Weekly (sort of) Newsletter

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Spring '26 Registration

While classes are filling up, we still have seats available in a few disciplines. For some full classes, we're already making our way through our internal waitlists--we generally see a lot of movement between now and January, as students make changes to their schedules. If you'd like to select a class, make sure to use the registration request form.   

As of right now, the following Spring Honors course still have open spots:

S26 Composition II: Queer Writings:  Stories by and about LGBTQIA+ People (ENGL 1302 702), MW 1:30 - 2:50 (RGC)

S26 American Literature II: Post-Civil War African-American Writers: 1865 and Beyond (ENGL 2328 701), MW 1:30 - 2:50 (RRC)

S26 Spanish II: Ritmos del Caribe: The Music, Slang, and Culture of the Caribbean (SPAN 1412 701), MW 9:00 - 10:50 (HLC)

The following courses currently have small waitlists:

S26 Intro to Speech: Leveraging Your Strengths to Lead (SPCH 1311 701), TTH 1:30 - 2:50 (RRC)

S26 Ethics: Health, Sickness, and the Mysteries of Living a Good Life (PHIL 2306 700), MW 10:30 - 11:50 (EVC)

S26 Calculus II: Applications in Engineering & Physical Sciences (MATH 2414 700), MW 3:00 - 4:45 (RVS)

S26 Calculus III: Data Sciences Applications (MATH 2415 701), TTH  1:00 - 2:45 (HLC)

S26 World Literature I: Sense, Sex, & Transcendence (ENGL 2332 700), TTH 1:30 - 2:50 (RGC)

S26 Organic Chemistry II Lab (CHEM 2125 700), TH 10:30 - 1:20 (RRC)

S26 Painting II (ARTS 2317 700), TTH 1:30 - 4:10 (HLC)

Questions? Contact honors@austincc.edu

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Southwestern University Virtual Transfer Info Sessions, 11/18 & 11/21

Discover Your Next Step: Transfer to Southwestern University

Virtual Information Sessions – November 18 and November 21

Are you planning your next move after ACC? Join us for a virtual information session to learn how you can transfer to Southwestern University—a nationally recognized liberal arts university where small classes, personal connections, and hands-on learning lead to big opportunities.

During this session, you’ll hear directly from our Transfer Admission team about:
· How to make a seamless transfer to Southwestern University
· Scholarships and financial aid available to transfer students
· The Paideia approach to education that connects what you learn in and out of the classroom
· Student life, campus involvement, and what makes the Southwestern experience unique
· And much more!

Register today to reserve your spot:
· Tuesday, November 18 at 4:00 PM (Zoom registration here)
· Friday, November 21 at 12:00 PM (Zoom registration here) 

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Honors Texas Writers (ENGL 1302) Featured on KVUE News

Joe O'Connell's ENGL 1302 (Composition II) class was featured on KVUE last week as they visited the O. Henry Museum on East 5th Street. Check it out! (Our LinkedIn game is a little weak, so give our post a boost if you're so inclined.)

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HSO Symposium: Take Control of Your Money, 11/18

The Honors Student Organization (HSO) is hosting a workshop with ACC's money management team; come learn strategies to beef up your financial skills.

Tuesday, November 18 2025 at 3:00 PM

Highland Campus Building 2000 Room 1410

Register here. 

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Sign Up for ACC Transfer Tour to TXST

Please join ACC Transfer Services on a tour and information session of Texas State University.

Registration required. Space is limited so please register early!

Register Here

Date: Friday, December 5

Location, departure and arrival times for each campus are below:

•  Hays Campus: arrive by 8:30 a.m., estimated return is 1:30 p.m. 

• Highland Campus: arrive by 8:30 a.m., estimated return is 2:00 p.m. 

• Round Rock Campus:  arrive by 7:30 a.m., estimated return is 2:30 p.m. 

• South Austin Campus: arrive by 8:00 a.m., estimated return is 2:00 p.m. 

***Dual credit and Early College High School students are not eligible for this trip.***

Trip will include:

• Transfer Admissions Info Session

• Campus Tour

• Lunch at a Texas State dining hall

For questions please contact Marisa Rodriguez Serrano at mrodrig6@austincc.edu

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UT Day at ACC, 11/20

Join representatives from admissions and academic departments at Highland Campus this Thursday, November 20, from 12–4 p.m. for an afternoon of presentations, info sessions, and resource tabling.

Presentations will take place in the Make-It Center, and tabling will be held on the lower level of Highland Building 2000 (near the ACC Grab and Go),

Tentative Schedule of Presentations:
12:00    Admissions
12:30    Admissions Q&A
1:00     McCombs School of Business
1:20     College of Natural Sciences
1:40     Moody College of Communication
2:00     College of Liberal Arts
2:20     Cockrell School of Engineering
2:40     Steve Hicks School of Social Work
3:00     College of Fine Arts
3:20      Transfer-Year Experience & New Wave Longhorns 

Learn more and register at bit.ly/UTatACC

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Student Input Needed

SGA (Student Government Association) needs your input on the kind of transfer event you'd like to see; please fill out this short form with your preferences. 

ACC has recently approved an inclusive, quiet space that students can use for meditation, reflection, and prayer. Student leaders are gathering student input on a welcoming, neutral name; here is the survey. 

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College and Career Mentorship Experience

College Contact is partnering with high schools across Texas to provide one-on-one college and career guidance — and they’re looking for ACC students to serve as mentors! This role is a great way for students to gain professional experience, earn income, and make a positive impact on their community. Mentorships are 100% virtual, with flexible hours, a guaranteed semesterly stipend, and bonus opportunities. Here’s a short video and the link to apply. 

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Chess Collegiate Championship

Check Mates is looking for one more person to join their team at the January 2026 Pan-American Collegiate Championship. Application and details are here. 

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Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Non-voting Member Nomination

Would you like to join high-level deliberations about higher education in Texas? Then nominate yourself or someone else to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board!

Qualifications:

For initial consideration, nominees must meet the following minimum criteria.

• Be enrolled as an undergraduate student at ACC.

• Be in good academic standing with no disciplinary/conduct infractions.

• Commit to fulfill all board related responsibilities during their term of service.

• Have a strong drive and self-motivation to contribute to the progress of higher education in Texas. 

To Nominate click here.

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Fulbright UK Summer Institutes

Have you spent almost no time outisde of North America? Interested in studying at a university in the United Kingdom this summer? Then plan to apply to the Fulbright UK Summer Institutes; the institute covers airfare, accommodations, tuition and fees, and some meals. 

Eligibility requirements: 

• Be a US citizen and possess a US passport 

• Have had no or very little study/travel experience outside of North America 

• Have a minimum GPA of 3.6

• Be at least 18 years old

• Be able to participate in the program in its entirety 

• Have at least two years of undergraduate study remaining after the Institute finishes 

• Not participate in any other study abroad programs during the Summer of 2026.

 Applications are available on this site. If you apply and are accepted, by all means let me know.  

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Richard Macksey National Undergraduate Symposium at Johns Hopkins

Last year, Honors student Eva Ritchie's paper, “Good Grief! Confucius and Cicero’s Expressions of Bereavement,” was accepted for inclusion in the 2025 Richard Macksey National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium, which showcases student work across all fields of the humanities. Eva, a Government major who wrote the essay for Dr. Wendy Elle’s Honors World Literature I class, traveled to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore to present it. The 2026 conference will take place on March 19-21, and the deadline for submission is December 1st. 

JHU instructions: Application instructions can be found on the Apply page of the symposium website. Notifications of acceptance to the conference will be made at the end of December. Early bird registration (by January 15) will be $150. Regular registration (by January 31) will be $185. 

A small number of fee waivers and travel scholarships will be available; instructions for applying for this funding will be sent along with conference acceptances in late December. More information about the conference schedule and logistics can be found on the

Attendance Information page of our website.  

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Research Experiences for Community College Students Project

Honors Psychology major Soul Stough has put together a helpful website collating a number of research opportunities for community college students--which, although they do exist (and you've already seen some of your Honors Riverbat peers take advantage of them), are not as common as the typical four-year undergraduate research experience. Some of these opportunities include funding. 

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Ready to Become an Honors Scholar?

While taking an Honors class can certainly enhance your transfer applications, becoming an Honors Scholar--a student who takes at least three honors courses, maintains a 3.5 GPA, and engages in select leadership and service activities--can set you apart from your peers in ways that admissions committees find appealing. Becoming an Honors Scholar, for example, will grant you automatic admission to the UT Dallas Hobson Wildenthal Honors College. (We should have that transfer agreement finalized by the end of the fall semester.) 

Honors Scholars receive recognition on their transcripts, a digital badge, and honor stoles for graduation ceremonies. For an explanation of the kinds of leadership and service activities required, visit the Honors Scholar page. 

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