Weekly Newsletter: Tuesday Is News Day

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Welcome back! The Spring 2026 semester is officially underway.  Hopefully you got whatever you needed or wanted out of the winter break!

We can't wait to see your faces at one of the many meetings this week.  The full list of meetings is below, and Zoom links are always available through the CLS Faculty Calendar - click the event and then click more details.  Just in case, here's the Zoom for Tuesday's Dual Credit meeting (6:30pm) and Wednesday's CLS meeting (1 pm).  If you can make it down to RGC for the Wednesday meeting, we'll have snacks and supplies!

Here's the CLS Spring 2026 Semester Start Agenda - first order of business is to approve the minutes from December's meeting. 

Wondering who to contact with a CLS question?  Please use the CLS email for sub requests, staffing questions, and general departmental inquiries. ✨ cls-office@austincc.edu ✨

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Important Dates! 

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

January 13 

CLS Dual-Credit Semester Start (virtual), 6:30pm-7:30pm 

January 14 

CLS Semester Start (RGC and virtual),  1pm-2:30pm 

Assessment Meeting (virtual), 5pm-6:30pm (details below!)

January 15 

Final Decisions on Class Cancellations (due to low enrollment)

January 20 

Spring semester begins!

February 1 

Deadline for Amending your Eligibility (Adjunct Faculty)

February 6

ISDE Day! (HLC 2404 & 2405), 10:30am-2:30pm

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. 

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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Faculty Evaluation Process Video

The Faculty Evaluation Committee knows that you all have questions about the Faculty Evaluation Process and the materials due.  And we know that it is easy to be overwhelmed by the process, especially if you are new to ACC or you teach at several institutions.  So a dream team assembled to bring you this Q & A video outlining the Faculty Responsibilities for Annual Evaluation. If you prefer to read instead of watch/listen, you can find the transcript and resources here. 

Seriously, thank you to this ✨amazing dream team✨:

• Beth Frye (Assistant Department Chair of CLS Faculty Evaluation)

• Kari Conness (Dual Credit Liaison)

• Chris Gardner (Dual Credit Liaison) 

• Jill Bosche (Assistant Department Chair of Adjunct Hiring and Orientation)

All of the forms mentioned in the video are available in the CLS Quick Links section of every Tuesday Is Newsday (scroll up, right under the Important Dates).

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🌟Resources and Reminders for Semester Prep🌟

Departmental Syllabi (updated Fall 25).  Please make sure that you are using and sharing the most up-to-date version of CLS Departmental Syllabi.  Syllabi for ENGL courses were updated in Summer 25 to reflect ACC administrative rules about AI policies. and in Fall 25 to reflect changes to courses stated by the Texas Higher Education Board's ACGM (Academic Course Guide Manual).

Syllabi Resources can help you make sure that your section syllabi meet the requirements for Faculty Evaluation reviews.  

As you prep your syllabi for Spring 26, please make sure that your policies and actions around academic integrity concerns (including the use of gen AI) align with the ACC Academic Integrity Guidelines and Procedures, which you can also view in this flowchart.  

Check out the information about Blackboard Accessibility (the item below) for help getting your BB content accessible. 

Bonus: if you teach at or near Riverside Campus, consider including RVS Writing Workshop dates in your syllabus or course calendar! (See Writing Workshops at RVS below)

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Update: Blackboard Accessibility Scores

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. 

If you received an email about the accessibility of your Blackboard course, please reach out to the Instructional Designer (ID) indicated in that same email.  The IDs are here to help get your documents reformatted and accessible. 

You can also check out the resources below!   

• Instructional design support offers DE Accessibility Training and drop-in Consultations

• 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

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INRW Semester Start Meeting - Recording and Agenda

The INRW Semester Start meeting occurred on Monday Jan. 12 from 10am-12pm.  If you were unable to attend or need to reference links and discussion, you can refer to the materials below. 

Agenda: INRW Semester Start Jan 12 26

Recording: https://austincc.zoom.us/rec/share/91SkVs0CIv7R0myp3IAPmYSC7sjl5xFY06x72fUdbxeXtRmlXFO6qPm9SYCHFE7K.JypEfLc7MBWppiv- 

passcode: #JE0f!QQ 

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From LAG to LEAD

As you may be aware Liberal Arts Gateway (LAG) is transitioning into Liberal Education Advancement and Development (LEAD). While the core faculty-driven spirit of LAG remains, this new model ensures sustainable funding and expands our focus to include High Impact Practices (HIPs) across the entire college. Check out our full breakdown of the new fellowship opportunities, multidisciplinary Communitys of Practice (CoPs), and what this means for legacy LAG courses here: From LAG to LEAD: Faculty-Driven Liberal Arts Programming at ACC

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Writing Workshops at Riverside Campus (RVS) 

Throughout the spring 26 semester, Riverside Learning Lab will be hosting several writing workshops.  See dates below for more details!

• Essay Basics: Thursday, February 5th, 3:00pm-4:00pm, RVS 9103 

• All About MLA: Thursday, March 5th, 3:00pm-4:00pm, RVS 9103

• Elements of Fiction: Tuesday, April 7th, 3:00pm-4:00pm, RVS 9103

• Integrating Sources: Tuesday, May 5th, 3:00pm-4:00pm, RVS 9103

If you have questions (or suggestions for future workshops), contact matthew.smith@austincc.edu. 

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Please Promote: Summer Study Abroad, Deadline Feb 5

Know a student who wants to study abroad?  Please encourage your past and current students to learn about the Summer 2026: British Literature I and British Literature II Study Abroad opportunity.  

Currently there are 8 students enrolled, and the program needs 10 to move forward.  If you or potential students have questions, contact Ryan Lopez.  If students are ready to apply, please share https://students.austincc.edu/study-abroad/study-abroad-program/ so they can make an appointment today.  

Side note: for faculty who are looking to get more involved, you can check out this Study Abroad info document that Ryan created. 

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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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CLS Book Club : Spring 26 Meet-up

In the spring, we read short stories. Please sign up for our interest list to be added to email announcements and recommend a short story collection if you have one in mind. We look for a discrete collection of stories, not a career retrospective or collected works volume.

You can review previous Book Club choices on our google site

We'll meet at Easy Tiger at the Linc at a date to be determined to discuss, drink, and swap the best books we're willing to part with. 

And 100% yes of course you can come even if you: 

1. never signed up

2. haven't read the book

3. don't plan on reading the book

4. just want to pillage a stack of "up for grabs" books people bring for our book exchange

Two Additional Reminders: 

1. We are an open group. The invites go out to CLS, but you can always bring a +1 or forward this to interested parties. 

2. Book Club will be paired with a book swap. Bring a book or books you are willing to part with, and let's spread some stories around. 

Happy reading, readers. Hope to see you there!

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Promote Student Work!

We all know our students are doing amazing things! As you reflect on last semester and plan for spring, keep in mind ways that you can encourage students to get their work to a larger audience by submitting to Curiositas, the Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium, Cacciatore, or Innovate. 

Curiositas, Deadline Jan. 30, 2026

Curiositas, ACC’s academic journal for the Liberal Arts, is looking for submissions that showcase deep inquiry and intellectual creativity.

We want to celebrate the students who go above and beyond. Published students will be honored at a special ceremony this Spring.

Browse: View our current issue to see the type of work we champion.

Submit: Encourage your top students to submit their final papers/projects at our website. 

If you have questions, email Alex Watkins. 

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.

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. 

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January Assessment Meeting, Jan. 14, 5PM-6:30PM 

[for assessors and committee members]

Please mark your calendars for the January Assessment meeting on January 14th from 5 PM to 6:30 PM! 

This meeting is required for all faculty serving as assessors this year as well as committee members (please note: all faculty who submitted third-year evaluation materials in spring 2025 are required to serve as assessors in this year’s Discipline Assessment Cycle). Stay tuned for more information in your inbox, but in the meantime, here is the Zoom link for the meeting!

Contact Theo with questions!

Want to know that if you are one of the assessors? Check here!

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Update Your Teaching Eligibility (Adjunct Faculty)

Interested in expanding the courses you’re eligible to teach? Adjunct faculty are invited to submit a request to amend their teaching eligibility by completing the Amend Your Eligibility Google Form by February 1. Please be prepared to upload your transcripts in the final section of the form. 

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Job Opportunity: OnRamps Writing Assessment Specialist

OnRamps at the University of Texas Austin is hiring part-time remote Writing Assessment Specialists to support OnRamps Rhetoric for the 2025-26 academic year.  Writing Assessment Specialists evaluate a total of eight major assignments, four each semester, and provide substantive written feedback.

Compensation: Writing Assessment Specialists who successfully complete all assigned 2025-26 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.

For more information or to apply click here. 

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Job Opportunity: Creative Writing Adjunct Faculty 

The Creative Writing Department is looking for new adjuncts! 

The department is in search of instructors of all genres, but, as you know, we particularly are in need of folks to teach YA/Children’s Literature and Creative Nonfiction/Memoir. If you know anyone looking to work in a growing department and looking to support that kind of growth (through not only classroom teaching, but outreach and events), please let them know about the job posting.

Apply or share: Adjunct Faculty, Creative Writing, R-8569

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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