ACC’s District Clinical Counseling Services has been rebranded to Mental Health Counseling. The team is dedicated to serving all enrolled students, including Adult Education and Continuing Education students.

Counseling is available at every ACC campus with options for both in-person and telemental health (virtual) sessions. All discussions in counseling are confidential, except in cases where there is a risk of harm to oneself or others. 

Students requesting an appointment can expect a response from the Mental Health Coordinator within three business days. There is no waitlist, and appointments can be scheduled within a week. 

In case of a crisis, contact 911 promptly. 

Visit the new Mental Health Counseling website for more information on the services offered, wellness resources, and details on how to submit counseling requests. 

With the 2024 Great American Total Solar Eclipse in the rearview mirror, you can demonstrate sustainability by donating any unused and gently used eclipse glasses. The glasses will be shared with other communities that will experience an eclipse in the future. 

Eclipse glasses may be dropped off at any ACC campus. At Highland Campus, collection boxes can be found at the Building 1000 and Building 2000 Information Desks. For all other campuses, inquire at the Campus Manager’s Office.

Donations will be accepted through Wednesday, April 24.

You are cordially invited to join Austin Community College District (ACC) for the 10th Annual Spring Symposium! This year’s program — “What’s Peace Got to Do With It?: Transforming Conflicts in Your Relationships, Career, and Community” — is particularly powerful because each talk, panel, and conversation is set to intellectually stimulate and offer practical skills for dealing with conflicts in transformative ways. 

Date: Friday, April 19 
Time: 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Location: Highland Campus, Presentation Hall (2.1550)
REGISTER HERE

This symposium is not just an event; it’s a movement toward integrating peace and conflict transformation into every aspect of our lives. The event helps enhance personal relationships, elevate careers, and contribute to community transformation.

This event is free and open to the community. The symposium is sponsored by ACC’s Center for Peace and Conflict Studies in collaboration with the Arts and Digital Media Division, including the Dance, Music, and Art departments and The Art Galleries. 

Highlights

• Celebrate ACC’s Peace and Conflict Center’s journey and set the stage for a day of transformative discussions.
• Keynote by George A. Lopez, Ph.D., a renowned figure in peace studies. Dr. Lopez, Professor Emeritus at the Kroc Institute at the University of Notre Dame, brings a wealth of knowledge from his groundbreaking work in peace education and conflict transformation around the globe.
• Dive into “Peace in Your Relationships,” a panel discussion unveiling the intricacies of peace at an interpersonal level.
• Tour the juried art exhibit and experience the intersection of art, conflict transformation, and peace with ACC’s The Art Galleries (TAG) and see the top awardees of our annual art competition.
• “In Conversation: Transforming Conflicts in Your Career” – a conversation on adopting peace practices in your work or breaking into the field of conflict transformation.
• Engage with the arts during our performances, showcasing ACC’s Dance and Music talents.
• “What Does Global Peace Have to Do With Your Community?” is a panel that connects global peace with local initiatives.

Bonus Event for Faculty

This year’s keynote speaker, Dr. George Lopez, will host a talk with faculty from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Thursday, April 18, at ACC Rio Grande Campus, Multimedia Room 1103. Dr. Lopez will define the role of peace studies and conflict studies across the curriculum and offer ideas about adding a Peace and Conflict Studies lens to existing course objectives across the academic and workforce disciplines. Faculty will have an opportunity to engage in Q&A and discussions. REGISTER HERE.

Dozens of ACC sonography students were treated to a special sonography scanning session with social media influencer KristyDMS on Friday, April 5. She shared her personal tips and tricks for obtaining key fetal biometry views, and students also got answers to some obstetrics scanning and clinical questions.

Afterward, current ACC Sonography students and prospective applicants participated in a special meet-and-greet presentation. Kristy shared her sonography and social media journey and fielded questions regarding the practical aspects of the profession. About 30 were present in person and others joined the virtual live stream.

With the demand for healthcare professionals on the rise, the role of sonographers is becoming increasingly crucial. In Austin alone, there are currently over 160 job postings for sonographers, indicating a strong demand in the region. Texas employment trends project a staggering 29% growth in the need for sonographers from 2020 to 2030.

To learn more about the industry and ACC’s Sonography Program, visit austincc.edu/sonography. 

ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart held his April Virtual Employee Town Hall on Friday, April 5. He led the conversation from Louisville, Kentucky, where he was attending the annual American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) conference. 

This month’s town hall focused on the next steps the college will take to bring our Theory of Change to life. 

Below are highlights from the discussion, with links to read more about some of the topics.

Data Summit Follow-Up

Lowery-Hart kicked off the discussion by asking attendees to share their reflections on the Data Summit. He encouraged employees to fill out the feedback survey sent out via email to share their official thoughts and reactions post-event. He said that this survey will be the first of many opportunities to provide feedback on the Theory of Change process.

He encouraged employees interested in learning more to attend the upcoming Data Deep Dive Discussions that will take a closer look at various components of the Theory of Change.

He also informed employees that Stephanie Land, the author of “Class” — the book handed out after the event — will be at General Assembly in the fall.

Additionally, the Chancellor spoke more about the alignment of the Strategic Plan and the Theory of Change. The Strategic Plan Committee has morphed into the Theory of Change Steering Committee, which will be tri-chaired by Lowery-Hart, Provost Dr. Monique Umphrey, and ACC Biology Professor Dr. Samantha Croft. Croft is an ACC alumna and, since starting at the college as faculty in 2010, has worked on various councils, committees, workgroups, and projects.

Design Team Nomination Process

The Chancellor was joined by Croft, who serves as the Theory of Change Project Manager, to discuss the Design Team Nomination Process. 

The Design Teams will be specific to the college’s Theory of Change initiatives. The groups will be purposeful, and the size of the teams has not yet been determined.

Starting in September, the teams will begin analyzing the current state of the college for their assigned focus and then explore what other colleges are doing, which may involve travel to visit other colleges.

Lowery-Hart is calling for a transparent process in which everyone will have an opportunity to provide feedback through multiple channels. 

Croft encouraged attendees to watch for an email that will have a link they can use to nominate themselves, their colleagues, or students. There are three requirements to be on the Design Team: 

• Must be a current ACC employee or student;
• Must care a lot and believe our students can succeed if given the structures to do so; and
• Must be willing to come with an open mind and be willing to try something new.

Nominees will receive a link to a 3-5-minute innovation assessment they must complete.

The nomination form will close on April 19, 2024, at 5 p.m.

Free Tuition for Employee Dependents

As a follow-up to the approval of the college’s Free Tuition Pilot Program by the Board of Trustees on Monday, April 1, the Chancellor announced that the college will propose providing free tuition and fees for the dependents of ACC employees as part of the annual budgeting process. This change will require updates to the college’s Administrative Rules. 

The college is still working on the process. More details will be shared as they are determined.

Climate Survey Closing Soon

Lowery-Hart reminded employees to take the Spring 2024 Employee Climate Survey, saying, “We can’t fix the parts that need fixing without your input.” The anonymous and confidential survey is open through Friday, April 12. 

Employees should look for their unique link in their email sent by the Office of Institutional Research & Analytics Vice Chancellor Dr. Jenna Cullinane Hege. 

Rumor Busting

Q: Will certain departments/services be eliminated that were originally DEI-focused like what happened at UT Austin with SB17?
A: We do not anticipate staffing changes. Mr. Larry Davis is our Vice Chancellor of Belonging & Purpose and will be supporting ACC’s work under Pillar 4 of the Theory of Change — Culture of Belonging & Connection.

Q: How can we ensure bottom-up participation?
A: The design teams will have participants from across the college and will not include chancellors, vice chancellors, associate vice chancellors, etc. This structure is designed to support bottom-up participation.

Q: When would the Campus Conversations Upcoming Schedule be posted?
A: The general schedule is available on the Campus Conversations web page.

Q: When will we be able to evaluate department chairs/supervisors again? We used to have upward evaluations but have not done those in several years.
A: There will be an opportunity to evaluate Cabinet leadership this year. We want to be able to act on feedback. We also know there have been gaps in things that support the workplace (like ongoing supervisor training). So, we will be taking steps to fill some of those gaps this year, and ongoing. It’ll be important to allow folks the opportunity to move forward as we all adopt the values and reflect them in our behaviors. That said, where there are concerns, please do share that feedback with a leader in your division or with HR so we can offer private support in those cases (hrsupport@austincc.edu, also now on Mojo).

Q: How do the Free Tuition Program Working groups relate to the Theory of Change design teams?
A: Membership of the Free Tuition groups change as the work of each group moves to new challenges. The goal and design of the Free Tuition program was shaped and approved by the board, so these groups are very focused on the various challenges and opportunities that arise in implementing the program. That’s why the Free Tuition working groups include nearly 125 ACCers, and are dynamic.   

In comparison, the Theory of Change design teams will be engaged in the work of visioning and design. Therefore, this bottom-up construction of the teams is incredibly important.”

Q: I support Free Tuition for high school students, but I a concerned about our adult learners who are a greater percentage of our students. How are we going to continue supporting present Adult Career Scholars and the many others who would benefit from that kind of program?
A: ACC will be working on our next steps related to Career Scholars. That is inclusive of hearing from our Adult Career Scholars regarding what they need to be supportive. The team is scheduling that meeting/has scheduled that. We also will include a session with the team members who support Adult Career Scholars. Our role is to support students – we will always do that and determine how best to make that happen.

Q: For free tuition, how does it apply to immigrant students? 
A: There is Senate Bill 1528 that allows undocumented students to claim in-state residency if they qualify! This should help.

—

Virtual Employee Town Halls will be hosted on the first Friday of every month for the remainder of the semester. The next Town Hall is scheduled for May 3.

For more information and to watch recordings of the conversations, visit austincc.edu/townhall.

The Administrative Services Council (ASC) has reviewed and approved proposed changes to the following Administrative Rule (AR) and posted the draft for comments from ACC employees:

4.0300.10  Dual Employment

–  The AR has been slightly restructured and rephrased for clarity.  

The draft is available to view and addi comments here.

Please read the instructions before adding comments.

The deadline for comments is Friday, April 26, 2024.

ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES UPDATE PROCESS

The college’s administrative rules (AR) are informed by Board policy and need to be updated occasionally due to various reasons, such as changes to administrative or operational practices, organizational structure, laws, or legal codes.

ACC’s shared governance model establishes two councils to review changes to these rules: 

• Administrative Services Council 
• Academic and Student Affairs Council

A third council, the Shared Governance Review Council, reviews and makes recommendations to the chancellor with respect to the structure, functions, and membership of councils and committees at ACC.

After a change is proposed to the respective council, it is presented to the ACC community. Employees have at least 20 days to comment on a proposed change. 

After reviewing the feedback, the appropriate council can either send it to the chancellor to be signed or, if there are significant changes, it can be sent out for comment again. 

CLOSED FOR COMMENTS

The Administrative Services Council (ASC) has reviewed and approved a proposal to rescind the following Administrative Rule (AR):

2.0400.01 Posting of Board of Trustee Meetings

The AR is proposed for rescission as the content essentially restates clauses already contained in the related Board Policy. See Board Policy BD, Board Meetings. 

Please send comments and questions to ASC Chair Catherine Namour at catherine.namour@austincc.edu.

The deadline for comments was Wednesday, November 1, 2023.

The Administrative Services Council (ASC) reviewed and approved proposed changes to the following Administrative Rules (AR) and Guidelines/Procedures (G/P) and posted the drafts for comments from ACC employees:

4.0503.02     Accrued Leave
4.0503.02.1  Accrued Leave Guideline/Procedure

–  The AR and G/P have been updated to align with current practices, processes, and procedures.  
–  The changes include the merging of sick leave and personal leave into a single category of accumulated sick/personal leave.

4.0901.01     Employee Freedom from Discrimination
4.0901.01.1  Employee Freedom from Discrimination Guideline/Procedure

–  The G/P is being updated to include recently enacted legislation.  
–  There are no proposed changes to the AR however comments are welcome on that document as well. 

The deadline for comments was September 29, 2023.

As the spring semester nears the end, the dogs and cats cared for by ACC Veterinary Technology Program students are ready for adoption. 

There is an urgent need to find homes and fosters for these pets — Austin Pets Alive! is at capacity and can’t take in more.

The animals have undergone socialization and basic training, get microchipped, and receive medical care, including vaccinations and heartworm prevention.

View the available animals, learn a little about their personalities, and learn more about adopting and fostering pets, at austincc.edu/pets. 

New analysis on Latinos in Higher Education will accelerate success

Austin Community College District (ACC) is one of 24 colleges and universities selected nationwide to help release a series of fact sheets to inform action, mobilize intentionality, and accelerate Latino student success. It is part of Excelencia in Education’s leadership partners group to release timely new analysis on the evolving opportunities for Latino students — one of the fastest growing populations in higher education — and the institutions serving them.

“Latinos in Higher Education: 2024 Compilation of Fast Facts” represents a series of fact sheets containing an array of information on the profile of Latino students and their journeys to and through college.

“We have to know who our students are in order to meet their needs to enroll and complete. If we can work to help our students start strong and meet their basic needs, we will improve their outcomes,” says ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart. “I am proud that ACC continues to be a leader in finding solutions and serving as a model for student success across the country. This information gives us the data and guidance we need to ensure we can support all students to not just come to college but succeed.”

Excelencia’s analysis shows that ​​Latinos:

• More likely to be the first in their family to attend college.
• More likely to receive the federal Pell Grant than any other group.
• Less likely to take out a student loan.
• Have the highest labor force participation, but are more likely to be represented in occupations with lower salaries. 

Institutions enrolling Latinos are predominantly Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). These colleges represent 20% of all institutions in the nation — yet they educate 63% of all Latinos in the nation. ACC is among them. 

The Hispanic student population at ACC is the fastest-growing demographic at the college. In fall 2023, the college enrolled approximately 14,600 Hispanic students, which makes up 41% of total enrollment. That is up almost 3% from fall 2019. Completion rates also are one of the fastest growing among Hispanic students, improving 37% from academic year 2019 to academic year 2023. 

“Gathering this data allows us to approach our decisions with creativity, thoughtfulness, and strategy to invest in the things that are going to be most helpful for our students, community, and the state,” says Dr. Jenna Cullinane Hege, Institutional Research & Analytics vice chancellor. “Having a complete look from not only ACC but other institutions helps us understand students and create a model to serve all of them. When we gather the right information we can develop systems that will meet any student where they are”

“For 20 years, Excelencia has tracked and provided analysis on Latino students in higher education to inform action and catalyze institutional transformation,” says Deborah Santiago, co-founder and CEO of Excelencia and lead researcher on the analysis. “The trailblazing institutions supporting the analysis recognize the opportunity to leverage this information as they continue their efforts to intentionally serve the growing number of Latino students on their campuses.”

Excelencia in Education is a national organization accelerating Latino student success in higher education. The organization awarded ACC with the National Seal of Excelencia for its positive role in serving Latino students in 2019. The college was recertified in 2022, and in 2023 it was recertified for a 12th straight year as an HSI.

Seal-certified institutions represent less than 1% of colleges and universities yet enroll 15% and graduate 17% of all Latino students. In 2023, ACC’s Chancellor was selected for the national leadership effort for Latino College Completion: US and Ensuring America’s Future — an exhaustive and current analysis on Latino enrollment and graduation rates, along with successful programs catering to Latinos at the institutional, national, and state levels. The network represents only 6% of institutions yet enrolls 33% and graduates 35% of all Latino students.

“Excelencia brings this analysis to the public with support from 24 college and university presidents and chancellors who have earned the Seal of Excelencia and serve as national leaders for Latino student success,” says Sarita Brown, co-founder and president of Excelencia. “We are honored to make common cause to assert that increasing the numbers of Latinos that earn college degrees is essential for ensuring America’s bright future.” 

To learn more about “Latinos in Higher Education: 2024 Compilation of Fast Facts,” visit EdExcelencia.org/latinos-higher-ed-2024-fast-facts.

ACC Fashion Design and the Arts and Digital Media Division invite students, employees, their families, and the community to attend the college’s 3rd annual Fashion Showcase. This year’s showcase, REVERIE, features works from the graduating class of 2024. 

Date: Saturday, April 27
Time: 3-6 p.m.
Location: ACC Highland Campus, Building 4000 

REVERIE features a live runway show at 3:30 p.m. and an opportunity to meet the designers at 4:30 p.m. Other highlights include: 

● VIP ticket includes stage front seating area and much more
● Special appetizers prepared by the Culinary Department
● Visit with other featured creative departments at ACC
● Live art demos and tours throughout the day 

Reserved runway seating is $25, and VIP seating is $35. General admission is available on the day of the event for $40. VIP tickets purchased include a front-row seat and a swag bag full of goodies. Click here to purchase tickets. 

All proceeds benefit the Amy Hopkins Fashion Scholarship and the Fashion Design Collection Scholarship — both supporting ACC Fashion Design students.

For more information, visit austincc.edu/reverie.

Clouds didn’t stop hundreds of people from flocking to Austin Community College District (ACC) to watch the total solar eclipse. Almost all of ACC’s campuses were in the path of totality during the rare event on Monday, April 8, 2024. 

The college hosted watch parties at four campuses: South Austin, Highland, Round Rock, and Cypress Creek. The parties included opportunities to view the clouds and sun through special ACC telescopes. Faculty and staff were also on hand to discuss the phenomenon and answer questions.

Check out photos from the eclipse watch parties below.

For more information, visit austincc.edu/totaleclipse.

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Written by ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart

How We Can Make College Affordable for Everyone

When I first came to Austin Community College District in fall 2023, I knew I wanted to get to know our students and learn about our community. What I discovered wasn’t a surprise, but it was unsettling.

People are experiencing a life that’s not affordable, and they can’t find a way to climb out and up.

The cost of higher education is, more often than not, too great to bear. It’s the biggest challenge students today face. The numbers may surprise you — our data show that 58% of students who applied to go to ACC and then chose not to enroll say affordability is their main concern.

We have been asking students to mortgage their future — to take on big loan debt. They’re not enrolling because they can’t afford it or they don’t see the return on investment. There has to be a better way.

So, we asked ourselves at ACC — if we can eliminate that barrier, can we make college a reality for more people? We think so. Starting in the fall of 2024, we’re going to test it out.

With the support of our Board of Trustees, Austin Community College will pilot the ACC Free Tuition Program. It’s the first step in a bold idea to make college tuition free for everyone.

It’s going to take time to get there. So, we’re starting small, beginning with a pilot program that will cover the cost of tuition and general fees for the class of 2024 — that means all high school graduates from local school districts and charter schools across the ACC service area, as well as home-schoolers and GED completers.

We picked this group for a couple of reasons. When you look at the demographic shifts over the last decade, you’ll see that more students are not going to higher education than are going. Only 43% of high school graduates are enrolling in postsecondary education. Our competition isn’t between colleges and universities. Our competition is between somewhere and nowhere, and nowhere is winning. It’s a startling reality.

There are growing questions about the value of a degree because college has become almost unaffordable. We need to do better. There is a profound national discussion on the cost of higher education. A discount doesn’t mean anything on something already financially out of reach. Free means something to those who need us most.

This is just the beginning. It’s not about getting students in the door. It’s about eliminating barriers so that they not only come, they persist, they graduate, and they enter our local workforce with the skills and talents our community needs. This is particularly important for those students and families living in the war zone of poverty. We believe in those students so much, that we want them to use their financial aid and scholarship to support their lives, while we find resources to cover their tuition for learning.

A program like this won’t be easy. We have teams at ACC working to identify potential issues and develop solutions. I have no doubt a free tuition program can work at ACC, and I have no doubt it can grow. I think that’s exactly what our community needs.

Every student’s success is something we can all celebrate. It’s going to force us to think in new and different ways, and it will be worth it. We can lead the nation in redefining how colleges and communities work together to lift lives.

The future of our region, and the economic stability that we enjoy, rests on our ability to ensure that more of our students who are graduating high school get a credential of value that leads to a family-sustaining wage.

ACC is making some changes at the top to prepare the college for the hard work of aligning our work with our Theory of Change.

The updates to these positions allow the college to have a stronger focus on strategic initiatives, improved communication with employee associations, and knowledgeable leads for some of our priority programs.

Cabinet Changes

Dr. Garrett Groves, ACC’s Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives, will no longer have the additional responsibility of Chancellor’s Chief of Staff to allow him to focus all his efforts on collaborative partnerships.

As the Chancellor’s 100 Days concluded, and the college began identifying priorities that are now embedded within the Theory of Change, it became clear that a strong focus must be maintained on strategic initiatives that will have a significant impact on our students and the college at the regional and national level. Recent examples include transformative investments in our region’s semiconductor industry by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Act, the City of Austin’s newly announced Infrastructure Academy, and the cross-departmental work to prepare and implement the Free Tuition Initiative.

Additionally, with a pause on the college’s Workday Student Information Systems (SIS) implementation project, Mike Midgley is transitioning from Senior Vice Chancellor of SIS to a new role as Special Advisor to the Chancellor. 

During his lengthy tenure at the college, Midgley has served as a faculty member, an Instructional Administrator, and, for the past year, as part of the leadership team for the Workday SIS implementation project. In his new role, he will draw on his extensive knowledge and experience to support ACC’s Theory of Change implementation and work as a conduit between the employee associations and the cabinet.  

Lastly, ACC’s Executive Vice Chancellor of Operations & Public Affairs, Dr. Molly Beth Malcolm, has announced that she will retire in August 2024 after more than 12 years of service to the college and the Central Texas community. Dr. Malcolm has led the development and growth of the college’s government and community relations programs, as well as the college’s safety and operations initiatives.

Read the full announcement and her plans for retirement here.

Other administrative updates

The college has filled the role of Associate Vice Chancellor of Workforce Education, which has been vacant since Gretchen Riehl’s retirement in December 2023. Dr. Brandon Whatley will return to ACC to serve in the role. He brings with him valuable experience as a department chair in Welding and instructional dean of DMCAT as well as a record of accomplishments at ACC that include leading the development and launch of our Bachelor of Applied Technology in Manufacturing Engineering Technology.

Additionally, after serving in an “interim” capacity for four years, Mison Zuniga has been named the Associate Vice Chancellor of College & High School Relations.  

Finally, the college will be hiring for the new role of Associate Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences. Health Sciences is a large, complex group of 14 programs, each with accrediting bodies, competitive admissions, clinical applied learning requirements, and licensing exams to enter one’s chosen field. Central Texas has asked the college to double many of our health sciences programs, and these programs need strategic leadership from an AVC who can actively engage with our large and small healthcare partners in Central Texas. The college hopes to fill the role sometime this summer.

Austin Community College District (ACC) partners with The Steve Fund to bring an interactive series to faculty and staff on “Supporting the Mental Health of Diverse Parenting Students at Community Colleges.” 

Community college students of color who are also parents face unique challenges and stressors that often go unaddressed, creating significant barriers to graduation.

This series aims to improve the understanding of the complexities facing parenting students of color so that faculty, staff, and providers of student support services can better address their mental health needs and support their path to graduation. Participants will walk away with strategies and best practices to establish a more inclusive classroom environment and campus community. 

Session I – Mental Health Matters
Friday, April 12, 2024
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Register here

Session II – Strategies for Success
Friday, April 26, 2024
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Register here

For more information, visit the Supporting the Mental Health of Diverse Parenting registration page.

The H-E-B Center at Cedar Park was awash in purple and Riverbat pride on Wednesday, March 27, as thousands of ACC employees gathered for the college’s inaugural Data Summit. 

Attendees learned more about the results from Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart’s first 100 days, took a deep dive into our data, and discussed strategies to embrace our new Theory of Change.

Throughout the summit, employees were given the opportunity to interact with the data and provide feedback. They also heard from cabinet members to learn how the different areas of the college will work together to lead us to our North Star: We’re going to love our students to success and achieve a 70% completion rate by 2030. 

Chancellor Lowery-Hart reiterated that the work won’t be a top-down effort but a horizontal approach and that employees will define the work while administration will provide support.

The college closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. so that all employees could take part in the day of learning, networking, and inspiration. The Data Summit was recorded for those who were unable to attend or would like to revisit the day.  

Watch the discussion here using your ACC credentials to log in. The slide deck from the Summit can be found on the Data Summit web page. 

All employees should have received a copy of the book “Class” by Stephanie Land to read. Written as a memoir, the book can help us better understand the point of view of a struggling student. 

Copies are still available for employees who did not receive one. Contact your nearest ACC Library to arrange a time to pick up a copy.

Share your experience

Share your photos and videos by sending an email to tledcomms@austincc.edu with the subject line Data Summit Content Submission.

Click here to view a photo album of images from the summit.

Provide your feedback

A short survey has been sent out to all employees to help the college know what parts of the Summit were most helpful. Please take a few minutes to share your feedback and help improve future experiences. Take the short survey here. 

Keep the journey going

Employees are encouraged to keep the conversation going. Here are some ways to do so:

• Round up your colleagues and start a book club to discuss “Class.”
• Review our new values and Theory of Change in The First 100 Days Report. It’s posted on the First 100 Days web page.
• Learn more about our data and how to use it by watching the two short videos that are posted on our Data Summit web page. 
• Stay connected with our data through the Office of Institutional Research & Analytics (OIRA) website. Here, you can find all our Data Debrief Videos, explore the Fact Book and student success metrics reports, learn about our Data Dashboards, and view the results from our various surveys and focus group discussions.
• Review the following special resources to continue to guide your learning efforts: a Theory of Change Discussion Guide and a handout of our new values and theory of change model.
• Sign up and attend a Data Deep Dive conversation with OIRA. 

Next steps

The Chancellor will continue the discussion in the next Virtual Employee Town Hall on Friday, April 5. Learn more about the processes for: 

• Nominations to the design teams 
• Giving feedback on what works and what doesn’t
• Sharing ideas

Join the town hall HERE.

The Office of Institutional Research & Analytics (OIRA) invites you to take a deep dive into ACC data.

The office is hosting a series of webinars to provide employees with ongoing opportunities to explore the Theory of Change and North Star.

Five Data Deep Dive sessions are scheduled for April and May. The webinar dates, times, and Zoom links are posted on the OIRA Data Deep Dive web page.

• North Star: Tuesday, April 9, 10 – 11 a.m.
• Belonging & Connection: Monday, April 15, 3 – 4 p.m.
• Meet Basic Needs: Wednesday, April 24, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Enroll Full-Time: Friday, May 3, 1 – 2 p.m.
• Start Strong: Friday, May 10, 9 – 10 a.m.

All sessions will be held virtually via Zoom and are open to all ACC employees. Each session will be recorded and posted for those who want to learn more but are unable to attend live.

Visit oira.austincc.edu/ds/data-deep-dive for more information. Attendees can receive professional development credit for attending.

ACC leadership asks employees to share their perspectives and experiences working at the college in the 2024 Employee Climate Survey launching in late March. 

The anonymous online survey will help ACC better understand employee engagement, satisfaction, and feedback about the college’s mission and operations. It is an opportunity to identify strengths and areas for growth as a workplace.

“I will review the employee climate survey results with my senior team and with you all. We rely on these data to help us make improvements within the college,” says ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart. “This year’s survey will also provide an important baseline for the new values and improvement work that lies ahead in the next several years.” 

The biennial Climate Survey is anonymous and confidential. Only aggregate data will be reviewed to ensure employee privacy, and a summary report will be developed. Individual responses will not be accessible. 

Employees will receive an email containing a link to access the “ACC Employee Climate Survey 2024” from Dr. Jenna Cullinane Hege at the Office of Institutional Research & Analytics (OIRA). 

Emails to some employees were inadvertently held up in IT security filters. OIRA and IT worked diligently to resolve this issue. 

This climate survey will remain open until April 12.

ACC launches a new resource this spring for students who want to stay informed and updated on relevant issues and college decisions that may impact them called the Student InfoHub.

After piloting the student-dedicated newsroom earlier this spring, the Office of College Relations & Marketing (OCRM) surveyed select groups of students to learn how well the page meets their needs. The college received feedback from targeted student groups, including the Student Government Association, Phi Theta Kappa, and Student Life members, and incorporated it into the current version of the Student InfoHub.

Feedback included clear titles, requests for information about campus activities and events, news from leadership and Board of Trustees updates, and information impacting students. Students indicated they felt more informed and planned to visit the new resource regularly.  

The web page’s goal is to foster a sense of community among students and provide them with one place to receive critical updates and news. OCRM will work closely with partners throughout the college, including Student Affairs offices, to gather news and important updates to share with students. 

Students can find news about college initiatives or programs, opportunities to learn about campus events, and read about Board and leadership news and actions. Students can also look through multi-media slideshows featuring students, activities, and events from across the district and read about fellow Riverbats through our student stories section.

The new site is available at students.austincc.edu/infohub and is expected to launch in April 2024.

Spring marks a time of renewal and rejuvenation—for some of us, that means spring cleaning and engaging in the age-old tradition of refreshing our homes. It is equally important to extend this practice to our digital spaces, particularly our computers. 

Taking proactive measures to ensure our digital devices are up-to-date and running smoothly can greatly enhance their performance and longevity. 

Simple yet effective steps such as decluttering our ACC email, removing unused applications and unnecessary photos from our devices, and using multi-factor authentication tools like OKTA can fortify the security and efficiency of our digital lives. 

Additionally, regularly updating computer software ensures access to the latest features and patches, guarding against potential vulnerabilities. 

By incorporating these practices into our spring cleaning routine, we streamline our digital experiences and safeguard our devices against potential threats. 

Steps To Consider

1. Clean up your email.

2. Remove unused apps and photos on your devices — For more information on how to back up and organize your data, visit issue 46 of the ACC IT Newsletter here.

3. Update software — Ensuring your software is up to date is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices. Regularly check manually for updates if automatic updates are not available and keep operating systems, antivirus software, web browsers, and applications up to date.

• Update Your Browser
• Update your Operating Systems. (Android) (Chromebook)
• Install Windows Updates

4. Use strong authenticators — Authenticator is the new industry term for passwords that take into account multi-factor authentication (MFA). 

• For more information on ACC eID Password policy, please visit issue 55 of the ACC IT Newsletter here.
• Tip: How To Change the ACC Network Domain Password.

Workspace One

ACC’s Chief Information Officer, Jason Marshall, announced in December 2023 that the college is fast-tracking how IT manages computer equipment. All Windows devices are enrolled in a centralized unified endpoint management (UEM) tool called Workspace One (WS1). 

Even though WS1 allows ACC IT technicians to remotely manage Windows devices (called endpoints) and deploy software and security updates, it is important that you also make sure your device is up to date with the latest Windows updates and take precautionary steps to keep your system running smoothly and securely.

For more information on WS1, visit the WS1 webpage.

ACC’s Student Government Association (SGA) hosts a Menstrual Products Donation Drive this spring to promote the health, dignity, and empowerment of students across ACC campuses. 

They will be collecting unopened menstrual hygiene products including:

• Sanitary pads
• Tampons
• Menstrual cups
• Menstrual hygiene wipes
• Any other unopened menstrual hygiene products 

These items are essential to ensuring that students have access to the resources they need to manage their menstrual health effectively.

Donations can be made at ACC’s Highland Campus ACCelerator, Welcome Center, and Veterans Resource Center through Wednesday, May 1.

View the Amazon wish list.

April is Community College Month—a time to celebrate the invaluable contributions of community colleges to the educational landscape. The nationwide initiative is led by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) to elevate the recognition of community colleges’ critical role in providing accessible, high-quality education.

The primary goals of #CCmonth are to increase awareness of the economic, academic, and equity advantages of attending community colleges and to bust longtime stigmas wrongly associated with public two-year colleges.

Austin Community College District (ACC) is the largest trainer of the Central Texas workforce, serving approximately 70,000 students each year, offering more than 100 degrees, including key programs in health sciences, skilled trades, computer science, and transfer programs. The college has earned a national reputation for innovation and academic excellence and has the fastest-growing graduation rate among its peers.

ACC invites students, employees, and the community to join the celebration.

• Post to the Padlet Wall: Leave a comment and share the things that make you #ACCproud.
• Take to Social Media: Post one of your favorite ACC memories or celebrate student success on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Use #CCMonth and #ACCproud and tag @ACCDistrict and @CCTrustees to join the national conversation.

ACC will highlight students throughout the month as part of Community College Month. Know an amazing student? Nominate them for a spotlight by emailing sydney.pruitt@austincc.edu.