Weekly (sort of) Newsletter

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New Honors Courses: Fall '25

We'll be offering some new courses in the Fall, two of which are approved by the college, and three on the verge of being approved:

• ENGL 1301, Composition I: Pop Culture (HLC, Dr. Brinda Roy)

• SPAN 1411, Spanish I: Mis chulas fronteras: The Music, Images, and Language of the Mexican and US Border (HLC, Ramiro Juarez)

• PHIL 2306, Ethics: Health, Sickness, and the Mysteries of Living a Good Life (TBD, Dr. Aran Gharibpour)

• BIOL 1406, Cellular and Molecular Biology: SEA-PHAGE Discovery (TBD, Dr. Kissaou Tchedre)

• ECON 2302: Principles of Microeconomics, Microeconomics in a Global World (HLC, Dr. Iris Diamond)--this course will replace the current Honors ECON 2302 course focusing on Entrepreneurs. 

Additional courses that are in development involve an Anatomy & Physiology sequence (one at RRC and another at EVC or HLC). We still hope to be able to offer both in the fall. 

Honors courses take a loooooooong time to develop and to be approved, so as much as we'd love to offer you more opportunities, doing so takes a bit more time and effort than you might expect. The good news is that we're growing, and more faculty are interested in offering these courses. 

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Paid, Two-week Summer Program at the U of Chicago

Please see the message below from Oliver Eagan, who is coordinating a summer workshop for students interested in deepening their knowledge about the philosophy and practice of "thinking" in public. Participation in the workshop will count for college credits, granted by the University of Chicago. Last year, our own Marisela Perez Maita was one of 16 students selected nationwide for this workshop. This year, they're offering two workshops, so they will be selecting more students. If you apply and are accepted, please let me know! 

Dear ACC Riverbats, 

I encourage you to check out The Point magazine’s Summer Workshop on public thinking and writing (co-sponsored by The Point and the Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse at the University of Chicago). This fully-funded, two-week program is designed for undergraduate students interested in journalism, criticism, politics, art, and nonprofit work who want to learn about and practice engaging the public through dialogue and writing. This year, The Point will host two workshops at UChicago. The first, on “Art and Immorality,” will be taught by philosopher and Point editor Anastasia Berg and Point editor Jon Baskin. The second, on "Democracy and the Elites," will be taught by philosopher Agnes Callard and political scientist and Point editor Jonny Thakkar. Both workshops will take place at the UChicago campus from August 4th–August 15. You can apply to one or both workshops in the Point-specific section of the application. Applicants may apply to their desired program, but if they wish to be considered for both programs, they may choose so in the application portal. Students who are open to participating in either program do not need to fill out an extra application. Applications are due by March 5.

If you’re interested in learning more, register for one of our Zoom information sessions, which will take place Tuesday, February 4 at 11 AM ET and Tuesday, February 11 at 3 PM ET here or contact workshop coordinator Oliver Eagan with questions at oeagan@thepointmag.com.

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Extended Deadline for (Free) Summer Enrichment Trip to NY: 1/31

OK, y'all, this is one of the best deals we offer: a week-long, all-expenses-paid educational and enrichment trip to the Chautauqua Institution. It's called the Summer Scholars Program, and over the last three years, we have sent seven ACC Honors Program students (which is actually a large number when you consider that the opportunity is only available to 24 students nationwide every July). 

Intrigued? OK, check your eligibility. Do you meet the following requirements?

• Have taken at least one Honors course or are registered for a class in Spring '25 (Organizers will verify with us)

• A Community College student in an Honors program who intends to transfer to a 4-yr institution in Fall '26

• Pell Grant-eligible (per FAFSA)

• a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident who is 18-25 years of age

• Intellectually curious & interested in meeting new people & forming new connections

• Participating (or interested) in extracurricular activities, research, community service, etc.

• Able to walk 2+ miles per day

If you're eligible, pre-apply by 1/31. Put my name down as the person who referred you: Dr. Anne-Marie Thomas

If students demonstrate real interest and seem to be a good fit on their pre-application, they will be invited to complete a full application.

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Bat Chats x Honors Program (Get a Leadership Credit)

This year, Student Life has invited eligible Honors students (must have taken or be enrolled in one Honors class) to create an Honors edition of Bat Chats. These are a lot like TED Talks, and students who participate will fulfill the leadership requirement for the Honors Scholar tier. You can form a panel with other Honors students (perhaps specific to material from a particular Honors course you've taken), or else you can conduct a solo chat. Here is the link for the application, which is due February 16th.

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Past Bat Chats Titles & Descriptions

• Sample Bat Chat Topics

• Honors Program Topics for the Application:

  • Topics on subject matters they are discussing in their Honors classes

  • Discussing why they became an Honors student and how it has impacted their ACC career

  • Panel of Honors Program students discussing the program 

When completing the form, make sure to select the “Honors Program” option (see photo for reference) to ensure your application is associated with our program.

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Competitive University Transfer Panel: 2/12

Back by popular demand is our Honors alumni transfer panel--except this time, we'll have UT students in the house. 

As part of Transfer Week, the Honors Program is partnering with Transfer Services to feature a panel of six ACC Honors Program alumni who have transferred to highly competitive institutions/programs: Brown, Yale, UT, and Rutgers. Want the inside scoop on how they did it? Join us for a wide-ranging discussion of transfer tips, scholarships, and more! LIght refreshments provided. 

Register here. Attending remotely? Zoom registration link is here. For questions, contact honors@austincc.edu

*Featured UT students will attend in person; out-of-state students will participate via Zoom.

Wednesday, February 12th, 6:00 pm-7:30 pm, Highland Campus Building 2000 (Presentation Hall, Rm 1550) 

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Showcase Your Research: Research Symposium

The Liberal Arts Gateway program, whose stated goal is to "provide a platform for students from diverse disciplines to present their research projects, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange," is sponsoring a Student Research Symposium to be held on Friday, April 18th. As with publishing in Curiositas, presenting in this forum will provide a nice line on your résumé and enhance your transfer applications; feel free to use projects from this semester. Submission details are here, and the deadline is February 29th. 

Projects for all ACC courses will be considered. Several Honors projects were showcased last year, so we'd love to see even more this time. 

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HSO Spring Schedule

The Honors Student Organization (HSO) is raring to go for spring. Join up now and get to know your fellow Honors Riverbats! 

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Submit to the Hothouse Literary Journal (UT)

Hothouse Literary Journal, the official literary journal of UT's Department of English, is currently requesting submissions. Last year, Honors student Genevieve Kent Elbaor published a poem in the spring edition. From Editor-in-Chief Charlie Sharpe: 

Dear undergraduates,

We're happy to announce that the official literary journal of The University of Texas at Austin’s Department of English, Hothouse, is accepting submissions for the 2024-2025 print edition! We accept submissions from undergraduate students all over Texas. We are looking for fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.

Though we accept submissions on a rolling basis, you must submit your work by March 15th, 2025 to be considered for the print journal.

If you would like to review the full guidelines, including how to format your writing, you can find them on the Hothouse website, https://hothouselitjournal.com. 

If you have any questions about the submission process, feel free to contact us at uthothouse.editor@gmail.com.

We look forward to reviewing your submissions!

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(Paid) City of Austin Internship: Youth Forest Council

For the last couple of years, the City of Austin has been recruiting Honors students to serve as student interns, and they report that the interns from Honors are some of the most engaged and involved. Here are the details from coordinator Britney Huynh: 

Our program is open to young people in Austin between the ages of 16-20. Interns get the opportunity to do service projects that support our urban forest and build professional skills, while earning $21.63/hr. Applications are due March 15, 2025. We’d love to have more ACC students apply!

Britney will host two info sessions, and Honors Youth Forest Council alum Lydian DiDonato will join the 2/10 session.  

Friday, Feb 7 at 10-10:30am: https://zoom.us/j/94723034459

Monday, Feb 10 at 4-4:30pm: https://zoom.us/j/93505088745