving issue, more than ever before we are faced with the challenge to engage our students through chat, phone calls, and video meetings without having them physically present in our offices.

Have you found yourself annoyed, or confused, by that emoji in your student’s email? Do they email back and forth with you as if it were a text message? Participants in this session will explore examples of online student communication styles and will be asked to examine how their own communication style comes across to their students online. Then, they will consider the question, “Does professionalism outweigh the need for personality when we communicate virtually with students?”

By engaging our students with proper netiquette and making a few tweaks to the way we interact with them, we can build relationships that are more personal while also exemplifying professionalism in communication.

PRESENTER: Jana McCarthy, Master Advising Specialist, Student Affairs

DESCRIPTION: Our 3Cs - Collaboration, Connection, and Caring, all have something in common - communication! As an employee, it’s important to stay informed, seek information, and most importantly, share what you know!

In this session, participants will be connected to key communications channels at the college, easy tools and resources to help disseminate knowledge, and productive techniques that contribute to the conversation at ACC.

Participant Benefits:

• Get acquainted with key communication channels

• Learn easy tools for disseminating your news

• Plug into the conversation at ACC

PRESENTERS: Courtney Grams, Director of Faculty Communications; Ana Rummer, Director of Student Affairs Communications; Jessica Vess, AVC of College Relations & Communications