By | September 7, 2021
Hello everyone! I hope your semester is off to a great start with working technology and students reading their syllabus. I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself, as I will be a regular occupant of your email inbox this year. I am a Professor in the Biology department, lead of the Teaching and Learning Academy, and a former ACC student. Now I have the illustrious honor of serving as your President of the Faculty Senate, a role that I am delighted and humbled to serve. This school year is off to an exciting start and appears to be as unpredictable as its predecessor.  Unfortunately, public health crises have no regard for our requests or best-laid plans! So, where do we go from here? It feels like we are in a state of limbo to many, waiting to see what COVID will do next and the fate of pending litigation around safety procedures. While we may not directly control either of these things, the Faculty Senate can ensure the will of the faculty is known and represented in decision-making processes at ACC.
My top priority is to foster communication between the entire faculty body and the Senate. All too frequently, only a small percentage of faculty actively engage with shared governance at ACC, effectively causing the voice of the faculty to be represented by a select few.  This is a fallacy of representation and results in faculty members feeling unseen and unheard. I encourage you to break this pattern. The Faculty Senate is a direct line to having your ideas and concerns heard. In this vein, the Faculty Senate Leadership Team created a short survey to get input from faculty assigned to teach on campus in Fall 2021. The information from this survey will inform our discussions next week with the administration concerning the college’s return to campus. There will be subsequent opportunities for all faculty to give input as the discussion continues. 
I look forward to partnering with you as we bring the voice of the faculty forward. Until next time, stay safe!

~Samantha Samantha Croft, Ph.D.[email protected]
Newsworthy Information
Info that Faculty May Need to Know documentACC’s COVID procedures are updating at a breakneck pace right now. Samantha has made a document to consolidate COVID-related information for faculty. It includes where to find information and answers to many commonly asked questions. Email her any unanswered questions. Open the document.
Survey to Gauge Faculty Opinion on Campus Return  Please complete this short survey if your face-to-face class was shifted online the first three weeks or has not yet begun. The survey closes on Monday, September 6th, at 11:59 pm.Take the survey.
Comment on new SG policies and AR revisionsThe Shared Governance Review Council invites you to comment on the draft AR 3.05.005 revisions and new Guidelines/Procedures by September 30.  Reference which document and the line number of the edit in the email. Thanks to Dr. Missi Patterson, Vice-Chair SGRC 20-21, for her work and initiative on this, and to members of ASC, ASAC, and SGRC who provided input and suggestions last year.Send comments to Irene Castillo-Alonzo [email protected].
Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda ItemsEmail any topics you would like discussed at the September 10th Faculty Senate meeting by clicking on the Contact Us! button.
Available Opportunities 
Riverbats Bravo Award Committee Members NeededTwo full-time faculty are needed to join this award selection committee. Click on the Contact Us! button to email your interest.