General Assembly

General Assembly 2023: Forging the Future
Post Event Summary

Each fall semester, Austin Community College (ACC) employees from across the district gather at General Assembly (GA) to hear key College updates. This event helps connect the dots between an employee’s daily work and the strategic plan of the College. The 2023 theme was “Forging the Future” and took place on Friday, September 29th, 2023.

This year’s General Assembly was especially meaningful as it was Chancellor Dr. Richard’s Rhodes final General Assembly and Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart’s first as incoming ACC Chancellor.

Overview

General Assembly 2023 had both online and in-person options. Over 500 employees engaged online with the morning program and over 500 employees joined in person. Additionally, nearly 300 employees attended virtual afternoon breakout sessions. The in-person program took place at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center.

An app specially designed for the event allowed all attendees to view the program, location, speaker info, and also check-in, and stream the event. The show kicked off at 8:00 am with an engaging pre-show video that featured informational slides from different departments/areas across ACC and an ACC quiz. 73 employees participated in the quiz and were entered to win raffle prizes.

Opening Video

The dynamic and engaging videos shared each year at General Assembly are always looked forward to by many. This year was no different. The opening video highlighted moments from ACC’s 50-year history.

Feature Video

The General Assembly feature video delved deeper into ACC’s history as a force for excellence in the community and forging the future.

Morning Program

ACC Chancellor Dr. Richard Rhodes presented a compelling State of the College Address beginning at 9:00 am. Board of Trustees Chair, Dr. Barbara Mink then shared remarks. Recognition of employees and faculty graduates from various programs followed. Chancellor Rhodes congratulated the Riverbat Employee of the Year, Paul Talamantez from Student Affairs.

After employee recognitions, the Chancellor invited students Jeremiah, Ana, Danielle, Rafael, Monica, and Quan to the stage to discuss their own ACC journeys. Provost Dr. Monique Umphrey presented a pre-recorded Instructional and Student Affairs update. Keynote speaker Nick Shackleton-Jones, author of How People Learn and CEO of Shackleton Consulting, presented a captivating address about the future of learning.

Dr. Susan Warner-Sanchez, Associate Vice Chancellor for the Teaching & Learning Excellence Division, closed out the program with concluding remarks.

Watch the Morning Program

This video includes the morning program starting at 9 am and includes the Chancellor’s address
the keynote, the student panel, and all the videos shared on this page.

Closing Credits Video

Watch the closing credits from General Assembly 2023. A heartfelt thank you to all those that made General Assembly a wonderful experience.

Afternoon Sessions

Several in-person afternoon sessions were conducted. Topics included: human-centered learning design, ACC’s new strategic plan, cultural mosaics and culturally responsive teaching, building student-centric strategies, labor market influence on education, microcredentials and badging, the Guided Pathways Movement, mental health in the workplace, and House Bill 8 and what it means to ACC.

Virtual afternoon sessions were also conducted. Topics included: the implications of Senate Bill 17, HyFlex implementation updates, Student Affairs’ wraparound services, and the intersection of High Impact Practices (HIPs) and Academic Technology.

Note: Only recordings for the virtual sessions are available.

- Navigating Change: Understanding the Implications of Texas’ SB17 – Recording Link
- Student Success Through Flexibility: HyFlex Implementation Updates – Recording Link
- Wraparound Services: Holistic Support for ACC Students – Recording Link
- High Impact Practices through the Lens of Academic Technology – Recording Link

What Attendees are Saying about what they enjoyed most about their General Assembly 2023 Experience…

“So much! Both the afternoon sessions were terrific and I really enjoyed hearing from key leaders. The keynote speaker was really engaging. The student panel was amazing!”

“The opportunity to experience the energy of the college on the whole, not just my department.”

“The student panel. MY GOSH they were inspiring. They brought tears to my eyes. THIS is what I want to hear… young people whose lives are changed by their experience with the PEOPLE of ACC and clearly, there is no other resource like ACC to help get students’ lives and educations and credentials on track in these ways.”

“Celebrating those individuals that have made such an impact at ACC for our students, it is truly inspiring. It’s also good to find out some of the services provided at the vendor fair. Oh, and the flu shot and COVID vaccine station was such a huge perk!!!”

“I enjoyed the video with the history, and every speaker had a nice message. It was inspiring to see where we’ve come from with hopes of where we are headed. It was also nice to hear from the new chancellor.”

“It was beautiful to see the change in leadership handled with honor on both sides.”

“The speakers, the students, my colleagues being recognized. Even though I wasn’t able to go in person I still thoroughly enjoyed watching the event virtually.”

“The emphasis on care and collaboration at the highest levels of the college.”

“Seeing colleagues who are from other campuses. The food and beverages are excellent. ACC is showing how valuable staff are for the success of the college. Thank you, everyone!”

“The opportunity to connect with people and departments that I don’t see in my day-to-day work.”

“Hearing directly from the students about their experience. This always gives me goosebumps and motivates me to do more for our campus community.”

“It was an amazing program all around! Excellent job in planning and developing an event that made me proud to be a Riverbat.”

“This one was the best one ever. Each year TLED makes it better than the last one. Not sure how you do it but hooray! We get to have an awesome experience both in-person and online.”

Special Thanks

We want to thank the many extraordinary staff, faculty, and students who made the event possible and a resounding success – inspiring so many across the College. It truly takes a village or community to host such an event, and after months of planning and hundreds of interactions and meetings, we exemplified the true meaning of the 3 Cs.

We are grateful to work with such an amazing team whose collaboration, connection, and caring truly made General Assembly 2023 forge the future.

With heartfelt thanks to:

Keynote Presenter

ACC Administration

General Assembly Event Staff

Additional Media Contributions

Office of Communications & Marketing

General Assembly Session Presenters

General Assembly Planning Team