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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Spring 26 Textbooks (For Adjuncts)

Throughout September, CLS Adjuncts will be going through the staffing process for Spring 2026. Once you accept classes in eStaffing or by email, please submit your textbook requests using the Google Forms below (even if you go Zero Textbook Costs or use Open Educational Resources). 

ENGL Textbook Selection: Spring 2026 

OR 

INRW Textbook Selection: Spring 2026 

The CLS department tracks and enters textbook info for all faculty, so you can ignore the emails from the bookstore.  In the lead up, please look over the CLS Textbook List, the OER Resources (ENGL), the OER Resources INRW, or the Bedford Bookshelf (an inexpensive way for students to access a variety of Bedford texts)!

Full-time faculty should have added their textbooks to their campus batch files in early September.  (Ahem!)

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Reminder: Tag ENGL 1302 Research Essays

This is your friendly reminder that, for the 2025-2026 academic year, the CLS department is collecting ENGL 1302 RESEARCH PAPERS. (If you are not teaching ENGL 1302, you don't have to tag/submit anything.) We will be collecting our samples via BLACKBOARD.

To make this process successful, however, we need your help! Please make sure you do the following as soon as possible, and by the last day of fall classes at the latest--that's Sunday, December 14th for most classes, or Sunday, October 19th if you are teaching an 8A class.

• Have your students submit their ENGL 1302 research paper through Blackboard, in a slot set up as an ASSIGNMENT. (You do not need to grade it on BB.)

• Include your PROMPT with the assignment, either as part of the assignment description or as a PDF attachment.

• Appropriately TAG your assignment so we can include your section(s) in the sample.

This academic year we are being asked to TAG our assessments for the following:

• PSLO 2: Written Communication

• PSLO 3: Research for Writing

• Gen Ed: Critical Thinking

• Gen Ed: Personal Responsibility

To help you with this process, linked here is a video explaining how to correctly tag your assignments.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at theodore.yurevitch@austincc.edu!

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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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Please Promote: Study Abroad Programs

Please let your students know about the great opportunities from the Study Abroad Programs at ACC, and specifically about the Summer 2026 British Literature opportunity.  

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Training: ENGL-2351, Mexican American Lit, Oct 3

All faculty interested in teaching ENGL-2351 Mexican American Literature are invited to complete this interest form for an upcoming in-person training on Friday, 10/3 at Highland campus. If you have ever wanted to teach Gloria Anzaldúa, Sandra Cisneros, or Rudolfo Anaya, now is your chance to join this cohort!

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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. 

This is a call for contributors who are interested in sharing their knowledge in a presentation or panel format. Use this LINK to submit a proposal! Please get your proposal in by Dec. 12, 2025! 

PDRS (Professional Development, Research, and Service) will review all proposals and announce presenters at the end of the semester. If you have any questions, email Rob Crowl. Thank you!

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New Paired Course for Students Who Rely on Translation Software

In partnership with ESOL, we are piloting a new program that may help a specific population of students that sometimes struggle in ENGL 1301. If you have students who are eligible for your ENGL-1301 class, but must rely heavily on translation software to manage writing in English, please consider suggesting the following transfer option. Note, we are not mandating this move, but we are offering it as an option for students to choose themselves.

 Composition 1, ENGL-1301-280, DLS, TTH 10:30am-12:00pm

 Non-Course Based ESOL Reading, NCBE-0112-002, DLS, TTH 8:30am-9:00am

 Non-Course Based ESOL Writing ,NCBE-0113-002, DLS, TTH 9:10am-9:40am

 Non-Course Based ESOL Grammar,NCBE-0114-002, DLS, TTH 9:50am-10:15am

These 12-week classes are synchronous online classes in order to allow more students access.  If students are interested, please help them contact either the CLS or ESOL department.  We can help students make an even exchange for their ENGL 1301 section, and they will add the synchronous, paired courses in the 12-week semester.

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CLS Creative Writing Group, Sept. 12, 10am

Mark your calendar for the first Fall 2025 CLS Creative Writing Group: Friday, Sept. 12 at 10:00am.  

Because English teachers make great writers and writing inspires teachers, let's get together and write! Let's polish poems, draft short stories, explore new genres, and more, finding inspiration and professional growth along the way.  

Hosted by Tonya Suther and Jordan Easley.  Contact Tonya Suther for more information and to get on the email list!

See full flyer here. 

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Bothered or Confused about Staffing? Let's Talk About It!

I am getting quite a few questions about staffing--how do we do it? Why do we do it the way that we do it? In a two-birds-one-stone moment (ugh, that sounds harsh), where I am working on staffing information for the bylaws subcommittee, I want to make a zoom video where I and a few other concerned folk talk about staffing. If you are a) annoyed or b) confused by staffing, you are the perfect person to sit in on this. I expect it will last about 20 minutes. If you think you'd like to be a part of this, please email Wendy Elle. I need about 4-5 annoyed/confused people and then we can find a mutual time to do the video--which I can then share with the department. 

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Job Opportunity: IA with LEAD, deadline Sept 15

The Instructional Associate (IA) for the Liberal Education Advancement and Development (LEAD) initiative will provide support to all instructional programs under LEAD, assisting in a variety of administrative, promotional, and program development/assessment tasks. This role will help manage ongoing projects and expand the programs' offerings, with a focus on event planning, administrative support, and faculty collaboration.

This position is an opportunity to be deeply involved in the operational success of the various programs under LEAD, supporting instructional leadership to focus on high-level initiatives such as program assessment, professional development for instructors, and the enhancement of annual events. 

Check out the full job description or apply here: https://www.myworkday.com/austincc/d/inst/15$158872/9925$14748.htmld  (Workday log-in required). 

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Community Event: A Novel Gala, Sept 19 

Access Education RRISD is hosting A Novel Gala Friday, September 19, 6:30pm-10pm.  

This event brings together parents, educators, advocates, and community leaders who believe that every student deserves access to a strong public school — regardless of their zip code.

All proceeds will benefit Access Education RRISD and support nonpartisan, pro–public education candidates in the 2026 election.

If you teach in RRISD, have family in RRISD, or simply want to support public education, check out ways to donate or buy tickets: https://accessrrisd.org/gala/

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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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