Open to all faculty! We are seeking eight dedicated faculty members from any academic transfer discipline to join a core group for a spring 2026 faculty institute and help launch a three-year initiative to formalize character education at Austin Community College (ACC). Building on the work of an interdisciplinary group of faculty from this past year, you will:

• Help more students highlight meaning in their general education course requirements
• Refine ACC’s character education model
• Develop learning toolkits and reflective assessments
• Lead conversations with fellow faculty in the fall 2026 semester
• Shape the first-year experience for students within the context of courses required for most degrees

This core group will kickstart the work that will expand to broader communities of practice throughout the three-year grant period, creating additional opportunities for faculty engagement and leadership as the initiative grows under the Liberal Education Advancement and Development Program, which is working towards a future of faculty-driven development opportunities in support of a cohesive experience for students.

ACC has been awarded a $781,200 ECI 2025 Institutional Impact Grant to launch a faculty-founded and led initiative, Transforming the Faculty & Student Experience: A Framework for Growing Character at Austin Community College.

ACC is one of only two community colleges and just 33 higher education institutions nationwide to receive this competitive grant from Wake Forest University’s Educating Character Initiative. This award positions us at the forefront of character education in community college settings, and we’d like you to be a part of this exciting new initiative.

Faculty Roles, Support, and Application Process

We are looking for faculty (adjunct or full-time) who believe in the transformative value of a well-designed general education curriculum and its impact on the student experience, and who are eager to explore how character development can enhance that impact. We know how a thoughtfully conceived and cohesive educational experience fosters student agency and supports their individual journeys as learners, professionals, and persons, and it’s this knowledge that undergirds our approach to character education. Ultimately, this initiative seeks your participation in shaping and implementing a model of character education at ACC , aimed at helping students develop and practice intellectual, civic, and moral virtues as they progress through their general education courses. Given that most ACC students complete general education courses, this work has the potential to impact all degree-seeking students across our district.

As faculty members, we know that this work deserves a level of support commensurate with its importance. So, we’ve ensured that these eight positions come with substantial course release for the work with six LEH/equivalent stipend (two three-credit courses) for each faculty member selected in the spring 2026 semester, and three LEH/equivalent stipend (one three-credit course) in fall 2026.

If you’re excited about the prospect of making general education course requirements more relevant for our students, sharing and exploring meaningful teaching practices, and working with other faculty across disciplines, we invite you to apply. Please complete the application form here – Character Education Application – and include your CV and teaching philosophy. The application includes questions about your interest in character education and its applicability to your discipline.

Application Deadline: September 30, 2025
Decisions Announced: October 31, 2025

Apply Here

For questions, please contact: