Weekly Newsletter: Tuesday Is News Day

CLS Quick Links

CLS Evaluation Materials

2025-2026 Evaluation Deadlines Full Calendar

Academic Year 2025-2026 Collection Form

This form is created and maintained by the Assistant Department Chair for CLS's Evaluation Committee (Beth Frye).  Use this form to submit syllabi, Faculty Reflection Forms, and self-reported mandatory training for Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026. 

Submit Syllabi by the second week of classes (varies by session; Sept. 5, 2025 for 16 week)

Submit Faculty Reflection Forms (Jan 30, 2026; Jun 12, 2026; Sept 4, 2026)

Submit self-reported Mandatory training (May 29, 2026)

CLS K.I.S.S Spreadsheet

CLS K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Sweetheart) 

This spreadsheet allows CLS faculty to see and understand all required professional development tasks as well as several optional PD opportunities.  

CLS Faculty Handbook

CLS Faculty Handbook

The Faculty Handbook can answer many questions about CLS policy, staffing, evaluation, and more! Plus, you can find instructions for badge requests and grade changes.  The easiest way to navigate the CLS Faculty Handbook is the search field.  Look for the magnifying glass 🔍in the upper right corner of the homepage and type your keyword (badge request or change eligibility).

Conference Travel Request Form

LAHC Travel Expense Request 

File this Travel Expense Request with the LAHC Dean's office to request money for upcoming conference travel and attendance.  

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Wendy - Out of Office

Just a heads-up that I am out of the office for a few days next week (10/13, 10/14, half of 10/15 and 10/17). But never fear! We have you covered!

Contact Anja Ketcham or Aaron Lahon @ CLS-office@austincc.edu for substitute requests

Contact Anja Ketcham for staffing, newsletter additions and general department requests @ CLS-office@austincc.edu

Meagan Hoff will take on the newsletter next week

Theo Yurevitch for any complaints and schedule changes

Grade changes, absences, expense reports, and other Workday items, I will handle on my return. 

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Save the Date: Salon About Current Legislation, Oct. 16

From Dean Stewart, Social and Behavioral Sciences 

Dear LAHC Faculty Colleagues,

Concerned about the current higher education legislative landscape? Do you want to know more about current legislation? Would you like a safe space to discuss the landscape in a Salon ( discussion not hair)  type setting?  If so, you are invited to join your LA  SBS faculty colleagues, along with Cassie Fitzgerald, ACC's Director of Government Affairs, Elections and Voter Registration  on October 16th.

We will be sending a calendar invite to all Liberal Arts faculty soon. Please RSVP so that we can get an idea about the headcount.

When: October 16 at 6:00-7:30 PM

Where: HLC4.2205 - Truth, Community Healing & Transformation Center 

RSVP here: Faculty Salon: Navigating Uncertain Times

Why: We are hosting this event to inform faculty about current legislation affecting higher legislation, discuss, and share ideas and concerns in a Salon format.

We will be sending out a calendar invite once we confirm the space.

FAQ

Q. Will there be online options or will the event be recorded? 

A. Not at this time. This is an opportunity for faculty to come together and have an open and low stakes conversation.

Experienced in leading salons?

Are you a faculty member and an experienced  salon host, salonista or sallonière? Reach out to me and let's talk.

Look out for the calendar invite, and I hope to see you there.

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Update on Adjunct Staffing

I (Anja) am moving through the draw order list.  As of Monday morning, I'm on #20 and we have about 50 adjuncts still waiting, so please, check your email for the staffing info and respond as soon as possible.   Right now, we are prioritizing Dual Credit staffing, and then we will start offering the classes on ACC campuses.  We do not have any unstaffed online, asynchronous classes. 

Here's the document that Wendy made to explain how we staff English classes. You'd think it would be a simple, elegant affair. It's complicated--but I think it is fair. When all is said and done, I will add this to the CLS Faculty Handbook. But for now, email me at Wendy Elle and let me know what's confusing and any questions you have!

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Update Spring 26 Textbooks 

If you are using a textbook, you should see it listed through the online schedule.  If you don't see it, email CLS-office@austincc.edu.  

If you go ZTC or OER, I'm finishing up the last of the course notes on the online schedule and notifying the bookstore.  If you have any questions, email CLS-office@austincc.edu.

If you pick up a section in the future, please make sure to tell me your textbook selections. 

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Support for Faculty in this Current Moment

If you are concerned about the ways that current events may affect your ability to do your job, check out the support that can be offered through AAUP and AFT.  

The American Association of University Professors.  This is a great option for full-time and adjunct faculty; they scale membership fees by how much you earn, and you self-report that. Once you've been a member for a month, you have access to AAUP legal protections should you need them.  Find out more about those legal protections here. Definitely worth the peace of mind, and they are doing good organizing on the ground as well. 

AAUP partners with the American Federation of Teachers - find out more about our local AFT chapter here. 

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Register Now: 2025 Corequisite Summit, Nov 7

Calling all English and INRW faculty! We are proud to announce our 2025 Corequisite Summit: Start Strong with Literacy!

When: Friday, November 7, 2025  @  9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Where: Rio Grande Campus (RGC); 1212 Rio Grande Street, Austin, Texas 78701

Conference Information: Website 

Registration here (deadline October 17)

Flyer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1APsDuUusb5W7nrb7UbT-EtK7kIN0iqF9/view?usp=sharing

Registration is limited so register quickly. Also, attending this event gives you 6 hours of PD. Breakfast and lunch will be served, and there will be treats and sponsors to visit. Dr. Emily K. Suh will be our morning keynote speaker, and Jenny Billings will discuss coreq'ing issues and how to overcome them. Our last Summit was a blast, and we cannot wait to see what this year's Summit brings. 

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Committee for Faculty Innovation and Development (CFID) Seeking Members

The Committee for Faculty Innovation and Development (CFID) is a primarily faculty-driven group that ensures that the work of the FCLI and FacDev represents faculty in the creation and administration of innovative faculty initiatives, activities, and services.

CFID members are appointed to:

• Engage in advising, promoting, and participating in programming

• Ensure the development and implementation of initiatives, activities, and services represent our Faculty Values

• Provide insight and expertise on opportunities for faculty to grow, based on evidence-based practices

• Provide support and advocate to and for faculty in the spirit of lifelong learning

• Be the voice of faculty for faculty

You can express your interest in joining CFID by completing this form by October 15.

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Attend NISOD's Fall Virtual Conference FOR FREE!

NISOD’s Annual Fall Virtual Conference (October 22-23, 2025) brings together full- and part-time faculty members, librarians, and student support services personnel to share best and promising practices that increase student success at community and technical colleges. And you can attend for free using ACC's Institutional Registration! Learn more about the Fall Virtual Conference and Register Here. Simply log in or create your account to claim your free registration today.

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Call For Presenters: CLS Curriculum Conference

Austin Community College's CCCs (CLS Curriculum Conference) will take place on Friday, March 6, 2026, from 12:00-4:00 PM at the Highland Campus (HLC) in Austin, Texas. 

The CCC is creeping closer by the day (March 6th!), and we're still calling for presenters and panelists who are doing innovative and meaningful work with students. Even though we have several planned topics (trauma informed pedagogy, multicultural curriculum, service learning, applying college values, reducing reliance on AI, and teaching students how to do research), we welcome unlisted topics that showcase your unique pedagogy, strengths, or investigations. So please, consider sharing your aura with us by presenting independently or with co-presenters! 

Complete this Proposal Form if you feel inclined to share your brilliance with the department. All the cool kids are doing it. December 12, 2025 is the deadline for proposals. 

Questions?  Contact Rob Crowl, assistant chair of Professional Development, Research, and Service.

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Job Opportunities: Full-Time Faculty, INRW and English (Dual Credit), deadline Oct 26, midnight

Check out full job descriptions and apply through the links below (Workday login required):

INRW: https://www.myworkday.com/austincc/d/inst/15$392530/9925$15011.htmld 

English (Dual Credit): https://www.myworkday.com/austincc/d/inst/15$392530/9925$14956.htmld 

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Please Promote: Internship Opportunities for ACC Students

The Educating Character Initiative at ACC is hiring two paid student interns to join a faculty-led project for Spring 2026:

• Program Coordination & Outreach Intern:  Help plan weekly events, coordinate logistics, and support community engagement across campuses.  Perfect for students interested in event planning, education, or project management.

• Research & Documentation Intern:  Gain hands-on experience in academic research, data collection, and project coordination while supporting faculty in developing educational materials.  Ideal for students exploring careers in education, research, or public service.

Full job descriptions and applications are linked below.  

Both positions are open to current ACC students only, with an application deadline of Monday, October 20, 2025.

• Program Coordination & Outreach Intern:  job description and application

• Research & Documentation Intern:  job description and application

Questions? Contact Arun John (ajohn@austincc.edu), Ted Hadzi-Antich (thadzian@austincc.edu), or Kelly Greenwood (kgreenwo@austincc.edu).

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Please Promote: Writing Tutor

Becky Villarreal, ACC English instructor and LELA tutor, assists students with papers asynchronously via email. First, they need to click here to fill out the intake form and then email her at bvillarr@austincc.edu (with their papers in a DOC file as well as their instructor's directions). Email Becky if you have questions or check out her tutoring website for resources and more info. Please feel free to announce this option to students in your CLS courses. Thanks!

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Free Shakespeare Event! Oct 13, 7pm 

Join Walking Shadow Shakespeare Project, for a presentation of Shakespeare’s “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” performed in different languages by multilingual members of our community, enjoying drinks, snacks, and games!​

Free Admission (registration required, space is limited!)

Doors at 6:30 pm

Event: 7pm-9 pm Topfer Lobby, ZACH Theatre

Follow this link for your free tickets 

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Trouble with Blackboard Ultra? You're not alone!

If you have questions about BB Ultra or need assistance, here are a few resources:

After hours call-in support via Anthology (Spring break 2025 through December 2025)

• • • • • 866-992-5190

In-house support 

• email blackboardultra@austincc.edu to request help

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Accessibility in Blackboard Courses

Please check your BB accessibility score at the beginning of the semester and as you add new items to your courses throughout the semester (video to demo Accessibility Reports).  

If you need help fixing the accessibility of your Blackboard courses, check out the resources below!   

• Instructional design support offers DE Accessibility Training.  

• TLED has great resources on its Accessibility information page. 

• Materials from Trent Griggs' ADA Blackboard Compliance Training at the 2025 CCCs:

Distance and Alternative Learning Website 

Accessibility Quick Guide

Blackboard Accessibility Orientation

Common Errors

Examples of Reasonable Accommodations

How to use Blackboard Ally

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