Weekly Newsletter: Tuesday Is News Day

CLS Quick Links

Collection Forms for Evaluation Materials

Academic Year 2024-25 Collection

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 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025. 

Submit Syllabi by the second week of classes (varies by session)

Submit Faculty Reflection Forms (Jan 31, Jun 13)

Submit self-reported Mandatory training (May 30)

SUBMIT HERE Supplemental Evaluation Materials due May 30, 2025

This form is created and maintained by the Assistant Department Chair for CLS's Evaluation Committee (Beth Frye).  Use this form to submit Supplemental Evaluation Materials from the 2024-2025 year. (Assessments and Assignments, Peer Dialogue, Values Framework, and Purposeful Change documents)

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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UltraFest!! May 29 and May 30

TLED is kicking off the summer semester with a celebration and preparation event! Find more details in a May 16 email "UltraFest 2025 is Almost Here!"

UltraFest Dates and Locations:

• Thursday, May 29

• 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Round Rock Campus (ACCelerator)

• 1 - 4 p.m. at the South Austin Campus (multi-purpose room)

• Friday, May 30

• 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Highland Campus (ACCelerator)

Whether you're curious, confident, or somewhere in between with Ultra, this is a great chance to engage, explore, and elevate your use of our new virtual classroom platform.

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CLS Faculty Evaluation, deadline May 30 

New Faculty Evaluation Process

The faculty evaluation process has changed for the entire college, and the CLS Faculty Evaluation Committee has been working hard to make sure that CLS is prepared.  The video Annual Evaluation Materials for the Faculty Evaluation Cycle offers an overview of the new college-wide evaluation process and how to use this document New Faculty Evaluation: Submission by Year.  

Faculty Evaluation, Spring 2025 To-do List 

These five tasks are required components for the Faculty Evaluation process. 

• Submit your Syllabi for Spring 2025 to the Academic Year 2024-25 Collection by week two of your class session.   

• Check the CLS Due List to see if you need to complete supplemental evaluation materials for Spring 25. Then submit to Supplemental Evaluation Materials . Materials due May 30 2025.  

• Finish your ACC Mandatory Training and self-report on the Academic Year 2024-25 Collection by May 30, 2025.

• Complete your Administrative Duties (Syllabi and Office hours on Lighthouse!) by week two of your class session. 

• Submit your Faculty Reflection Form for Spring 2025 classes to the Academic Year 2024-25 Collection form by June 13, 2025

Evaluation Committee 1-hour Info Sessions 

Syllabus Workshop - April 4

Slides: Syllabus Workshop Slides

Recording: https://austincc.zoom.us/rec/share/4_EfrYTH3MnRuyClFs6eAsurA5IxfSJiUWeMLoXQCd_L2MeQTjq8jaPO7GTUvpY2.u5ojtJlxq-9Rj_Pd

Passcode: kBn=4B*4 

Faculty Reflection Forms - April 18 

Recording: https://austincc.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=45f3d76d-b8a9-4e72-9677-b2c5015d37cc 

Dual Credit Faculty Evaluation Info Session - April 22

Slides: Let's Talk About the CLS Faculty Evaluation

Clarification: Mandatory Training in Workday

Many people received auto-generated emails from Workday about mandatory training.  The bottom line: You are compliant with the CLS Department if you have

1) completed all of your mandatory trainings between Nov 1, 2024 and May 30, 2025

AND 

2) RECORDED the completion dates on the Academic Year 2024-25 Collection Form

If you've done that, ignore the emails from the college.  If you have not done that, please get your trainings done by May 30 and then self-report on the  ACADEMIC YEAR 2024-25 COLLECTION FORM

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News from INRW 

Fall Co-req Registration

Fall 25 Coreq Registration begins Friday, May 16, 2025. If students reach out to you to enroll in your coreq courses, please send them to the INRW website to register. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis as long as there are no holds on the account preventing us from enrolling them. If you have questions, please reach out to Linda San Agustin or Ursula Parker. 

INRW Professional Development

If you are interested in INRW Professional Development, kindly and quickly complete this super-brief survey so we can get the party started: https://forms.gle/WWDhRD6bgWHndfve9

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Vertical Alignment Symposium 2025, June 6--CANCELLED

With some careful consideration, due to some conflicts with our secondary partners, we've made the difficult decision to cancel the Friday, June 6 Vertical Alignment Symposium. We're going to revisit the folks who we serve with this event and look for some new ways to engage in shared verical alignment that works best for all our partners. Please contact  Kari Conness or Brian Fonken. with any questions or thoughts on the event. 

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Summer Book Club!  📖

Y'all, it's Novel Reading Season at last! We did it. We really did it.  

In the summer we read a novel, because frankly, who's gonna stop us? 

As usual, we will gather at Easy Tiger by the Highland Campus to discuss at a date to be determined. 

You are encouraged to sign up for our non-binding interest list to keep receiving emails or propose a text if/when you feel the urge. 

Two 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!

Further details and Book Club historical notes here

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Call for Co-req Partners, ENGL 1301 for Spring 2026

Hey there ENGL 1301 instructors! We're looking for those adjunct and full-timers who are interested in becoming the ENGL 1301 partner in a yet-to-be-created coreq with INRW. As a refresher, our co-reqs pair an ENGL1 301 course with an INRW course; about 16 students from ENGL1301 course are enrolled in an INRW that generally meets directly before or after the ENGL 1301.  Co-req partners generally share syllabi and communicate throughout the semester.  

If you are already a co-req-er, thank you! This call is for new folks. Please Google Chat Ursula Parker or email Wendy Elle if you are interested. These classes likely would not start until Spring 2026.

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Exploring AI & Writing: Our Grant Showcase, June 13

Join colleagues from nine departments as we share insights from our year-long innovation grant projects on AI and writing, and lead an open conversation about how AI is reshaping writing—as a practice, a subject, and a form of assessment.

Exploring AI & Writing: Our Grant Showcase

June 13, 2025

1:30-3:30 pm

https://austincc.zoom.us/j/86883084313?pwd=KyR6USqn82HLlzo0FySzEvriXvmsHn.1&jst=3

Register by June 11 to be eligible for book giveaways (no registration is required to attend): https://forms.gle/4XNUDadpWZ26wmMA8

Questions? Contact Susan Meigs.

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Last Call🍷: CLS Profile 2024-2025--Faculty Contributions

Please send us contributions for our next CLS Profile (2024-25).  We'd love to see a picture of you and/or your students, including selfies with students and photos with colleagues at conferences--especially CLS activities (Don't forget to get signed photo permission forms from students)! Aside from photos, we are looking for contributions in as many categories as apply to you; you can also nominate a colleague's reading(s) or assignment(s)!  Keep details concrete and short. The first CLS Profile was a BIG SUCCESS! And we'd love to hear from loads and loads of our faculty for next years' profile! (Also, we'll ask for contributions through the first part of the Spring Term. This form will stay open--and feel free to share things as they come up.

Share your AWESOMENESS Here: Faculty Contributions for 2025 CLS Profile

Holler at Wendy Elle, Luanne Preston, or Dania Dwyer if you have questions or thoughts!

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Field of Study for English: Texas Transfer Advisory, comment by May 31

The proposed Field of Study for English was approved by the Texas Transfer Advisory Committee (TTAC) and has been posted to the Texas Register for a 30-day comment period. You can access the posting here: https://texas-sos.appianportalsgov.com/rules-and-meetings?interface=VIEW_TEXAS_REGISTER_SUMMARY&recordId=449984

Comments can be submitted to ahacomments@highered.texas.gov.

Learn more about the goal of  the Texas Transfer Advisory and Field of Study Curriculum at Texas Direct Overview. Briefly, from that website: 

Texas Direct provides seamless transfer degree pathways between two- and four-year institutions.

Students who complete the Texas Core Curriculum and Field of Study at any public two-year institution automatically qualify to receive an associate degree – the Texas Direct Transfer Degree. They are also qualified to transfer their courses as a block applied directly to their selected major.

Two CLS literature courses didn't make the approved courses list--Mexican American Lit (ENGL2351) and World Lit 2 (ENGL2333). 

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Advocate for Mexican American Literature, May 31 deadline

Please advocate for Mexican American Literature by submitting comments to the proposed Field of Study Curriculum (FOSC) for English recently posted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (more details about FOSC above). The current draft excludes ENGL 2351: Mexican American Literature as a foundational course—and we need to speak up.

This is a critical moment to make our voices heard. Mexican American Literature is essential to the study of English in Texas. It reflects the histories, identities, and voices of our communities, especially in a state where nearly 40% of the population is Hispanic and many of our students come from Mexican American backgrounds.

This exclusion is a missed opportunity to create a more representative, rigorous, and culturally responsive curriculum. Including this course supports student engagement, retention, and success, not to mention academic integrity.

How to Help: Send a short email to ahacomments@highered.texas.gov by May 31, 2025.  Here's a suggested email script(thanks Megan Wallace!): Template: ENGL2351 comments to TTAC.  Feel free to adapt or personalize this script. 

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Job Opportunity: OnRamps with UT, Apply by July 1

Check out position details or apply: OnRamps Rhetoric Position

Email jaime.babcock@austin.utexas.edu for more information about the position. 

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Please Promote: Volunteer with Harry Ransom Center, Apply by June 20

The Harry Ransom Center is seeking volunteers to engage the public with an internationally renowned humanities archive, museum, and research library.  Student, staff, and community members are encouraged to apply.  Check out volunteer opportunities or apply at https://www.hrc.utexas.edu/volunteer/.  

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Accessibility in Blackboard Courses

Moving forward, ACC and CLS want faculty to aim for a BB Accessibility score of 80% or higher. 

Resources for checking and fixing BB Accessibility in your courses:

Please check your BB accessibility score at the beginning of the spring 2025 semester and as you add new items to your courses throughout the semester.  Dean Toño Ramirez made this brief, helpful video to demo Accessibility Reports. If you need help fixing the accessibility of your Blackboard courses, you have resources!   

• Instructional design support is currently offering Workshop Sessions on Enhancing Accessibility. You can learn more or register here: DE Accessibility Training.  

• TLED has great resources on its Accessibility information page. 

• Within CLS, we are fortunate to have Amber Clontz helping folks get their Bb documents ADA reader-friendly at her Blackboard Q & A Office Hour on Fridays--see the Information further down the newsletter for how those office hours work!

• Trent Griggs shared the following materials related to the ADA Blackboard Compliance Training during a presentation at the CCCs:

Distance and Alternative Learning Website 

Accessibility Quick Guide

Blackboard Accessibility Orientation

Common Errors

Examples of Reasonable Accommodations

How to use Blackboard Ally