THE SENATE STANDARD – ISSUE 33
ACC Full-Time Faculty Senate Website
ACC Coronavirus page
Dear Faculty Colleagues,
This is our last week of the semester with our students. Next week it is all grading and wrap up. For now, I encourage all of you to take a moment to celebrate our students in whatever way works for you. This has been a challenging time, but we are getting through it, together.
This week’s Standard is all about finishing with a bang, and looking forward.
Senate Meetings / Minutes / Agendas
5/8/20 Senate Meeting – Minutes for this meeting are now being approved by our senators. As soon as they are approved, I will share them.
6/12/20 Senate Meeting noon -2pm – This is the first call for agenda items for our June meeting. Please send items for consideration to me at [email protected] or to your campus senator by Friday, June 5. Details for how to join this meeting online can be found on the Senate Calendar. You can also add the event (and online joining details) to your own calendar by clicking the link above.
Newsworthy
Thinking about Returning to Campuses – I know this issue is very much on everyone’s minds. How and when will we do this? What are some good ideas for keeping everyone safe?
ACC is addressing these issues on many fronts. We have a committee focused on safety considerations for returning to campus. We have other groups focused on instructional concerns and student support while online and transitioning back to campuses. Provost Cook just shared with me a “Checklist” for returning to campus that was compiled by THECB (Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board). These are just some of the examples of the information being considered as we work to provide ACC students with an excellent education moving forward. I promise to keep you all in the loop as to developments on this issue.
Senate Meeting (5/8/2020) – Resources from our Discussion – At our most recent Senate meeting, there was a lot of discussion about supporting our students in our new online world. I want to share with you all some resources that were offered by our colleagues, so all faculty can make use of them as they see fit.
• Faculty member Larry Stephens suggests sending an email to your students to get them ready to be successful at using Blackboard. He offers this as a template for you to create your own.
• Our office of Distance Education has been creating content for students to help them prepare for online learning. They are in communication with our General Studies office to investigate the possibility of sharing some of this information in our EDUC 1300 courses. Students who need help with Blackboard should be given these contacts:
• Blackboard Help Desk for Students:
Phone: 512-223-4636
Email: [email protected]
• For faculty who want to learn more about leading classes online, a list of trainings available for this summer is being compiled. I will share it with you in a future Standard. Also keep your eyes peeled for newsletters from TLED.
Faculty Portal – As you have heard, we will be getting a new online resource for faculty. The new portal will be available starting on June 1. Keep your eyes peeled for emails about this important new tool. I’ll share a link when it is available.
The “Stay on Track” campaign – Our marketing department has worked hard to let people know about all ACC is doing to help students stay on track. I’ve been asked to share the most recent ACC commercial with all of you. Feel free to share it on social media if you are so inclined. (Full disclosure – I appear in the ad, along with several other of our colleagues!)
ACC Online Commencement – ACC graduation is going online! Please join us on Saturday, June 6, 2020 @11am as we celebrate the class of 2020. They’ve been through a lot, and deserve to be recognized. Follow the link above to learn more. Remember to share this information with your students, too. Hope to see you there!
New Action Items [please check due dates below!]
Updates and Reminders on End of Semester Issues – On May 7, Mike Midgley sent out an important email with the subject line above. Please take a peek and ensure that you are up to date on all these issues.
Grades Due [May 20 @5pm] – Please be sure to submit your grades by the deadline so our students can access this important information.
Current Action Items (These are reminders for things I’ve already sent out):
Scholarship Advisory Group – Faculty are invited to participate in the group that will determine how this year’s student scholarships will be awarded. Please take a moment to review the document explaining this opportunity to serve our students. I hope many of you will join in this important effort.
Annual Educational Level Adjustment [due July 31] – Human Resources is now going through the process of updating faculty education levels. If you received a new degree this year, please review the announcement and the form for more details.
Best,
++missi patterson