| Hello all. I am sure that you have seen the notifications that ACC will be closed on Thursday and Friday this week. Please note that all classes are canceled, including virtual classes. I realize that this means many of you will have to adjust your class schedules again. I am sorry that nature has added another twist in our semester and another item to your to-do list.Last week I asked about your current workloads and I want to acknowledge that over 90% of respondents said their workload increased for the same job two years ago. Accompanying that vote, I received numerous comments and suggestions around fatigue, burnout, and work-life balance. The emotion in your words was evident, disheartening, and not surprising. The Faculty Senate Leadership Team and I have been speaking to our administration and Board of Trustees about the exhaustion of our faculty since August. As discussed in my report to the Board of Trustees last night, the Faculty Senate Leadership Team is currently involved in ongoing conversations with the administration, particularly Provost Umphrey, to encourage purposeful actions to address these genuine concerns. While we can’t help with the weather, the Faculty Senate is working hard to advocate for you. I hope you have a least a few minutes to relax and refresh over the next two days. Stay safe and warm!~SamanthaSamantha Croft, Ph.D.[email protected] |
| The Standard Poll of the Week |
| If there were no restrictions for on-campus testing center usage, would you use it for your classes? Click here to vote! |
| Newsworthy Information |
| Students should verify library service hours Due to staffing challenges libraries may have temporarily shifted hours. Please encourage your students to verify the hours online before coming. Updated library hours: https://library.austincc.edu/loc |
| Academic Support Services Virtual Open House on Feb 16th. Faculty can learn about tutoring and the online tutoring process. Learn about embedded tutoring and how to get involved in adding Embedded tutors to your classroom. Supplemental Instruction and Academic Coaching are included in the presentations. There will even be breakout rooms where faculty can get questions answered. Faculty, Students, and Staff are invited, so share the information with your students. Registration is required.Register here. |
| Faculty Senate Meeting on Friday, February 11th All full-time faculty are encouraged to attend the Faculty Senate meeting on Friday, February 11th, from noon-1:30 pm. The agenda will be included in next week’s Standard. We are having two special guests. We will have an opportunity to meet our new Provost, Dr. Monique Umphrey. She will give us an overview of the Chancellor’s Priority work going on across the college and answer your questions. Submit any questions for Dr.Umphrey to our guest question submission form by Wednesday, February 9th at 9:00 am. |
| Class is now LIVE in Blackboard Class will enable ACC instructors to deliver engaging and collaborative learning experiences for employees and customers in a virtual setting. More details and information can be found here. |
| The Faculty Senate Wants To Hear From You! Email us any topics you would like discussed at a Faculty Senate meeting by clicking on the Contact Us! button at the bottom of this newsletter. |
| Available Opportunities |
| Donate to the Employee Emergency Fund If all ACC employees donated just $1 a month, we would have the funding necessary to develop a continual stream of resources for the Employee Emergency Fund. If you feel able to do so, we would very much appreciate your donations to the grant fund, loan fund, or both. One-time donations and or ongoing payroll deductions can both be made through the online Marketplace or by filling out the Payroll Deduction Authorization Form and emailing it to [email protected]. |
| In Case You Missed It |
| Important Reminders From Student Affairs Don’t miss these important reminders from Student Affairs for your Spring 2022 courses. Click on the link below for key information you’ll need for your students to be successful this semester. Topics include instructional testing centers, student accessibility services, student rights and responsibilities, and teaching online at accelerators.Click here to access these important reminders. |