Weekly (sort of) Newsletter

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.

We're dealing with an unusually high volume of calls/emails since we opened the registration request form on the 6th. We're working diligently to answer your queries, but it may take us a bit more time than usual.

Questions? Contact honors@austincc.edu

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ACC Astronomy Club Dark Energy Conference, 11/4

DARK ENERGY: GENERAL CONFERENCE
When: Tuesday, November 4 | 5:30–8:00 PM
Where: Highland Campus, Building 2000, 1st Floor, Room 1550 (Presentation Hall)

What’s Happening:
- Keynote talk on dark energy, the most mysterious force in the universe
- Presentation from Club President on the club’s first year at ACC
- Social hour with dinner and live music to close the evening

This event will bring together science, leadership, and music — featuring Professor Heath, ACC Leadership, and club officers — for a night of ideas, celebration, and community.

Join the club's Discord server to learn more: https://discord.gg/Z7Fws69Grr

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ACC Music Presents: Find Your Voice, 11/5

Honors Psychology major Genevieve Kent Elbaor will be playing traditional Zimbabwean folk music with Kupira Marimba in the Music Department's "Find Your Voice" concert series on Wednesday, November 5th, at 7pm. Join the group at Highland Recital Hall in Building 2000. Details and registration are here.

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UT YCS Fellows Application Open, Deadline 11/9

You all would have received a very long email last week about this annual opportunity, so here is the short version:

We are thrilled to announce the sixth year of our partnership with UT Austin's Youth and Community Studies. One of the major goals of the ACC Honors Program is to offer our students civic leadership training that will enhance both their transfer opportunities and their résumés. Thus we have partnered with UT’s College of Education, whose faculty and staff have designed two academic and experiential learning opportunities for a maximum of 40 ACC Honors students. All Honors students who have taken/are taking a minimum of one Honors course (or are registered for Honors courses in Spring 2026) are eligible. All majors are welcome to apply.

We can take a maximum of 40 applicants, so apply to become a YCS Fellow today. The deadline for applications is November 9th (11:59 pm). Honors Program staff will verify your eligibility. Students will receive notification of acceptance by November 17th.

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Civic Deliberation Simulation: Center for Government and Civic Service + UT Austin: 11/8

The folks over at the ACC Center for Government and Civic Service have a new civic leadership opportunity for you! Participation in three of these simulations will satisfy the Honors Scholar leadership requirement. See details from the organizers:

This event will be on Saturday, November 8th and will be a Civic Deliberation Simulation focused on the July 4th flash flood in Central Texas. Students will learn about the flash flood’s response and recovery efforts, collaborate with others to discuss social and technical challenges in crisis response, and contribute design ideas that could grow into future capstone projects, volunteer initiatives, or entrepreneurial efforts.

Students will also have the opportunity to get training with UT Social Informatics Professor Brian McInnis on facilitation and conversation design. Students can register for participation in the following link:

https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_38xQEHhpg7ZP0Uu

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Swarthmore College Info Session: HLC, 11/13 (Hyflex Room reserved)

Remember I was telling you to consider schools like "Little Ivies," since they often provide a lot of financial aid? Check out the upcoming transfer info session with Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Ranked #4 Liberal Arts College in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, it's one of the nation's most diverse colleges, and the administration is committed to meeting 100% of determined financial need. In a rare opportunity, the Vice President and Dean of Admissions Jim Bock--who happens to be an Austin McCallum HS grad--will be meeting ACC Honors Program students in person at 4:00 pm on Thursday, November 13th at HLC. (Register here.) Bring your questions about transfer and financial aid.

Details about Swarthmore from Jim: Swarthmore is a residential liberal arts and engineering college of about 1,700 students located 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia. We offer more than 40 majors and minors in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences—plus pre-med, pre-vet, and pre-law advising. To make Swarthmore affordable for all students regardless of their socioeconomic background, we meet 100% of determined financial need through loan-free financial aid awards. In addition, Swarthmore is a cash-free campus, which means there are no extra fees for things like laundry, printing, concerts, and movie nights. We also provide free SEPTA train passes for all students to access the Philadelphia area, directly from the train on campus. For more on our community and admissions process, please view our website at https://www.swarthmore.edu/ or visit our transfer admissions page at https://www.swarthmore.edu/admissions-aid/apply-a-transfer-student.

When: Thursday, November 14th at 4:00 pm

Where: HLC building 1000, Room 2414 or via Zoom

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Bat Chats x Honors Program: HLC, 11/13

As you may know, Student Life asked us to partner with them to host an Honors-themed Bat Chat (sort of like a TED Talk, but with snacks). The coordinators reviewed a number of applications by Honors Program students and ultimately selected Brandon Choi, who will be presenting "Yeoyu: Finding Happiness Through Space in the Mind,” a discussion of the Korean idea called yeoyu—which means “spare space”—changed the way he thinks about happiness.

Designed with ACC Honors students in mind—and grounded in a uniquely Korean cultural perspective—this talk will offer practical tools for avoiding burnout and sustaining a healthy, balanced sense of ambition. (Also, if you're interested in presenting your own "Bat Chat X Honors Program" in order to satisfy the leadership requirement for the Honors Scholar tier, it'll be helpful to see one of these in action. Full disclosure: the Student Life coordinators select the candidates, not me or any Honors faculty or staff.)

Come see us at the Make It Center on November 13th, or plan to join via Zoom! Register here.

November 13th | 2:00-4:00pm | Highland Campus - Make it Center (Building 2000, Room 2429)

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The Honors Student Organization (HSO) Is Seeking New Officers

Are you a member of the HSO yet? You should be. Here is their call for officers:

Are you hoping to fulfill your Honors Scholar leadership requirements or looking for a way to get more involved in the Honors community? The Honors Student Organization (HSO) has an exciting opportunity for you! We are thrilled to announce that nominations are now open for two officer positions for the Spring 2026 HSO Officer Team:

Secretary
Officer of Service Projects

These positions are a great opportunity to jump into leadership, gain experience, and help shape the direction of HSO. You’ll work alongside a dedicated officer team to organize events, support fellow Honors students, and strengthen our community across campuses.

Election Timeline

Deadline for Nominations: Monday, November 17, 11:59 p.m.
Voting Period: Friday, November 21 – December 5, 11:59 p.m.
New Officers Announced: Thursday, December 11 at the HSO White Elephant Party
(Official email announcement sent Friday, December 12)

Requirements & Details

Must have a minimum GPA of 3.25
Must have completed or promise to complete at least one Honors course within one academic year of election
Officers serve for at least one semester (President serves for the full academic year)
Must attend regular member meetings and officer meetings, and assist with planning and hosting HSO events

Position Descriptions

Secretary
The Secretary shall take minutes at all meetings of the organization, keep these on file, and submit copies to organization members upon request. They will handle all organization correspondence and upload copies to the HSO MySL “Documents Tab” for reference. The Secretary also maintains membership records for the organization.

Officer of Service Projects
The Officer of Service Projects coordinates and leads volunteer and service events that allow members to earn Honors Program service hours. This officer works closely with Student Life, the Honors Program, community partners, and other campus organizations to provide meaningful opportunities aligned with HSO’s values of leadership, community, and academic engagement.

How to Nominate

If you’re interested in running for one of these open positions, nominate yourself using the Spring 2026 HSO Officer Self Nomination Form.
You may nominate yourself for more than one position, but please complete a separate form for each role.

Each nomination must include a short video (1:30–2:00 minutes) introducing yourself, your qualifications, and why you’re the best candidate for the position.

Videos should be recorded in a quiet, well-lit space.

If you have any questions about the nomination process or officer responsibilities, please contact HSO Advisor Jana McCarthy at jana.mccarthy@austincc.edu.

Why Get Involved?

Becoming an officer is a rewarding way to network across ACC campuses, work closely with faculty and peers, and develop your leadership skills. You’ll help foster community, contribute to meaningful projects, and carry on the legacy of excellence that defines HSO. We look forward to welcoming new officers who will continue to build on our mission of service, leadership, and community in the semesters ahead.

The Scholarship Society Is Seeking Campus Representatives

The Scholarship Society has quite a few openings for campus representatives, so if you are interested, please submit this interest form.

Honors Study Abroad: Painting II in Italy

We're really happy to announce our new Study Abroad course: Painting II (ARTS 2317), which is a five-week course (May 20-June 20), taught by our own Professor Shawn Camp in Florence, Italy! For more information, please visit Study Abroad.

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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 when applications open on November 11th; 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 will be available on this site on November 11th. 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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Smith College Virtual Transfer Info Sessions

Did you know that ACC Honors Program students transfer to Ivy League School, "little Ivies," and top 10 public schools? In the last couple of years, we've had students transfer to Yale, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, and a wide variety of competitive public universities across the country, UT among them. So when I send out opportunities that seem to be beyond your reach, please don't immediately discount them. I'd like to see you really examine the opportunities--especially if funding is offered. This week we're featuring Smith College, a women's college in Northampton, Massachusetts that is quite generous with financial aid (and has pledged to provide free tuition beginning in Fall 2026 for those who have annual family incomes of $150,000 or less). Here are a few highlights:

Transfers can apply with 16 - 64 credits: we consider carefully each transfer's academic record on a case-by-case basis and provide a full credit evaluation at the time of admission.
We also have a program for non-traditional transfers: Ada Comstock Scholars are 24 or older and can apply with 48 to 64 credits.
All transfers are eligible for generous financial aid: We meet 100% of each student's demonstrated financial need without loans.
Unique housing system: Our 41 self-governed student houses are age-diverse and foster an immediate sense of belonging.
Five College Consortium: Our partnership in the Five College Consortium provides access to over 7,000 courses on our partner campuses plus additional clubs, libraries and special collections.

Smith will be hosting virtual transfer info sessions in October and November. Go here, scroll to "Virtual Transfer Q&A" and then click the calendar to find the links for these dates (note that the times listed are Eastern Standard Time):

Nov 7th from 3-4pm (ET)
Nov 13th from 6-7pm (ET)

You are also encouraged to fill out Smith's Information Request Form.

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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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