THE SENATE STANDARD – ISSUE 23
ACC Full-Time Faculty Senate Website
Dear Faculty Colleagues,
This week’s standard has some reminders about our Academic Master Planning process, as well as Testing Center updates and scholarship opportunities. Please take a moment to get all the new information you need this week.
I’ll be at the TCCTA convention (Texas Community College Teachers Association) for the latter part of this week, so I may be a little slower to respond to email as compared to usual. On the happy side, if you are going too, I’d love to meet up there and hear how you feel about the Senate efforts this year. Email me if you want to connect in Frisco! [email protected]
Senate Meetings / Minutes / Agendas
2/14/20 Senate Meeting – Minutes will be approved and posted this week. I’ll send a separate email once they are complete.
3/13/20 Senate Meeting – noon to 2pm HBC 301 – This is the second and final call for agenda items for our March meeting. Please send items for consideration to me at [email protected] or to your campus senator by March 4.
Newsworthy
The Academic Master Planning (AMP) process will continue on March 27 with the second round of Area of Study meetings. Learn more about it on the timeline portion of the AMP website. Reach out to your department chair or dean if you want to be a part of your Area of Study team!
Changes to Testing Center Policies – Work is currently being done to create a website with information providing more details about new policies for using the testing centers. I will share the link with you once it is available. I’ve been helping with an FAQ, so if you have questions about the February 3 memo from Provost Charles Cook (subject line “[Full-Time Faculty] Update – Testing Center Guidelines”) please send them my way. I can report that due to some concerns from our Distance Education Committee, Dr. Cook has agreed to increase the number of tests that can be given in the testing centers for online courses. Distance education instructors can now make use of the testing centers to give 6, rather than 4 tests per semester.
New Action Items [please check due dates below!]
PSAA Nominations [due March 25] – The Presidential Student Achievement Award (PSAA) is the most prestigious student award given by ACC. The recipient must demonstrate academic excellence, service to the college and community, and commitment to ACC values and vision. Does this sound like one of your students? Submit a nomination to acknowledge their hard work and dedication.
In addition to speaking at graduation, the recipient receives a $500 award and a plaque. To qualify for the award, candidates must be graduating in Spring 2020, have a 3.5+ cumulative GPA, meet satisfactory levels of financial and academic responsibility, and be in good standing within the Student Standards of Conduct (Student Life will confirm eligibility upon submission).
Help us recognize the outstanding students at ACC by submitting a nomination this week! Nominations can come from anyone on campus, including faculty, staff and students. Use this link to begin: PSAA Nomination Form
Please contact [email protected] with any questions.
Current Action Items (These are reminders for things I’ve already sent out):
Faculty Portal – [due 2/26- LAST REMINDER!] Work is ongoing to create our new faculty portal. There is a new project manager and user interface specialists helping move this work forward. I’ve been invited to represent the Senate in meetings to ensure that the new site serves faculty well, so if you have suggestions for what you would like to see on an inward-facing site to help you keep up with your work and college policies, please let me know.
Job Opportunity at Tarrant County Community College – [due March 3 – LAST REMINDER!] – Our HR department informed me that Tarrant is searching for a new VP for Academic Affairs. “The VP for Academic Affairs serves as the chief academic officer for the campus, participates in teaching and learning policy and program review, and provides leadership to enhance student learning and success. To ensure full consideration, completed applications are due by March 3, 2020. The search page, which includes the Executive Search Profile and application and nomination links, is located here.”
ACC Climate Survey [due March 6, 2020] You can find more information in an email entitled “[Employee Climate Survey] Be an Influencer! ACC Employee Climate Survey”, or go directly to the survey ACC Employee Climate Survey Spring 2020 .
SCHOLARSHIPS!!! [due April 1, 2020] As mentioned in the last Standard, the ACC Foundation has ONE APPLICATION for all 700 scholarships they offer our students. Applications are open now, so please let your students know about them. There is help to complete the applications available at every ACCelerator. Students can view THIS PAGE to get the application, and help to apply.
Rio Grande Attache Building Cleanout [due February 28-LAST REMINDER!] – Due to upcoming construction, this entire building needs to be cleaned out. If you have anything in the building, February 28 is the final deadline to get your things out. Anything left after that date will be disposed of.
Best,
++missi patterson