As Associate Vice President of Academic Transfer Programs, Gaye Lynn Scott knows better than most the critical role ACC plays in the lives of students – and how faculty often face pressure to meet the expectations of the college’s mission and vision. So when she announced the launch of her new blog and accompanying Webcast, we were eager to feature her work here at the Dean’s blog. Her blog serves as a free resource for ACC faculty, with fast and friendly information on the college’s programs and initiatives across departments, as well as other topics of interest.
Gaye Lynn was kind enough to sit down with me and give the inside scoop on the creation and vision of her project – given the rapid growth and expansion of our college, it comes not a moment too soon. We hope you enjoy hearing about the generous work she’s been up to, and don’t forget to visit her blog and Webcast!
What prompted you to create your blog?
For years, I’ve heard a constant concern from faculty across the college that as administrators, we don’t communicate clearly – that they don’t understand what’s going on when new policies or initiatives are announced, or how what they are being asked to do ties into the larger mission of the college. I started the blog as a conduit for communication, and to keep people informed on what we’re doing to accelerate student access, persistence and completion. I’m also in a new position at the college, and I hope the blog will help the faculty and staff I now supervise t0 get to know me a little better.
What are some short and long term goals you have for the blog?
On a pragmatic front, the short term goal is to get enough feedback from readers so I can make content responsive to the needs of faculty and staff. In the long-term, I want this to be a spoke in the wheel of communication for folks to learn and be aware of what we’re doing at ACC. We are a very large, urban, diverse, dispersed community college with eleven campuses, a large student body, and lots of good ideas and innovations that deserve a place in the spotlight.
Who would you say is the audience you most want to reach?
My aim is to build community within, between and across the academic transfer programs.
How does your Webcast feed into your blog?
I’m still sometimes a creature of the 20th century, and it finally occurred to me that I needed to do something better for my faculty than just send an email – across eleven campuses, we need to connect as people. I see the blog and the Webcast as “kissing cousins,” since they both exist to let people in on the work we’re doing and answer questions. The Webcast lets you see the faces behind our initiatives. I’ve filmed seven episodes so far, all in interview format. I try to keep them around fifteen minutes to be considerate of people’s time, and each features a different topic, some more lighthearted than others. One is a conversation with the Provost, so people can get to know Dr. Cook better. Another is with the two department chairs that are helping implement our faculty advising initiative. It will feature faculty across all academic programs to highlight the good things different people are doing. The first, which covers our exciting new Fall Initiatives, has been very well received, but it’s really not about promoting myself – I pushed it out because it deals with such an important program. I also have to give a big shout out to Nancy Holden and her crew – I film these in their studio at Pinnacle, and they look wonderful thanks to their editing efforts!
Tell us more about the upcoming Fall Institutes.
Almost all ACC students are part-time. We are trying to figure out how to give them a predictable course schedule that they can manage work and family obligations around, and take courses in the right direction for their degree. We also want FTIC (First Time In College) students to get off to a really great start – to connect with each other and faculty, to not feel as overwhelmed by the registration process. FITC students can apply to an Institute, which range from Liberal Arts to Business Studies to Pre-Engineering (which feeds into the Texas A&M Engineering Academy). They commit to one year of full-time course taking, and we promise them that their courses will be in the same time block Fall, Spring, and Summer. By the end of the year, they’ll have thirty credits under their belt. They will have their own advisors, and be in a learning environment where they can make friends and connect with faculty. If we can get a couple of hundred students to commit to doing this for one year, we can make their first year both fun and successful. We’re working not just across disciplines, but Deandoms. The goal is to help students get on a path, and stay on the path.
If there is only one thing you hope your readers and viewers take away, what would that be?
I am a missionary for community colleges. I believe in what they do – the open doors, the second chances, the fundamental work we do to support an educated citizenry which supports our democratic system. So if nothing else, I hope readers take away a renewed dedication to the mission of the community college.