By | September 6, 2023
Senate Standard
I would like to invite all to the first Faculty Senate meeting of the year.  Remember our meetings are hybrid now, so you can participate virtually and in person.

A few remarks to have a smoother Senate meeting experience:
*The sign in process will use the Google Form. Senator names have been pre populated into the form; guests should use “Other” and then enter their Name and eID. 
*Regardless of modality, all voting shall take place via Zoom. 
*Green checkmark = yay; red X = nay; coffee cup = abstain
*This will allow streamlined voting and remove the complexities of having two rounds of counting
*During the meeting, the following tasks shall be split up across Senate Officers:
*Monitoring parliamentary procedure – Parliamentarian (Jordan)
*Time keeper – Monitor time and confer with Parliamentarian to ensure adherence to the agenda
*Zoom monitor who will be responsible for:
*admitting attendees (if this feature is activated)
*monitoring chat box and ensuring presiding officer is aware of comments raised there
*sharing files and links in the chat box as appropriate.
Juan
[email protected] 
September 8, 2023 Senate Meeting: Tentative Agenda
Our next Senate meeting is Friday, September 8 (12:00 – 1:30 pm at HLC 4.1130.02 and via Zoom). Everyone is invited to attend, not just Senators.

Faculty Senate Meeting
Friday, September 8, 2023
HLC 4.1130.02
Zoom Sign In
Noon – 1:30 PM

Reminders: A note from the Senate Parliamentarian:
*Just a reminder that we try to keep substantive discussion/comments/questions out of the chat, whenever possible. It is hard for the Leadership Team to monitor discussions in the chat and outside it at the same time. Could everyone please use the ‘raise hand’ reaction if you want to ask questions or make comments? Thank you!
House Bill 8 Learning Opportunities
There will be a few opportunities in the coming weeks to learn more about the changes to how higher education is funded in the state of Texas. Dr. Gaye Lynn Scott and Dr. Jenna Cullinane Hege will offer three in person opportunities for anyone to attend and learn more about House bill 8 and its impact to ACC.


Service to Faculty Senate Committees
Thanks to the faculty who stepped up and volunteered to participate in our shared governance.  I will be informing committee members of their assignments in the coming days.  Again, many thanks for getting involved!
Alumni Awards Nominations
Next Monday, September 11, is the deadline for nominations to the Alumni Awards.  Here is the information:

Nominate a Riverbat for an Alumni Award!
Do you know Riverbat who deserves to be recognized for their achievements and service to the community? Nominate them for an Austin Community College District Alumni Award!

Nominations are open now through Monday, September 11. To recommend a former ACC student for the award, simply fill out the nomination form. The selection of this year’s Alumni Award recipients will take place in September, with a ceremony on the Rio Grande Campus on Thursday, September 21, 2023 at 6 p.m. Central.

Award nominations can be made here.

The Inaugural Alumni Achievement Awards have been established in 2023 as part of the Austin Community College District’s (ACC) 50th Anniversary events.

Austin Community College seeks to recognize alumni who make outstanding contributions to their professional and civic communities. The Alumni Network Advisory Council reviews the nominees each year, and in a partnership with the ACC Foundation, Alumni Relations, and College Relations and Marketing staff, selects each year’s honorees. 

There are five categories of awards:
*Distinguished Alumni Award – This award is the highest honor bestowed upon an alum by the ACC Alumni Network. The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes an individual’s significant achievements and contributions to their profession and/or community. Established in 2023 during ACC’s 50th Anniversary, this honor acknowledges an individual’s service to society and personal commitment to the mission of ACC.
*Alumni Service Award – This person demonstrates extraordinary ongoing service to Austin Community College and/or the Alumni Network as a proud and loyal ambassador for ACC District.
*Riverbat Owned Business of the Year – Nominate a business in the ACC District that is 51% or more alumni-owned.
*GOLD Star (Graduate of the Last Decade) – This honor is bestowed upon an alum who has graduated within the past 10 years and has made significant achievements and contributions to their profession and/or community. The achievements of the individual should be inspirational to ACC students and serve as a source of pride for both the ACC District and the awardee.
*Community Leader of the Year – Nominate  an individual with a commitment to improving our Central Texas region.

Award nominations can be made here.

The ACC Alumni Relations Office organizes the nomination process.  For more information, email [email protected] or call 512-223-7109.