ACC welcomes Dr. Ghislain Potriquet, one of our collaborating professors at The University of Strasbourg, our partner for ACC Government Department’s Study Abroad Program in France. Dr. Potriquet is delivering the November lecture in The Global Issues Speakers Series, Wednesday, November 14, EVC 8500, 5:00-7:00 PM.
Economic and Societal Changes in The United States and Europe
In both the United States and France, two unlikely candidates won the last presidential elections: Donald J. Trump and Emmanuel Macron. As the two leaders met for the first time in the spring of 2017, their differences were eclipsed by a strong relationship. Their so-called “bromance” continues to puzzle observers on both side of the Atlantic. What do the two leaders have really in common? Ghislain Potriquet will attempt to answer this question by putting their elections in perspective. He will argue that they are evidence of broad economic and societal changes in the United States and Europe.
Ghislain Potriquet is associate professor of American studies at the Université de Strasbourg, France. He holds a PhD in American studies from Université Paris 3 – Sorbonne Nouvelle. He teaches American history and political sciences classes at the undergraduate and graduate levels. His research interests include language diversity and historiography.
As you probably know, we are implementing many of the recommendations of the DC Compensation workgroup, including a newly defined job description for assistant deans and the new role of Registration Liaison. Letters of interest were due earlier this week. Here’s what you need to know about the selection process:
Assistant Deans
Each dean area will have two assistant deans, selected according to these guidelines from our AVP, Gaye Lynn Scott:
use a hiring committee of at least three
look for expertise or familiarity with programs in the dean area
look for expertise or familiarity with student learning outcomes and assessment, program planning (planning in general), continuous improvement, etc. for the AD Pathways
look for expertise or familiarity with teaching in an online environment, Quality Matters, good practice in distance education for the AD Distance Ed
consider asking for a presentation or a written overview along the lines of “how would you help the programs in this dean area systematically and effectively meet QM standards for all DE offerings by Fall 2020?” for the interview
We want to have our assistant deans in place for the spring semester, and so I am in the process of forming selection committees in the next week. Once I have the letters of interest from HR, we will review and select interviewees. My plan is to have the selection completed before Thanksgiving.
Registration Liaisons
Registration liaisons are faculty who perform many of the same registration-related functions of the old assistant dean position. Instead of release time, Registration Liaisons will receive stipends. There will be 16 registration liaisons assigned to specific campuses and reporting to the academic dean for the assigned campus. As of this week, the projected assignments are:
Cypress: 2 (one for CYP, one for SGC), reporting to Matthew
Eastview: 1, reporting to PatHays: 1, reporting to Giao
Northridge, 3, reporting to Lorlie
Highland: 3 (also covering Elgin), reporting to David and/or Tom
Rio Grande: 1, reporting to Sam
Riverside: 2, reporting to Brandon
Round Rock: 2, reporting to Brandon and/or Pat
South Austin: 1, reporting to Linda
These projections are based on student population characteristics at the campuses, but note that registration liaisons will assist students in all AoSs. (For more information about this role, see Mike Midgley’s recent email about the recommendations of the DC Compensation Workgroup.)
We will likely adopt a selection process similar to that for Assistant Deans. I will update this post when I have more specifics.
In case you are wondering, LAHC department chairs also benefitted from the workgroup’s study. Beginning in the spring, all our LAHC DCs will have an increase in release time to support their work. In future, LAHC DCs will have 18 LEH per year release.
I am very pleased with the long-overdue “upgrade” to department chair compensation. I think the realignment of assistant deans to support departments and registration liaisons to support students is also a productive change.
If you haven’t heard this article by Shankar Vedantam (known for The Hidden Brain), do yourself a favor. The story explores why a career in nursing doesn’t attract more men. The research is fascinating, but what struck me was the message in the final few seconds:
Stereotypes are powerful because the stories we tell about ourselves are powerful. They shape how we see the world and how the world sees us. But in the end, they’re only stories. And stories – we can rewrite them.
This is the core principle of “narrative therapy,” which has been around by other names for a very long time. The power of narrative to shape our understanding of ourselves and others is what attracted me to psychoanalysis in my twenties. If you’d like an example, read almost of any of Freud’s cases (preferably in Freud’s German), and you’ll see that one of the reasons for Freud’s influence is his ability to tell compelling stories.
This particular piece on nursing suggests that the way to combat stereotypes about nursing as a “women’s field” is to put up an alternate stereotype. In other words, just explaining why nursing might be appealing to men isn’t sufficient; a compelling story about men who are nurses is needed to provide access to a sense of identity.
The moral of this story: On the positive side, stories are compelling, but the negative side is . . . stories are compelling. And this brings me back to my training and practice in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Narrative has the power to constitute at least some the realities of identity, but whichever fire you choose, the danger is burning down the tower of reason. And so it was that my supervisors reinforced the importance of reality-testing in the revisionist narrative of psychotherapy.
But reality-testing the narratives that establish and sustain identity is really the hard part, not least because our access to the real is mediated by narrative.
Four faculty from LAHC are among the 2018-19 Faculty Fellows. Please join me in congratulating our faculty!
Susan Meigs, ENGL
Anne Fletcher, INRW
Aimee Finney, CommS
Erin Bannen, PRH
The Faculty Fellows is a project of ACC’s Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning. Learn more about this program on the FCTL website. Get involved! Find out about additional opportunities to be part of the action!
I have to be honest and say I prefer visiting transfer fairs as an alumni!
A very long time ago, about 2013, I was an ACC student preparing to complete my Associate of Arts in Creative Writing and transfer to the University of Texas to pursue a BA in English. Even though I had a GPA that I was proud of and a hearty resume of honors, internships, campus leadership and community involvement, the most nerve-wracking part of the transfer process for me came in the form of a single question: “Do I have what they’re looking for?” Maybe I should have paid even more attention to grades and less to community service. Or maybe I didn’t do enough of either. Or too much of both. Or maybe…[enter the anxiety-brain spiral. Good luck finding your way out.]
Happily, I was accepted (Hook ‘Em!). But perhaps if I’d done my research, and known the precise criteria my university of choice uses to make transfer admissions decisions instead of going off generic advice – make the best grades that you can, do as much community service as possible, etc. – I could have saved a lot of time, energy, and headache as I stressed over whether or not I was above standard (pardon the perfectionism. It’s the Scorpio in me).
Last week, I attended the ACC Transfer Fair at Highland Campus and spoke with real-live transfer admissions counselors from some of the more popular colleges and universities in the state of Texas. As it turns out, not all four-year schools base their admissions decisions on the same criteria, despite what you may have been told. Take a look at what they had to say – you may be surprised!
Rachel Garcia of Baylor University – Waco: Our admissions decisions are based entirely on a prospective student’s GPA: the minimum we consider is 2.75, and certain majors have even higher requirements. You don’t need to have specific classes in order to transfer. For example: say you’re interested in transferring to pursue an engineering degree. You won’t be required to have your calculus credit in order to apply!
Asia Haney of Houston-Tillotson University – Austin: Our primary requirement is that all of our undergraduate students, whether first-time freshman or transfers, meet the minimum TSI requirements for math and English readiness – we want you to spend your time in college preparing for the future and enjoying student life, not taking remedial courses! All transfer students need to have at least a 2.5 GPA within the last 24 credits received, although there is no minimum amount of credits needed to transfer. All of our institutional scholarships also require a minimum 2.5 for consideration (and we have lots of money we want to give you!) Aside from the academic requirements, we are a very family oriented, close-knit university, with a student-teacher ratio of 15:1. What we’re really looking for are leaders, trendsetters, and game changers – students who care about and are involved in the community, especially the East Austin neighborhood. We want you to add to our campus culture, take advantage of the opportunities we offer, and leave a legacy.
Katie Lowe of Sam Houston State University – Huntsville: Our GPA requirements vary depending on the number of hours completed: freshman and students with 0-17 hours require a 2.5, and those with 18 or more will need a 2.0. Keep in mind that certain degree plans have major-specific requirements – my advice is to always check the course catalog when preparing your application materials. Although there is no minimum amount of credits required for transfer, SHSU is only able to accept a maximum of 66 hours – so make sure they count towards your degree (and be sure to watch for scholarship deadlines!)
Scott Sandoval of Southwestern University – Georgetown: We want to make sure any student coming in will be successful and able to handle the course work, so we’re looking for good, strong overall performance. Our target GPA is 3.0, and most ACC students transfer in with at least a 3.2. All students must meet TSI requirements for college level writing. We practice something called Writing Across the Curriculum, so no matter your major, you’re writing across multiple disciplines (English, science, mathematics, history, etc.). Therefore, strong writing skills are an absolute necessity. We are also interested in people who demonstrate leadership and community involvement, but this is secondary.
Jeremy Sanford of the University of Houston – Houston: We offer assured admission to all students with 15 credit hours and a 2.5 GPA. Business & Engineering have higher requirements. I always advise hopeful students to utilize our website for our transfer guides to make sure they on the right track for the degree plan they wish to pursue, and that their courses will transfer. Also, please put this in quotes: “UH is better than the rest.”
Vince Henderson of Concordia University – Austin: We look for people who are attentive, responsive, and looking to get the best out of their education. Ours is not a holistic review process – we primarily base decisions on a student’s GPA, which must be above a 2.0. There are also major-specific requirements, particularly for our Nursing and Business programs: pay attention to which courses you’re taking, and be sure to work closely with your academic advisor. We offer a credit evaluation to make sure all your hours will transfer. It is also possible to request a review process if your application falls short of our minimum requirements. We’re happy to help you as much as possible to get your application filled and submitted. And here’s a little-known fact about us: our campus lies on a nature preserve!
For more information and assistance with your transfer process, visit your campus Academic Advising office.
This fall, we’re piloting a new-ish type of course: the Honors Bridge.
When I became dean of LAHC, one of the programs in my portfolio is the Honors Program. I spent a good bit of time last year in conversation with colleagues, both here and in other institutions, thinking about Honors. I was very lucky to have a spirited group of faculty in the ad hoc Honors Workgroup, and they helped formulate a new direction for Honors, building on the great work of the past.
One of our major concerns is access — which is another way of saying that we were concerned about the inclusiveness of the program. I have often pointed out that decisions on the “front-end” of a decision-process often have unintended but destructive effects on the implementation end. I think that’s a good way to look at Honors programs.
Check out this opportunity from Theresa Glenn and our Communication Studies department.
Join us for a student speech contest coming up early next month. The date is set for Tuesday, October 9th — two weeks from today. The theme for this year is “What’s Your Story” told in a 10X20 or 5X40 PechaKucha format. If you’re not familiar with the Pecha Kucha format you may explore this special type of public speaking arrangement at www.pechakucha.org. Basically, students will ‘tell their story’ using 10 PPt slides and speak on each slide for 20 seconds or a new option this year is to use five slides and speak on each slide for 40 seconds. Yes, the slides are timed. Also, the theme is broad, but we are looking for students to tell a personal story of struggle, triumph, survival, and/or all of the above. It must be a true story and appropriate for the college scene.
Prizes, prizes, prizes! Yes, we have prizes for the top three student presentations. A $100 Visa gift card is the first place, $50 2nd place, and $25 for 3rd place.
Please contact: Prof. Gretchen Harries at gharries@austincc.edu if you have any questions. Submissions are due to Gretchen by Monday, Oct. 8th. She is willing to help the students as well with their entries.
Thanks for your support. Whether you encourage your students to compete or offer extra credit for just attending, I appreciate your support. Last year was an amazing launch of the speech contest. I’m looking forward to an even bigger, better event this year!!!
Here are two events to consider: The Austin Art Alliance is holding this year’s city-wide PechaKucha at 2003 Wheeles Lane, Austin 78723 (East I35, just south of 290). Communications Studies is hosting a PechaKucha for ACC students at HLC 4000, to kick off Comms Week. Join us and PechaKucha!
Thanks to everyone who attended our LAHC Convocation last week! And I’d like to offer special thanks to those who presented. I’d like to make some resources available to you concerning these topics.
If you’d like to know more, you may contact presenters and view the materials they have provided us. If you have a question or comment for me, email me directly or click on Ask Matthew.
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. Continue reading “Clearer Communication is Coming: a chat with AVP of Academic Transfer Programs”
