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Faculty Handbook Review Project

The Austin Community College (ACC) faculty handbooks provide a clear overview of policies, procedures, and guidelines. In 2018, TLED became the process holder for the ACC Faculty Handbook and assigned coordination to the senior faculty publications editor.

Project scope

Given collegewide changes associated with Pathways, the handbook required a comprehensive update. A small workgroup—with representation from Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Administrative Services—reviewed and updated content in areas such as culturally responsive teaching, Areas of Study, program maps, student support, and Student Affairs processes.

Process

  • Collected updated content and recommended a review and maintenance process.
  • Considered alignment or consolidation with other faculty handbooks (e.g., Distance Education, Faculty Evaluation, Experiential Learning).
  • Clarified how faculty resources differ (e.g., handbooks, guidelines, Administrative Rules), including unique content for faculty librarians and faculty counselors.

From draft to launch

Workgroup members submitted updated materials for editing and formatting throughout 2019. A draft was submitted in March 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the review timeline. In May 2021, TLED’s Faculty Communications team took ownership of the review and update process. Faculty were invited to provide feedback on the draft while the content was moved to a new, searchable website. Note: Content was not created for this project; it was curated so faculty rules, guidelines, and responsibilities could be found in one place.

Outcome

The final online Faculty Handbook launched in October 2021. Annual reviews occur each summer, with updates completed before the fall semester.

Timeline

  • Ongoing: Critical updates as Administrative Rules and college processes change
  • October 20, 2021: Launched new online Faculty Handbook
  • August 1, 2021: Soft launch of online Faculty Handbook for leadership review
  • June 10–July 31, 2021: Completed updates and developed the online handbook
  • June 10–July 15, 2021: Solicited faculty feedback on the drafted handbook
  • March 2020–May 2021: COVID-19 pandemic interrupted project timeline
  • March 2020: Draft submitted for review
  • July 2019–February 2020: Workgroup collected updated content and recommended a review/maintenance process
  • June 2019: Convened a small workgroup with representatives from Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Administrative Services
  • 2018: Identified the need for significant revision of the Faculty Handbook

Contact

Please direct questions to facultyhandbook@austincc.edu.