Season’s Greetings from TLED!
December 18, 2024
As the holiday season approaches, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to you—our partners in advancing teaching and learning excellence at Austin Community College (ACC). Together, we’ve made 2024 an incredible year, filled with impactful events, innovative initiatives, and strong connections that have supported our mission at ACC.
Highlights from TLED:
The Office of Faculty Development kicked off 2024 by hosting the annual Spring Development Day under the theme “The Power of Love: Inspiring Change and Innovation.” With a wide variety of sessions, workshops, and discussions, the event empowered faculty with new strategies and resources to support student success in the classroom and beyond.
The ACC Annual Awards Celebration honored outstanding faculty and staff whose dedication and innovation have made a lasting impact. The event recognized excellence in teaching, leadership, and service, showcasing the best of ACC’s vibrant and talented community.
This year’s Summer Software Day equipped 220 ACC faculty and staff with tools and strategies to enhance teaching and learning. Featuring 20 sessions, the event provided practical tips and hands-on experience with a range of software solutions, supporting innovative instruction across disciplines.
The 2024 Charla Spanish-Language Practice Series fostered growth and community through active learning. With 79 registrants, faculty and staff joined to refine Spanish language skills while connecting across cultures, creating a supportive environment for professional and personal development.
Riverbat Experience 2.0 Student Success Summit
The Riverbat Experience 2.0 Student Success Summit returned with a renewed focus on empowering students. This event offered actionable insights for faculty and staff to better support student engagement and achievement, building on ACC’s commitment to excellence in education.
Each year, ACC’s Red Bench Dialogue Event hosts two impactful sessions, one in the spring and one in the fall, fostering connection and dialogue within our college community. The 2024 spring session welcomed over 105 attendees to explore the theme “Working through Conflict.” The fall session focused on “Belonging,” bringing together 145 participants to discuss inclusive practices. These events continue to create meaningful spaces for engagement and growth across diverse perspectives.
In 2024, Remote Recess continued to offer a low-stakes, engaging way for faculty to learn new tools and techniques. Over the course of 14 sessions, a total of 261 faculty and staff participated. The summer sessions drew 118 attendees across 5 offerings, while the fall sessions saw 143 attendees across 9 sessions. Covering topics like Panopto and fostering collaboration, these events provided a relaxed space for professional growth and community building.
This year’s General Assembly brought together an impressive 2,400 registered faculty and staff from across the College for a day of inspiration, connection, and learning. Highlights included keynote speakers, college updates, and opportunities to collaborate on advancing student success. Thank you for making it a memorable event!
Faculty & Family Connections Day
ACC’s first-ever Faculty & Family Connections Day brought faculty and their families together for a day of fun and insight. Attendees explored how ACC supports work-life balance while strengthening the bonds between professional and personal communities.
The December and January Editions of the Cultural Mosaic Tiles Series
The December and January editions of the Cultural Mosaic Series highlighted a variety of traditions, celebrations, and cultural contributions across our community. These tiles served as a vibrant reminder of ACC’s commitment to inclusivity and culturally responsive teaching practices.
To further statewide collaboration, the Articulation and University Relations office hosted an online forum in Fall 2024, which included representation from 12 articulation partners from across Texas. The exploratory forum allowed ACC and its articulation partners to identify areas for further development in future gatherings to better refine articulation and transfer to support student success.
Library & Learning Lab Collaboration
Round Rock Campus (RRC) librarians partnered with staff from the Learning Lab to present at the 2024 Academic Support Services Conference. The session, titled Embracing a Culture of Yes: A Grassroots Collaboration Between the Library and Writing Tutors, focused on establishing and maintaining an interdepartmental partnership between the library and writing tutors in order to best amplify student success.
In Fall 2024, Library Services led 153 events, ranging from research skills workshops to book clubs and AI discussions. These academic support and just-for-fun events engaged a total of 2,845 participants, fostering learning and connection across the ACC community.
Library Services experienced a surge in usage, with visits increasing from 142,950 in Fall 2023 to 187,127 in Fall 2024—a growth of 44,177 users. This increase reflects the growing importance of libraries as hubs for resources, research, and community engagement.
These highlights are just a glimpse of the impactful work TLED has accomplished this year. From innovative teaching initiatives to fostering community connections, our efforts continue to shape ACC’s learning experience. Explore more of our achievements and initiatives by reviewing our Executive Reports.
View More of Our Work
As you take time to recharge and connect with loved ones, we hope you reflect on the meaningful work we’ve accomplished together this year. We’re excited to build on this momentum in 2025 and continue making a difference in our ACC community.
Wishing you a joyous holiday season and a bright new year,
TLED Leadership
