Weekly Newsletter: Tuesday Is News Day

Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Celebrate Black History all February with ACC's 2026 A Century of Black History Commemorations.  Check out the line up of campus conversations, art exhibits, and social events happening in-person at a variety of campuses with hybrid options available.  

Register NOW for the CCCs! For real, y'all.  Stop putting it off and let them know you plan to attend this amazing event. You can attend in person or virtually.  And if you are presenting, you still need to register.  

A quick note about the CLS-office@austincc.edu email.  This is a group email, accessible by Mads, Anja, Wendy, and any standing-in Department Chair.  Using this email is the best way to ensure that your sub request, staffing question, student concern, etc. is addressed in a timely fashion.  It's a one-stop shop, y'all.  Please use it!

Finally, it is the perfect time of the semester to start encouraging students to share their work! This week is the final opportunity for submissions to the Cacciatore Contest and the League of Innovations contest (deadline: Feb 22).  Plus, the Undergraduate Research Symposium Submission Form is live (deadline: March 23).  

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Important Dates! 

Link to CLS Faculty Calendar (Zoom links available for virtual events)

February 16 

12-week session begins [post syllabi to Lighthouse and the Collection Form]

February 17 and 18 

Estaffing Phase 2 Adjuncts enter preferences for summer 26

February 28 

Mandatory compliance training due [5 trainings in Workday]

March 6 

CCCs (HLC and virtual), 12pm-4pm

March 16 - March 22 

Spring Break, ACC Closed 

April 25 

Undergraduate Research Symposium, 11am-2pm

March 27 

CLS meets with Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart and VC Gaye Lynn Scott (virtual), 9am-10am

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CLS Announcements 

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; Jan 30, 2026 for 16 week)

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

Submit self-reported Mandatory training (Due Feb 28)

Supplemental Materials for the CLS Annual Evaluation

Use this form to submit your Supplemental Materials for Annual Faculty Evaluation.  Need to know what to submit?  First, find your cycle year on the CLS Due List.  Then, use the What do I submit? chart. Submit AY26 Supplemental Materials by May 29, 2026. 

Faculty Responsibilities for Annual Evaluation

The above video explains the ACC and CLS Faculty Evaluation Process in a Q&A format.  You can also find the transcript and resources here. 

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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Shout Outs📣

Congratulations Arun John! Arun was selected as the 🦇Riverbat Excellence Award winner for the Fall 2025 semester at South Austin Campus! This 🦇award celebrates Arun's excellence in communication, collaboration and responsiveness within the ACC community.  Well done, Arun!

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Update : Missed Payments in January 

Paycheck a little light? Mine was, too! We know there were some faculty who had irregularities in their checks, and we are looking into it and here to support y'all (and me, I am also supporting me a bit!) Please know, though, that neither Mads, Anja, or I have the keys to the coffers. We will advocate tirelessly to get you pointed to payroll and the Dean's office, but we are not able to do things like issue emergency checks. If I get any updates, I will let you know. In the meantime, check your check. If you are concerned, let us know--and we will do our best to help you. Mads will give you a sticker f you come to the office. I will offer a virtual high five with you. Thanks for your patience!

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Summer Textbooks 📚

As a reminder, the CLS Admin Team submits textbook information to the ACC Bookstore.  Please ignore the (many) reminders from the bookstore and make sure that we have your textbook info. 

• Full-time English faculty added their textbooks to the sign-off sheet in December.  No further action is needed. 

• Adjunct English faculty will complete this ENGL Textbook form once they accept their Summer 26 classes. 

• Full-time and Adjunct INRW faculty will complete this INRW Textbook form once they accept their Summer 26 classes. 

Important: Even if you do not assign a textbook, we need you to respond so that we can label your class for the Zero Textbook Costs sort. 

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Attendance Certification

Please pay attention to Attendance Certification deadlines.  You will receive an email reminding you that it is time to certify attendance for each section you teach. All instructions you need will be in the email.  A few basics and resources: 

• Certify Attendance through the MyACC Faculty app.  

• Make sure you understand what counts as "attendance" (a student does not need to be present in a face-to-face class in order to meet the requirements for attendance.  See question 3 on the Attendance Certification Q & A.)

• Remember: if you do not certify a student's attendance, they will be dropped from the course and it may affect their financial aid.  

Upcoming Dates: 

• 12 week sessions: Certify Attendance by February 26

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Apply: Multi-Semester Term Appointments , Deadline Feb 20

Applications for Multi-Semester Term Appointments (MSTA) in English will open February 9 in the eStaffing.  If you're an adjunct interested in MSTA or you received your MSTA status within the last three years, be sure to submit your application by February 20.  

What is MSTA? 

According to A.R. 4.0401.02  "A Multiple Semester Term Appointment (MSTA) is an appointment held by selected Adjunct Faculty that allows for priority status in the assignment of sections over multiple semesters. It is accepted operational standard of the College, as presented in Board Policy D-6 [4 b], to 'make extensive use of multiple-semester appointments for adjunct faculty.'"

More info about MSTA status in CLS

The MSTA, HPH, and DCAA Criteria and Processes document can offer a bit more information about these appointments.   

Where do I apply?

On February 9, you will be able to access the application in eStaffing.  Find "MSTA Application" in menu and follow the prompts.  Submit before February 20. 

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Register NOW: 2026 CLS Curriculum Conference (CCC)

PDRS would like to invite you to this year’s CCC on Friday, March 6th from 11am - 4pm on ACC's Highland Campus. This year's FREE conference will feature a plenary presentation by renowned author, National Book Critics’ Circle Award finalist, Guggenheim fellow, and University of Texas professor, Deb Olin Unferth, who will be leading a hands-on session that features a wide set of strategies for fostering engagement and getting students writing. 

If that’s not enough, the conference will offer 12 diverse and innovative breakout sessions from CLS faculty/staff and our central Texas College partners. 

Breakout Sessions (Link to Conference Schedule)

• Strategies for Emerging Writers  (Deb Olin Unferth)

• Mexican American Lit. & Hip Hop  (Robert Tinajero - UNT Dallas)

• The Asymmetric See-Saw: How to Collaborate Co-Intelligently with AI on Revision (Ryan Knight - MCC & Temple College)

• Write, Rinse, Repeat: Pedagogical Strategies that Allow You to Teach Content You Love with Minimal Time Spent on Planning and Grading (Amanda Hoppe)

• Active Learning & Gamifying the English Classroom (Melissa Holton, Jill Bosche)

• Through a New Lens: Reframing the Literary Canon (Bianca Berino)

• Exploring the Pedagogy of 1302 (Amber Clontz, Brian Fonken, and Robert Tinajero)

• AI Assisted Approaches to Teaching (Brinda Roy, Latasha Goodwyn, & Lauren Davila)

• Teaching Cultural Literature (Sarah Stayton & Megan Wallace)

• Backwards Planning Workshop: Setting Your Students (and Yourself) Up to Meet Expectations of Major Assignments and Essays (Lauren Davila & Ellen Reyes)

• Teaching Literature During a 'Reading Crisis’ (Lindsey Lawley-Rericich)

• Teaching as Performance (Ryan Lopez)

• Leadership in the Line of Fire—How To Catalyse Cultural Change in a Department (Wendy Elle)

There is literally something for everyone, and this unique collection of presenters will likely never be replicated. Check out our Conference Website!

If that’s not tempting enough, there will also be free refreshments provided by our textbook partners, Cengage and Macmillan, who will have their resources available during the conference, and our plenary, Deb Unferth will be selling some of her books as well. To sweeten the deal, CCC 2026 swag will be available to attendants thanks to the Composition and Literary Studies department!

Please, register here for this FREE conference!

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CLS Bylaws, Review and Comment by Feb. 27!

In an attempt to make the policies and procedures of the CLS Department transparent and protect CLS faculty, the CLS Bylaws Committee worked throughout fall 25 to compile the CLS Bylaws Draft.  The Bylaws committee welcomes your feedback and questions; please submit comments to the CLS Bylaw Review and Comment Google Form by Friday, February 27.  

Timeline for CLS Bylaws Review and Department Vote

February 27 - Deadline for all CLS faculty to submit comments.  ALL = full-time, adjunct, voting, or non-voting.  Get in there and tell us what you think!

March TBD - CLS Virtual Town Hall.  The Bylaws committee will address comments from the review and take questions.  

April - CLS Bylaws committee will implement changes based on comments from the Google Form and the CLS Town Hall. 

May 8 - CLS Department votes on the Bylaws!  

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Please Complete: CLS Diversity, Censorship, and Academic Freedom Survey, Deadline Mar. 31

The Professional Development and Research Committee would appreciate your taking the time to fill out the CLS Diversity, Censorship, and Academic Freedom survey by Tuesday, March 31st. 

You can find more details about the survey's purpose and method by following the link above.  If you have questions about the survey, please contact Rob Crowl at robert.crowl@austincc.edu or Dylan Walsh at dylan.walsh@austincc.edu.

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You're Invited: The Rhetorical Power of Narrative in the Age of AI

Cengage warmly invites all CLS faculty to attend The Rhetorical Power of Narrative in the Age of AI, a workshop led by Cengage author Jodie Nicotra.  If you have any questions, email Shiloh LaBoy. 

Workshop Details:

This interactive session explores how generative AI relies on narrative to shape meaning and judgment—and how we can help students critically analyze and craft narratives, including AI‑generated ones. Full details are available in the attached flyer.

When: Thursday, February 19, 4:00–5:30 PM
Where: UT Austin Learning Lab (Rooms 1A & 1B), Perry–Castañeda Library

Register: The Rhetorical Power of Narrative in the Age of AI – Fill out form 

Dinner Event Details:

Cengage is also hosting a small dinner gathering with Jodie Nicotra for those who would like a more informal opportunity for conversation. Attendance at either event is completely optional—please feel free to join one or both, as your schedule allows.

When: Wednesday, February 18,  6:15 PM
Where: North Italia at The Domain, 11506 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 124,  Austin, TX 78758

RSVP: An Evening of Conversation with Jodie Nicotra at North Italia – Fill out form 

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Overview: How Are Subs Assigned and Tracked? 

Thank you to everyone who steps up to fill sub requests! A few people have asked about how subs are assigned, so Mads breaks it down below. 

1. A faculty requests a substitute to cover a class (see Best Practice for Faculty Absences if you have questions about this step)

2. If the need is immediate (same or next day), the call for subs will go out right away. Otherwise the request will be sent out about two weeks from the class date.

3. We assign subs.  If the need is immediate (same or next day), then we usually assign first-come-first-serve.  If the need is not immediate (later in the week or next week), we take the following into account:

   • Can the sub cover multiple periods of the same class? (for instance, both T and Th of the same class)

   • Can the sub cover multiple classes for the same instructor?

   • Is the class INRW, DC, ESOL, etc. And has the sub covered or taught those class types before?

   • How many sub assignments has this person been given? We do try to spread out the opportunities as best as we can.

4. We then connect the assigned sub with the faculty who requested the sub, so they can exchange materials for the upcoming classes. 

5. We do our best to respond to the original email with updates, letting everyone know when a classes are covered.

6. Subs verify that they covered the class.  We submit payments between the 10th and the 15th of any given month.  Any sub assignments after the 15th will be paid in the following month.  If you sub often, it's a good idea to track your assignments. Then, you can double-check that you’ve been paid by going into your profile on Workday and selecting Compensation. 

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Please Promote: 2026 Central Texas Learning Festival

The ACC Honors Program is excited to be a proud partner in the 2026 Central Texas (CTX) Learning Festival!

Where: Highland Campus Welcome Center, Building 1000 (HLC1 2350) 

Wednesday, March 11, 9:00-10:50 am - La diversidad y la influencia del estilo y la moda Hispana/ The diversity and influence of Hispanic style and fashion

Honors Spanish I & II professors Ramiro Juarez and Marcel Pons Ventura will explore personal style and fashion influences across the Spanish-speaking world in this insightful cultural workshop.

Wednesday, March 11, 11:00-11:50 am - Pop Culture Pop-Up - Decoding Movies, Memes, and More

Dr. Brinda Roy’s Honors Composition I students will teach a lively, hands-on class, during which participants will decode familiar cultural artifacts - from music to memes - to discover how pop culture shapes our lives and communities.

The Festival is free and open for learners of all ages and interests. Learn more at ctxlearningfestival.com

Facebook @ctxlearningfestival

Instagram @ctx.learningfestival

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Blackboard Accessibility Resources and Sessions

ACC's Office of Distance Education (DE) is working hard to make sure faculty have the tools and know-how to make all BB courses accessible by April 24, 2026. 

Resources for working on BB Accessibility

• Instructional design support offers DE Accessibility Training

• DE's Accessibility Resource page

• TLED's Accessibility information page. 

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

Accessibility Quick Guide

Blackboard Accessibility Orientation

Common Errors

Examples of Reasonable Accommodations

How to use Blackboard Ally

Drop-in: Accessibility Sessions in February

February 17 | 1 p.m.-4 p.m. CST

• Cypress Creek Campus (Learning Lab) or Join online (CYP)

• Highland Campus (ACCelerator) or Join online (HLC)

• Northridge Campus (Learning Lab) or Join online (NRG)

February 24 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m. CST

• Rio Grande Campus (ACCelerator) or Join online (RGC)

• Round Rock Campus (ACCelerator) or Join online (RRC)

• San Gabriel Campus (ACCelerator) or Join online (SGC)

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College Reading and Learning Association Annual Conference, Oct 2026

Please consider submitting a proposal for this year’s College Reading & Learning Association (CRLA) annual conference. CRLA is a great place to share and learn best practices in co-requisite design, reading strategies, and composition with an emphasis on finding new ways to support students. This year's theme is Resilience in Motion: Learning, Leading, and Thriving in Support of Student Success, inviting you to reflect on the power of advocacy to support our students. CRLA accepts a wide range of sessions including research, wise practices, and advocacy ideas. If you have any questions about the conference, reach out to Amarilis Castillo (amarilis.castillo@austincc.edu) and Beth Frye (efrye@austincc.edu).

Review the Call for Proposals, due by March 16, for more details. 

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Promote Student Work!

We all know our students are doing amazing things! As you review student work, keep in mind ways that you can encourage students to get their work to a larger audience by submitting the Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium, Cacciatore, or Innovate. 

Cacciatore, deadline Feb 22, 2026 

Dual Credit students can submit to the Cacciatore Contest here. 

See Cacciatore flyer for more details. 

Innovate, deadline is Feb 22, 2026 

All currently enrolled ACC students can submit to the League of Innovations contest here. 

See the Innovate flyer for more details. 

Undergraduate Research Symposium, Deadline to apply Mar. 23, 2026

 📣CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS! Apply by March 23, 2026! 

The Liberal Education Advancement and Development (LEAD) initiative is sponsoring an Undergraduate Research Symposium and we are calling it 🌸 ACC In Bloom !! 🌸

 🎓📚🔬 What: A Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Symposium that will showcase work from students and faculty across all disciplines and levels of research experience.

🗓️⏰When: Saturday April 25, 2026, 11:00am-2:00pm.

🏫Where: Highland Campus.

👉Check out the marvelous Symposium Website and flyer.

Apply:  2026 Undergraduate Research Symposium Submission Form 

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💲Paid Opportunity: Test Proctor, Feb 21 and 28 

The College and High School Relations (CHSR) office has an upcoming paid opportunity to assist with test proctoring.  Volunteers are solicited for one of the following dates.

February 21st - 3 volunteers

Round Rock Campus

9:30am-4:30pm 

February 28th - 3 volunteers

Round Rock Campus

9:30am-4:30pm 

Per CHSR,  "A 45 minute virtual training will take place on February 17th at 10am or at 3pm. Training will consist of how to launch an exam and general help, but generally once it's started, just monitoring/proctoring. It will be recorded."

Volunteers will be paid $150 for their time.  If you are interested in participating, please contact CHSR Director Jason Sanchez at jsanche1@austincc.edu

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Call for Judges: The Vision + Voice Literary Festival

Would you like to be a judge for our ACC's Literary Contests?

• Vision + Voice (K-12 Poetry Contest)

• Cacciatore- Dual Credit-- (Poetry or Fiction up to 200 Wds)

• Innovate- (ACC Traditional Students- Poetry and Fiction)

Important Details about Judging

1. You can be a judge for more than one contests!

2. If you have been a judge before-- you can be a judge again!

3. Or maybe this is your first time-- we'd love your insight!

4. You get paid $100 for each contest

Please let Ysella Fulton Slavin-- ysella.fultonslavin@austincc.edu know if you're interested or have any questions. 

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Promote and Attend: Walking Shadow Shakespeare Project

Join Walking Shadow Shakespeare Project for a night of Short Plays inspired by Shakespeare and created by local Austin artists, including Amber Luttig-Buonodono (writing under a pen name). Shows run at Trinity Street Playhouse at 7:30 pm March 3-7, with a matinee at 2pm on Saturday March 7. Tickets and more details here.

We will also be hosting a special champagne closing event on Sunday March 8 at 4pm at Sekrit Theater with a talkback and party to follow. You can find tickets for that here.

Featured Plays:

I Loved You Ever, a new play by Pablo Muñoz-Evers

Macbeth, but he's just a sword

Puck, in Epilogue, a new play by Amber Elby

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Contribute: CLS Profile 

For the last two years, the CLS Profile has been a great success; check out volume 2 here.  In preparation for an even more amazing volume 3, we've opened the Faculty Contribution (2026) form.

Unlike voting, you can actually submit to this form early and often.  Add some love notes now, come back in a month with pictures, and submit again after winter break when you've caught up on some leisure reading! 

Here's what we're looking for: 

• 📸Pics of you, your colleagues, your students! (Don't forget to get the photo consent form signed!)

• 💜Love Notes (end-of-semester "thank yous" from students, snippets from evaluations that stick with you)

• 📖Recommended reads (articles and books) 

• 🙋🏽Successful classroom strategies and engaging texts

• 📑Course or assignment re-designs 

• ✍️Professional publications, presentations, or achievements