Spring Development Day

2025 Spring Development Day (SDD): Post Event Summary

Austin Community College (ACC) welcomed faculty and staff to a new semester with Spring Development Day (SDD) 2025, a vibrant and engaging professional development event designed to inspire and empower employees. Held on Friday, January 17, 2025, this year’s theme, “Spring Forward: Creating a Mosaic of Opportunities,” encouraged participants to explore innovative tools and strategies to enhance both teaching and workplace environments at ACC.

SDD 25 Employee Mixer

This year, in addition to providing professional development opportunities, SDD 2025 also fostered community and connection through the Employee Mixer co-hosted by the Teaching and Learning Excellence Division (TLED), the Office of Belonging and Purpose, and the Joyful Employee Ambassadors.

Held the day before SDD on Thursday, January 16, 2025, from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the ACC Highland Campus (HLC), the Employee Mixer featured a baked potato bar, salad, and dessert, along with interactive art activities and entertaining bingo games hosted by the Office of Faculty Development. Attendees had a lot of fun all while participating in ACC’s commitment to fostering a welcoming and collaborative environment.

Employees were able to unwind, engage in meaningful conversations, and participate in fun activities such as bingo, a collaborative mosaic creation, and a ‘Loving Students to Success’ mural coloring. This mixer set the stage for a productive and inspiring Spring Development Day while strengthening relationships beyond SDD 2025.

A Day of Learning, Collaboration, and Growth

SDD 2025 featured a dynamic lineup of workshops, discussions, and networking opportunities tailored to support professional growth across various disciplines. The event brought together 500 registrants for a day of engaging discussions, hands-on learning, and professional growth. With 28 unique online workshops spanning a range of topics—including instructional innovation, student engagement, leadership development, and workplace productivity—attendees had ample opportunities to expand their knowledge and skill sets.

Workshops were grouped into four sessions throughout the day. Participants explored emerging trends in education, workforce readiness, technology integration, and student-centered strategies, fostering a collaborative environment where ideas and best practices were shared. While the keynote presentation was HyFlex (both in person and online), all other workshops were conducted synchronously online via Zoom, ensuring accessibility for employees across the college community.

Keynote Presentation: CLI Preview: Inspiring Leadership at ACC

The event highlighted an inspiring keynote titled “The Chancellor’s Leadership Institute (CLI) Preview: Inspiring Leadership at ACC,” featuring ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart in conversation with Dr. Missi Patterson. Their discussion supported the tone for the day, emphasizing the importance of connection, continuous learning, and creating a supportive academic environment. Attendees gained insights into ACC’s leadership vision, participated in engaging CLI activities, and explored ways to foster a culture of belonging within the institution.

Faculty and staff were encouraged to contribute their reflections on the keynote via a dedicated Padlet board (you must be logged in with your ACC credentials to view the Padlet), where they could document key takeaways, connections to their work, and actionable steps inspired by the keynote.

Watch the Recordings via Panopto

For those who could not attend the keynote live, a high-resolution recording, complete with captions, is available here. Additionally, recordings of the SDD workshops are also accessible via Panopto.

Note: You must log into Panopto using your ACC credentials to view the recordings.

Continuing the Momentum

Spring Development Day 2025 was a resounding success, reinforcing ACC’s dedication to lifelong learning and professional enrichment. Thank you to all who participated, contributed, and made this event a meaningful experience.

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