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General Assembly Archive

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, micro-credentials 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:

General Assembly 2022: Our Defining Moments
Post Event Summary

About

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 2022 theme, “Our Defining Moments” highlights the ways in which ACC has adapted to unique challenges since ACC opened in 1973.

 

Overview

General Assembly 2022 had both online and in-person options. Over 1,100 employees engaged online and over 300 employees joined in person. 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.

Preshow

The show kicked off at 8:00 am with an engaging pre-show that featured an ACC quiz. 146 employees participated 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 some of ACC’s defining moments.

Feature Video

The General Assembly feature video delves deeper into ACC’s defining moments and highlights programs and students.

Program

ACC Chancellor Dr. Richard Rhodes presented a compelling State of the College Address beginning at 9:00 am. Board of Trustees Chair, Dr. Nan McRaven shared key information about upcoming challenges, student services, and the proposed bond package. Recognition of employees and faculty graduates from various programs followed. Chancellor Rhodes congratulated the Riverbat Employee of the Year, Jeff DeLeon from IT services.

Student Panel

After employee recognitions, the Chancellor invited several students to the stage to discuss their own ACC defining moments. Provost Dr. Monique Umphrey presented the Instructional and Student Affairs update. Keynote speaker Gerd Leonhard, Futurist and CEO of The Futures Agency, presented a captivating pre-recorded address about the possibilities and challenges facing higher education over the next decade. Afterward, he participated in a virtual live Q & A with ACC Provost Dr. Monique Umphrey.

Dr. Susan Thomason, 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.

Keynote: The Next 10 Years: Rethinking Education that is Fit for the Future

The pre-recorded keynote was presented by Gerd Leonhard, Futurist and CEO of The Futures Agency. His keynote highlighted considerations for education in order to prepare students for the future. Visit www.futuristgerd.com and www.twitter.com/gleonhard.

Download the Keynote Slides

Closing Video for General Assembly 2022

Watch ACC Mascot R.B. visit defining moments in ACC’s history and beyond!

Afternoon Sessions

An in-person afternoon session was conducted on the development of the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan. Consultants from CREDO introduced the framework ACC will follow through the planning process and then solicited input from attendees on themes and recommendations on possible initiatives.

Note: Future opportunities will be available to share input.

Virtual afternoon sessions were also conducted. Topics included how to create inclusion and access for all ACC students, ACC’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), wellness/mental health, and ACC’s 3Cs.

What Attendees are Saying about their General Assembly 2022 Experience…

“The opportunity to interact with ACC employees across the institution is a breath of fresh air and fosters our 3C’s…Collaboration, Connecting, and Caring!! The event is well managed, but even more so, catching up with old friends and making new connections really energizes me”

“Presenters injected their own personality into presentations and fostered an environment to connect with other staff at ACC.”

“I loved celebrating our students and the staff that make the college continue to move forward.”

“By far and away, the keynote address by Gerd Leonhard was the best part of the General Assembly. It was refreshing, honest, and relevant.”

“Having an in-person option is really great, this provides the larger college body a chance to meet and talk with specialty departments/divisions regarding changes, points of contact, as well as a clear pathway to get information.”

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. It also takes vision from leadership and Chancellor Rhodes’ support has been invaluable in expanding this work.

We are grateful to work with such an amazing team whose collaboration, connection, and caring truly made General Assembly 2022: Our Defining Moments an unforgettable experience.

With heartfelt thanks to:

General Assembly 2021

About

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 2021 theme, “Light Your Fire”, focused on the role that creating purpose and belonging play in student success and in our personal and professional growth.

Post Event Summary: General Assembly 2021

General Assembly 2021 had both online and in-person options. Over 1400 employees engaged online and over 80 colleagues joined in-person, wearing masks and socially-distancing. 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.

Attendees were awarded 4 hours of professional development credit.

Pre-Show

The show kicked off at 8:00 am with an engaging pre-show that featured an ACC quiz. 376 employees participated and were entered to win raffle prizes such as gift cards and Riverbat swag. View a playlist of the inspirational videos shared.

Participants were encouraged to submit photos of their pets which can be viewed on TLED’s Facebook page and in the following video.

Program

Chancellor Dr. Richard Rhodes presented an engaging State of the College Address beginning at 9:00am. After sharing an ACCTV casting call video, he invited four students up to the stage to interview them about their experiences attending ACC during the pandemic, and shared a story about his pathway into education. View the Presentation Slides

Vice Chancellors Dr. Shasta Buchanan, Dr. Jenna Cullinane Hege, and Mr. Mike Midgley hosted a conversation on what it means for ACC to be student-ready. They shared engaging data points and challenged employees to think about what each one of us can do to improve our services to students. View the Presentation Slides

Keynote speaker, Charles Hunt, resilience expert, adjunct professor, and motivational speaker, shared his principles of resilience through an engaging personal history.

The General Assembly Experience

“TLED did a FANTASTIC job putting together the online program. It was engaging, thoughtful, and had high production value. I truly appreciate all the work that goes into making this event successful.”

“What I enjoyed most was feeling like I was part of the action even though I was totally online. The programming was perfect!”

“The content was relevant, timely, and provided good information/reminders on where we are, what is needed to move forward, and what our focus needs to be.”

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. It also takes vision from leadership and Chancellor Rhodes’ support has been invaluable in expanding this work.

We are grateful to work with such an amazing team whose collaboration, connection, and caring truly made General Assembly 2021 Light the Fire in all of us.

With heartfelt thanks to:

General Assembly 2020

About

Each fall semester Austin Community College (ACC) employees from across the district gather at General Assembly to hear key College updates. This event helps connect the dots between an employee’s daily work and the strategic plan of the College. Our 2020 theme was “College of the Future.” All ACC faculty and staff were encouraged to participate. For any questions, please contact tledcomms@austincc.edu.

Post Event Summary: General Assembly 2020

 

ACC General Assembly 2020 College of the Future

 

Each fall semester Austin Community College (ACC) employees from across the district gather at General Assembly to hear key college updates. This event helps connect the dots between an employee’s daily work and the strategic plan of the College. TLED hosted ACC’s first completely virtual General Assembly on Friday, September 25, 2020. The theme was “College of the Future.”

The show kicked off at 8:00 am with an engaging pre-show which featured an ACC quiz. 469 employees participated and were entered to win raffle prizes such as gift cards and Riverbat swag. Over 2,500 employees tuned in to the online Live Stream and chat at 9:00 am to hear Chancellor Dr. Richard Rhodes and Provost Dr. Charles Cook deliver the State of the College Address followed by renowned futurist and keynote speaker, Dr. Terri Horton, who discussed the future of higher education. The pre-show playlist and General Assembly recordings and presentation files are available below.

Presentation Files

Recordings

Watch the General Assembly Recording

Watch Pre-Show Playlist

Virtual Fair

General Assembly 2020 Virtual Fair

Employees were encouraged to browse resources through the Virtual Fair, where 35 areas of the College shared news and information regarding their services.

Photo Album

The ACC General Assembly 2020 Photo Album also gave employees an opportunity to connect and create community with one another as they shared team photos and “behind the scenes” moments from the past year.

ACC general assembly photo album

What did you enjoy the most about General Assembly 2020?

welcome to austin community college“This was my first General Assembly. I felt so proud to be a part of ACC District as I watched the program. I appreciate that ACC has a vision that every employee should know about. I love that I work someone that cares about people and continually looks for ways to improve. Austin Community College is looking to improve online learning, demographics, and address the racial injustice in this country! I love Austin Community College and the General Assembly just made me fall in love more.”

Masked man dancing

“I loved all the RB videos and watching Mike Midgley breakdance. I laughed out loud. I also enjoyed Dr. Rhodes updating us on all the accomplishments. The keynote speaker was also very interesting. For being online it was very well done. (I still felt the sense of pride I get from the in-person GA’s).”

Watch RB & Mike Midgely breakdance!

The Right Combination of Hybrid Skills

“How interactive and fun the comment/chat section ended up being. People were on-task/talking about what was being presented, not just fooling around and talking about other things. It was wonderful to see and hear those perspectives all at once while the information was being presented. LOVED it.”

“I really like how we adapted to virtual mode and still had fun with it. Like all General Assemblies, I enjoy hearing the messages for all ACC, our goals and progress, and generally feeling less siloed.”

Dr. Charles Cook headshot

The College of the future presentation by faculty

Dr. susan thomason headshot

faculty video call

“I especially enjoyed the interviews of the student “stars,” who were featured in our commercial. The entire production was creative and the presenters were well-prepared and very enthusiastic about their topics. Therefore it made me feel energized and proud to be a part of ACC. I truly felt connected, seeing it “live,” online.”

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!