Austin Community College encourages its employees to participate in professional development activities and provides a number of resources through which these activities may be completed.
The objectives of professional development are to help employees:
ACC provides Faculty professional development opportunities for classroom skill enhancement and increased knowledge in their specific academic discipline, as long as the activity is pre-approved by the individual’s supervisor.
Professional development activities may include:
The Teaching and Learning Excellence Division (TLED) offers faculty development opportunities through their website and at annual events, such as Summer Software Day and Spring Development Day. Registration for these faculty development events may also be available in Workday Learning.
Typically, professional development is not a common conversation between faculty and students. However, if a student approaches a faculty member with concerns about another faculty member's teaching, sharing ACC's commitment to excellence and refering them to an appropriate department chair or dean to formally share their concerns might be a reasonable approach.
ACC has a strong commitment to excellence in teaching and instruction. Students can be confident that their instructors are knowledgeable in their fields and are continually improving their skills and expanding their knowledge base.
Classroom faculty are required to complete 12 hours of training and development annually, but of course, many do much more than what is required to assure they are competent and confident in their instruction.