Faculty Interest Groups Archive
About
A Faculty Interest Group (FIG) is a group of faculty within or across disciplines with a mutual interest in some subject applicable to teaching. The group agrees to meet regularly to share ideas for a predetermined length of time (generally one or two semesters). These groups are less formal than Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs), but still engage faculty in regular efforts to share ideas about teaching that address their selected focus.
The Teaching and Learning Excellence Division (TLED) is pleased to support opportunities for Austin Community College (ACC) faculty to engage in instructor-centered and initiated groups of like-minded peers to explore shared topics of interest.
Fall 2021-Spring 2021: Post Event Summary
A total of 52 Austin Community College (ACC) faculty and staff participated in Faculty Interest Groups (FIGs) during the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semester. The FIG topics included Distance Learning, Empowered Google, Building Culturally Responsive Classrooms, Teaching Ethics to Adult Learners, and Religious Literacy. Eight Areas of Study were represented.
The Faculty Experience
As a result of their participation in this program:
-
- 92% felt they are able to be more effective in their role.
- 100% would recommend this course to colleagues.
-
- 96% felt a renewed excitement for teaching.
- 88% felt more confident in their ability to create an inclusive classroom.
“I enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about what faculty from other disciplines do to integrate ethics into their teaching.”
Fall 2020-Spring 2021 FIGS
The Culturally Responsive Teaching Faculty Interest Group (CRTFIG) will read and reflect on the book “Culturally Responsive Teaching & The Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor Among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students.” The purpose of this FIG will be to self-reflect on our own cultural lens and work toward offering the most culturally responsive classroom we can.
Each meeting participants will discuss a section of the book and create consumables that can be used in the classroom. Spring 2021 meetings will be held virtually via Google Meet.
For more information, please contact Kendall Dingee at kdudley@austincc.edu.
Meeting Dates and Topics
Topic 1: Building Awareness and Knowledge
February 26, 2021
10:00am-12:00pm
Topic 2: Building Learning Partnerships
March 26, 2021
10:00am-12:00pm
Topic 3: Building Intellective Capacity
April 30, 2021
10:00am-12:00pm
Topics
Sharing information on the various Google products available through the current ACC G Suite for Education installment.
Share examples of how various faculty are employing various tools.
Best case uses for enhancing ACC communication and instruction.
Note: 12 faculty will be accepted into the FIG and all applicants will be notified of their application status shortly after the deadline.
Meeting Schedule
All meetings will be hosted virtually on Google Meet.
| Topic | Date | Time |
| Coming together to talk about what we use, how we use it, and latest updates | September 18, 2020 | 3:00pm-4:30pm |
| Basic Google products available for ACC Users | October 16, 2020 | 3:00pm-4:30pm |
| Demonstration of how faculty are using the tools | November 20, 2020 | 3:00pm-4:30pm |
| Sharing training resources for Google products | February 5, 2021 | 3:00pm-4:30pm |
| Discuss ways to share Google tools | March 5, 2021 | 3:00pm-4:30pm |
| Proposals for 2nd year FIG or FLC | April 2, 2021 | 3:00pm-4:30pm |
Contact FIG Lead
Herb Coleman, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Student Development
TCEA Google Certified Educator
hcoleman@austincc.edu
The Teaching Ethics to Adult Learners Faculty Interest Group (TEALFIG) is an opportunity for faculty from various disciplines to come together and discuss the effectiveness of ethics education at ACC. Participants will discuss best practices, how to increase student success, and collaborate to expand ethics-based courses to other Areas of Study at ACC. Join this group to obtain a better understanding of why ethics are taught in various disciplines and what the ultimate goal is in having students complete an ethics course(s) as part of their undergraduate education.
Spring 2021 meetings will be held virtually via Zoom. For more information, please contact Larry Stephens at larry.stephens@austincc.edu.
Meeting Dates and Topics
Topic 1: Introductions and Overview
January 29, 2021
9:30am-11:00am
A survey and discussion of Ethics courses taught in various Areas of Study throughout ACC; course offerings (online vs. classroom). Talk about successes and opportunities in teaching an Ethics course.
Topic 2: Developing Ethics Course Content and Best Practices
February 26, 2021
9:30am-11:00am
Discussion focused on what content is covered in an Ethics course. Suggestions for best practices in course design (learning objectives). Possible collaboration among group members of implementing Quality Matters in our online courses.
Topic 3: Developing Ethics Course Content and Best Practices, Part 2
March 26, 2021
9:30am-11:00am
A continuation of the previous discussion with a focus on active learning techniques and engaging students in an Ethics course (both online and classroom). Discussion of potential collaborative ethics education research project.
Topic 4: TBD by FIG participants based on previous discussions
April 30, 2021
9:30am-11:00am
If participants are open to doing a collaborative ethics education research project, this session could be focused on possible research topics, funding, grants, etc.
Contact
For any questions, please contact the Office of Faculty Development via facdev@austincc.edu.