Weekly Newsletter: Tuesday Is News Day

CLS Faculty Meeting, Wed. Aug 21, 10am-12pm

Join us tomorrow, Wednesday, August 21, 10am-12pm. 

Where: 

• RGC 1103 (Multi-media room)

• Zoom link: https://www.google.com/url?q=https://austincc.zoom.us/j/82108573260?pwd%3D1zan5n9leLgn5JUXipEZVhZEAOv2BJ.1&sa=D&source=calendar&ust=1724512209801478&usg=AOvVaw3Bs8Y35ZuhkXgRqCLiPQiN

Agenda: 

1. Approval of the Minutes 

2. New Hires (10:05, end)

3. Reminders for the Start of the Year: Join Voting Adjuncts, Mandatory PD to be added manually; No class on Nov. 8; Call for mentors (10:10, end); Call for Papers for Curriculum Conference in Spring; Amber Luttig Buondono for All-Adjunct Assembly

4. Grammar Summit, Dania Dwyer (10:13, end)

5. SWOT/Program Review, Carla Coleman (10:16 end)

6. Mental Health Hub and Programs, Jill Bosche (10:21, end)

7. Advising Note, Sharon Goh

8. Conversation about Academic Dishonesty Culture in CLS (10:30, end), Wendy Elle

9. Revitalizing the Major, Motion to Approve New Concentration (10:45), end, Theo Yurevitch

10. Pathways/Discovery Event (10:50, end) Theo Yurevitch

11. Faculty Evaluation (11:05, end) Beth Frye

12. INRW Update (11:10, end) Ursula Parker

13. LAG Update (11:15 end) Chris Berni

14. Honors Update (11:20) Anne Marie Thomas

15. What Our Committees and Programs  Are Doing (11:45 end)
    a) Adjunct hiring and onboarding, Jill Bosche
    b) Assessment, Rebekah Starnes
    c) Curriculum, Jenifer Hernandez
    d) Faculty Evaluation, Beth Frye
    e) Professional Development, Research, and Service, Dania Dwyer
    f) Textbooks & Technology, Amber Clontz
    g) Dual Credit and Discipline Assessment, Luanne Preston
    h) Dual Credit Liaisons, Chris Gardner, Sarah Stayton, Kari Conness 

16. CLS Profile, Wendy Elle

17. Thank you and Semester Start Letter to Come

Materials for Motion to Approve New Concentration

During the meeting, we'll vote to ratify the content and structure of three English Major Concentrations. In preparation for the vote, please review the documents linked below that describe each of the three concentrations:

Concentration in Honors English and Composition

Concentration in Multicultural Literature

Concentration in Popular Culture

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Syllabi Prep: Reminders and Resources

Campus Closures, Fall 2024

• ACC campuses will be closed on Monday September 2nd for Labor Day

• ACC campuses will be closed on Friday November 8th for General Assembly  

• ACC campuses will be closed on Monday November 11th for Veteran's Day

• ACC campuses will close at noon on Wednesday November 27th and will reopen Monday December 2nd.

Schedule Fall 2024 Library Visits Now!

From Jeremy Donald and Maria Ruelas in Library Services:

Dear ENGL 1301 faculty, 

Just an early and timely reminder to submit your requests for library instruction for the fall semester. Our faculty librarians will work hard to accommodate your first choice of date, and will be happy to customize our instruction to fit your needs.

To request a library instruction session by a faculty librarian, please fill out the form that matches your classroom location. A librarian will contact you to finalize details and arrangements.

ACC Campuses and Centers Form

High School Campuses Form

Reduce Student Reliance on AI

Chris Berni shared some amazing suggestions in Ways to Reduce Student Reliance on AI. Try one! 

Incorporate Black Poetry Into Your Classes!

Alana King shared these amazing resources from The Furious Flower Poetry Center at James Madison University: 

• Information about the Furious Flower Syllabus Project 

• Tons of resources from the Furious Flower Poetry Center

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Job Postings

Creative Writing Adjunct

from Prudence Arceneaux: 

Creative Writing job posting open-- Adjunct (R-5945, closing 1 September).

Many of you have MFAs or MAs with Creative Writing or PhDs in Creative Writing, and we'd like to see if you are a fit for the department! The goal with opening up this adjunct post (which, Full-timers, you would be in CW) and developing the adjunct pool is to give students a greater variety in learning experiences, with different voices and different approaches. If you are hired on as adjunct in CW, along with your teaching, you would be responsible for helping the department with assessment, and encouraged to help the department with events and tabling. You will also be responsible for a portfolio cycle in CW. This is an external posting.

OnRamps Writing Assessment Specialist

OnRamps at UT Austin is hiring part-time remote Writing Assessment Specialists to support OnRamps Rhetoric for the 2024-25 academic year.  Writing Assessment Specialists evaluate a total of eight major assignments, four each semester, and provide substantive written feedback. Contact jaime.babcock@austin.utexas.edu with questions.

• Compensation: Writing Assessment Specialists who successfully complete all assigned 2024-25 assessments, with an average grading load of 30 essays per assignment, generally start between $2,299 - $2,420 per year, including training and calibration. Each candidate can elect to request up to 80 students for additional compensation. All grading assignments are contingent upon student enrollment. 

• More details here: OnRamps Assessment Specialist

Coming Soon, HLC Learning Lab

Be on the lookout for a job posting from the HLC Learning Lab.  It's not clear if this will be an Instructional Associate or Tutor Specialist position, but either will be a half-time salaried appointment. Inquiries can go to Felix Barajas, Lab Manager. And thanks to Susan Meigs for the heads up!

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Call for Volunteers! 2025 Co-Req Summit 

We're in the process of building a Committee to Coordinate the 2025 Co-req Summit: Co-req Yo'Self before You Wreck Yo'Self!

Please contact Ursula Parker if you are interested in being on the committee to develop the 2025 Co-req Summit.

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Virtual Launch of ISSUED: Stories of Service, Aug 29, 5 pm

Arizona State University is hosting a virtual reading of military-inspired literature to launch ISSUED: Stories of Service. Our very own CLS faculty, Tonya Suther will be reading her poem "Why Would I Ever Throw It Out?"  Check out the event details and register to attend or read through ISSUED: Stories of Service, Vol. 2.  

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Host a Table at the All-Adjunct Assembly on Aug 29

Are you interested in representing the CLS department at the Adjunct Faculty Association's first-ever All-Adjunct Assembly?  

This would be a great opportunity to spread the word about CLS course offerings and events and potentially increase participation because adjuncts are in positions to refer students to courses within our department. Maybe you can even find some qualified instructors to join our adjunct ranks! 

Sign up to host a table here.  Contact Amber Luttig-Buonodono with questions.

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LAHC: Pathway Discovery Session - Call for Volunteers!

On Tuesday, September 10th from 10 AM-12:30 PM, the Liberal Arts Humanities: & Communications division will be hosting a Majors Fair at the Highland campus.

CLS is planning to have a big presence there to get students excited about the Liberal Arts generally and majoring in English specifically. What we do is up to us–and it can be up to you!

If you want to get involved with planning or attending (you can get PD hours!!!), or if you just have questions, please reach out to Theo Yurevitch!

(FROM WENDY: There will be candy and swag!) (AND A BOOK SWAP--Wait, Theo, did I speak too soon? Nah, I think we're going to have a BOOK SWAP!)

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Register for Teaching: The Spiritual Practice, deadline Sept. 16

Check out this Fall 2024 Faculty Interest Group (FIG), hosted by CLS faculty Amy Wink.  Teaching: The Spiritual Practice will explore teaching as a spiritual practice and "focus on how we come to understand our work as calling, what keeps us going, and how we can deepen our understanding of the inner meaning that fuels us." Click here for more details about Teaching: The Spiritual Practice. 

Time: 10:30-12:00 pm

Modality: Zoom (online synchronous)

Dates: September 20, October 11, November 15, December 6

Registration form: https://forms.gle/j2xUu8h6SDmsRg2Q6

Deadline to register: Sep 16, 2024 EOD. 

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Mental Health, PD Opportunities

We are so pleased to bring you two awesome professional development opportunities this fall! 

1) The Meditating Professor with Lupe Mendoza has been specifically geared toward CLS faculty to give you what you need to help build resilience in your students and yourself while promoting creativity in your classroom and your life. 2) Students come to us with some heavy stuff. We are not trained to deal with it. Emily is. Let her help you navigate choppy waters by attending Faculty Consultation sessions with Emily Olson. 

Click here to register for one or both opportunities now. 

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English Major Degree Audits

If you'd like to help our majors graduate on time, please volunteer to run a degree audit on one or two students who are near completion. It takes about 10 minutes. 

Email Theo Yurevitch to get the student names; he will get you onto the spreadsheet you need to be on and will assign you a student or two.

Basically, you get a student's ID, look up their transcripts, fill out the English AA audit form, and email the student, their advisor, and Wendy Elle or Theo Yurevitch the completed form. We have a template for the email to the student/advisor. So, the lion's share of the work is you + the audit form. Then copy, paste, attach, and send!

English Degree Audit Process

English Degree Audit Form

How to Access Student Transcripts - YouTube Video

The English Degree Audit Form - YouTube Video

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Become a CLS Mentor 

Quick Details about the Mentor Role: 

Mentor requirements:  Three years teaching at ACC; "very good" or "excellent" student evaluations. Complete online ACC mentor training.

Mentor stipend:  $200 per mentee per semester; an expectation of about 10 hours of contact with mentee, including in-person meeting (if possible) and optional classroom visit.

If you are interested in mentoring a new or returning CLS faculty member in the Fall 2024/Spring 2025 semesters, then please complete this I Want to Be a Mentor form.