Associated Colleges of the South

ACS CFO and Facilities Directors Meeting
2025-04-09 16:00 - 2025-04-11 12:00 (America/New_York)
We will begin with dinner on Wednesday, April 9th and conclude by noon on Friday, April 11th.

If you would like more information on this event, please contact Ashley Torgerson at atorgerson@acsouth.edu.

New Department Chair Programming Series - Maintaining a healthy department.
2025-04-03 15:30 - 16:45
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Department chairs are essential faculty leadership roles that influence and shape the institutional mission and student success. This year-long program will leverage a consortial approach to professional development and build community among participants while providing essential guidance, opportunities for self-reflection, and sharing of useful practices for effective leadership as a department chair.

The target audience is new or emerging department chairs, although experienced chairs may also benefit. The program is scaffolded to connect sessions and build community among participants who can provide peer-peer support (“co-mentoring”) throughout and after the program. Chairs are encouraged to participate in all sessions, as much as their busy schedules allow.

April 3, 2025: Maintaining a healthy department

What is my role in promoting student success and maintaining a healthy and thriving department?

Ensuring a relevant, updated, and innovative curriculum

Managing student complaints

Supporting faculty and staff (special emphasis on support for new faculty)

Supporting students

Strategic planning for the department

Being the designated grown up

Knowing when to ask and what to ask for help on Connecting back to using data (session 5)

Please login to ACS Community to register for this session.

ACS Faculty Evaluation Summit
2025-03-20 16:00 - 2025-03-21 16:00
The summit will begin with dinner on Thursday and will conclude mid-afternoon on Friday.

If you would like more information on this event, please contact Ashley Torgerson at atorgerson@acsouth.edu.

ACS Council of Deans Spring Meeting
2025-03-06 16:00 - 2025-03-07 20:00
We will begin at 4:00pm on Thursday the 6th and conclude after dinner on Friday the 7th.

If you would like more information on this event, please contact Ashley Torgerson at atorgerson@acsouth.edu.

New Department Chair Programming Series - Working effectively with senior administrators.
2025-03-06 15:30 - 16:45
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Department chairs are essential faculty leadership roles that influence and shape the institutional mission and student success. This year-long program will leverage a consortial approach to professional development and build community among participants while providing essential guidance, opportunities for self-reflection, and sharing of useful practices for effective leadership as a department chair.

The target audience is new or emerging department chairs, although experienced chairs may also benefit. The program is scaffolded to connect sessions and build community among participants who can provide peer-peer support (“co-mentoring”) throughout and after the program. Chairs are encouraged to participate in all sessions, as much as their busy schedules allow.

March 6, 2025: Working effectively with senior administrators

How does a chair gain support for departmental goals and work effectively with senior administrators?

Understanding organizational structure and roles of other leaders

Understanding campus operating procedures for facilities/maintenance, budgets/purchasing, technology, institutional effectiveness/assessment, and other college business processes

Understanding accountability and supporting an institutional perspective on policies -Connecting back to the use of data (session 6) and navigating difficult conversations (session 3)

Please login to ACS Community to register for this session.

New Department Chair Programming Series - Using Data/Telling the Story.
2025-02-13 15:30 - 16:45
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Department chairs are essential faculty leadership roles that influence and shape the institutional mission and student success. This year-long program will leverage a consortial approach to professional development and build community among participants while providing essential guidance, opportunities for self-reflection, and sharing of useful practices for effective leadership as a department chair.

The target audience is new or emerging department chairs, although experienced chairs may also benefit. The program is scaffolded to connect sessions and build community among participants who can provide peer-peer support (“co-mentoring”) throughout and after the program. Chairs are encouraged to participate in all sessions, as much as their busy schedules allow.

February 13, 2025: Using Data/Telling the Story

What data is useful to collect and how do I use it to advance departmental goals?

Collection and use of departmental data for external reviews; assessment; internal requests for positions, funding

Understanding and using institutional data

Relating data to goals for equity and inclusion – are all students successfully navigating courses, major, etc? Is any particular group of faculty or students being left behind and do we know why?

Connecting back to establishing an inclusive culture (session 2) and laying groundwork for working with other administrators (session 6) and maintaining a functional department (session 7)

Please login to ACS Community to register for this session.

New Department Chair Programming Series - Me, as department chair.
2025-01-16 15:30 - 16:45
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Department chairs are essential faculty leadership roles that influence and shape the institutional mission and student success. This year-long program will leverage a consortial approach to professional development and build community among participants while providing essential guidance, opportunities for self-reflection, and sharing of useful practices for effective leadership as a department chair.

The target audience is new or emerging department chairs, although experienced chairs may also benefit. The program is scaffolded to connect sessions and build community among participants who can provide peer-peer support (“co-mentoring”) throughout and after the program. Chairs are encouraged to participate in all sessions, as much as their busy schedules allow.

January 16, 2025: Me, as department chair

Who is taking care of me?

Self-care

Avoiding burnout/exhaustion

How to maintain my own professional development as chair and as scholar

Identifying my needs for a mentor

Setting boundaries

Connecting back to the many responsibilities and challenges for a department chair (sessions 2 & 3)

Please login to ACS Community to register for this session.

New Department Chair Programming Series - Me, as department chair.
2024-11-20 15:15 - 16:30
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Department chairs are essential faculty leadership roles that influence and shape the institutional mission and student success. This year-long program will leverage a consortial approach to professional development and build community among participants while providing essential guidance, opportunities for self-reflection, and sharing of useful practices for effective leadership as a department chair.

The target audience is new or emerging department chairs, although experienced chairs may also benefit. The program is scaffolded to connect sessions and build community among participants who can provide peer-peer support (“co-mentoring”) throughout and after the program. Chairs are encouraged to participate in all sessions, as much as their busy schedules allow.

November 20, 2024: Chair Connections – STEM Department Chairs

Please note that this session takes place at 3:15pm ET.

Chair Connections provides discipline-specific learning communities that offer peer support and timely guidance, helping department chairs address challenges unique to their fields while fostering a strong professional network.

Please login to ACS Community to register for this session.

New Department Chair Programming Series - Navigating a difficult conversation and delivering feedback to others: The good and the bad.
2024-11-14 15:30 - 16:45
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Department chairs are essential faculty leadership roles that influence and shape the institutional mission and student success. This year-long program will leverage a consortial approach to professional development and build community among participants while providing essential guidance, opportunities for self-reflection, and sharing of useful practices for effective leadership as a department chair.

The target audience is new or emerging department chairs, although experienced chairs may also benefit. The program is scaffolded to connect sessions and build community among participants who can provide peer-peer support (“co-mentoring”) throughout and after the program. Chairs are encouraged to participate in all sessions, as much as their busy schedules allow.

November 14, 2024: Navigating a difficult conversation and delivering feedback to others: The good and the bad.

How does a chair deliver meaningful feedback with empathy and effectiveness?

Performance reviews (including performance reviews of full professors if you are an associate professor)

Tenure letters

Inheriting prior information

Being the designated grown-up in difficult conversations

Documenting areas of improvement and helping faculty navigate a plan to address them

Asking for feedback

Please login to ACS Community to register for this session.

2024 VP of Student Life & Dean of Students Meeting
2024-11-13 14:00 - 2024-11-15 15:30

New Department Chair Programming Series - Establishing an inclusive and collaborative departmental culture.
2024-10-10 15:30 - 16:45
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Department chairs are essential faculty leadership roles that influence and shape the institutional mission and student success. This year-long program will leverage a consortial approach to professional development and build community among participants while providing essential guidance, opportunities for self-reflection, and sharing of useful practices for effective leadership as a department chair.

The target audience is new or emerging department chairs, although experienced chairs may also benefit. The program is scaffolded to connect sessions and build community among participants who can provide peer-peer support (“co-mentoring”) throughout and after the program. Chairs are encouraged to participate in all sessions, as much as their busy schedules allow.

October 10, 2024: Establishing an inclusive and collaborative departmental culture.

How do you foster and maintain an inclusive departmental environment?

Faculty mentoring

Onboarding new faculty

Leading meetings

Making decisions as a department

Staffing introductory courses

Attending to student concerns

Connecting back to my preferred leadership style (Session 1)

Please login to ACS Community to register for this session.

New Department Chair Programming Series - Me, as department chair.
2024-09-19 15:30 - 16:45
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Department chairs are essential faculty leadership roles that influence and shape the institutional mission and student success. This year-long program will leverage a consortial approach to professional development and build community among participants while providing essential guidance, opportunities for self-reflection, and sharing of useful practices for effective leadership as a department chair.

The target audience is new or emerging department chairs, although experienced chairs may also benefit. The program is scaffolded to connect sessions and build community among participants who can provide peer-peer support (“co-mentoring”) throughout and after the program. Chairs are encouraged to participate in all sessions, as much as their busy schedules allow.

September 19, 2024: Me, as department chair

Who am I as a leader and how do I apply my leadership strengths to the role of department chair?

Understanding my preferred style and how it impacts communication with others

Adapting my leadership to fit particular situations

Asking for feedback from peers and mentors to support continuous leadership growth and self-awareness

Please login to ACS Community to register for this session.

2024 Chief Academic Officers Meeting
2024-09-19 14:00 - 2024-09-21 11:00

Summer Virtual Workshop 2: Building an Inclusive Generative AI Toolset for Student-Centered Learning Activities
2024-08-15 14:30 - 16:00
Workshop Leaders: Andrew Bell (University of Richmond), Saif Mehkari (University of Richmond), Horace Ballenger (Morehouse College), and Melanie Hoag (Southwestern University)

Recommended Participants: All are welcome, but the workshop is designed primarily for faculty who want to explore the use of generative artificial intelligence in their classroom and assignments.

Register: Register in advance for this meeting: ACS WS 2 Building an Inclusive Generative AI Toolset

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Description:

Understanding how generative AI tools impact teaching and learning is challenging, and offering students an inclusive and effective toolset is even more so. This workshop draws on experiences from faculty and academic staff exploring generative AI integration at the University of Richmond, Morehouse College, and Southwestern University. Participants will:

1. Identify specific use cases for ethical, effective, and inclusive generative AI tools that support both faculty and students, such as building custom GPTs for assignment description generation and prompt engineering for data visualization coding tutors.

2. Explore various models for providing generative AI tools to faculty and students, including open-source options.

3. Develop best practices for addressing challenging discussions around generative AI, including academic integrity and data privacy, with take home resources for further exploration.

4. Describe emerging paradigms for teaching and learning that are emerging based on the integration of AI into the learning environment.

Summer Virtual Workshop 1: Setting the Stage for Inclusivity: A Scenarios Workshop for Faculty of All Academic Disciplines and Career Levels
2024-08-02 12:00 - 13:30
Workshop Leaders: Patricia Herrera of the University of Richmond, Wilson Terrell, Jr. of Trinity University, Leslie Wingard Cunningham of W & L University, and Maha Zewail-Foote of Southwestern University

Recommended Participants: All ACS members are welcome, but the workshop is designed primarily for faculty members of all career levels and all academic disciplines. Department and program chairs are also encouraged.

Register: Register in advance for this meeting: ACS WS 1 Setting the Stage for Inclusivity

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Description:This scenarios workshop is led by four professors of color (two in STEM fields and two in humanities and social science fields) and intended for fellow faculty and administrators of ALL backgrounds, academic disciplines, and stages in their careers. Join others determined to foster an inclusive environment and enable continued faculty success at ACS schools. Participants will first discuss real-life scenarios from ACS campuses and then will create some of their own to add to a growing inventory of recent scenes that other campus leaders can utilize in the future. Some scenes that participants may explore will allow the group to discuss:

1. Best practices for welcoming new colleagues who we plan to retain in our departments;

2. Regularly including conversations about diversity and equity even in classrooms that are based in STEM or other arenas seemingly less applicable – and in which there is also not much time to add content, and

3.Teaching, advising, Chair-ing, or Dean-ing in ways that consider a wider variety of viewpoints and experiences. Brief readings, podcast episodes, or video clips could be assigned for review before this 90-minute workshop and a resource guide to share with colleagues may be provided later.

New Department Chair Programming Series - Topic to be selected by group in early February.
2024-04-02 15:00 - 16:00
Please login to ACS Community to register for this session.

New Department Chair Programming Series - Support for Chairs.
2024-02-29 16:00 - 17:00
Support for Chairs: In this session we will explore resources available for avoiding burnout and promoting self-care (after all, we are rapidly approaching mid-terms!). We will provide some examples for when faculty feel distant from their identities as scholars (when taking on administrative duties); delegating; saying “no” when appropriate. We will discuss effective conversation and use of email, humor, ways to listen, understanding the need to collaborate with other units, the limits of what a chair can and cannot do. The goal of this session is to let you know that you are not alone in feeling a bit of burnout, and share a few solutions.

Please click here to register: https://www.acsouth.edu/forms/new-department-chair-programming/

New Department Chair Programming Series - The Budget.
2024-02-05 16:00 - 17:00
The Budget: dispelling myths and rumors. The goal of this session is to learn how the departmental (or divisional) budget is formed, how to make compelling data-driven requests, and to gain a better understanding of resources and finance in higher education.

Please click here to register: https://www.acsouth.edu/forms/new-department-chair-programming/

New Department Chair Programming Series - Supporting Departmental Faculty as Chair.
2023-11-02 16:00 - 17:00
Supporting Departmental Faculty as Chair. The goal of this session is to promote faculty/staff (and students) through developing an inclusive environment and a positive departmental culture. We’ll talk about mentoring new faculty, resolving faculty conflicts, and revisit course scheduling.

Please click here to register: https://www.acsouth.edu/forms/new-department-chair-programming/

New Department Chair Programming Series - Supporting Students as Department Chairs.
2023-10-05 15:00 - 16:00
Supporting Students as Department Chairs. This second session recognizes that the new department chairs are settling in to their new roles, and are moving towards both mid-terms and the development of the spring schedule. This session will intentionally look at ways that the department chair is called upon to support students – sometimes navigating conflict when student expectations and faculty expectations are not aligned. Topics include developing the schedule that accounts for student needs, as well as the needs of the departmental faculty and the institution (as a whole), maintaining the department as an inclusive environment, balancing tensions between faculty and students (if in conflict). When does a decision become less of a departmental matter, and more a matter to resolve institutionally. The goal of this session will be to remind us all that issues are often seen through different perspectives and that this complicates the decision-making; attending this session will help us learn to mediate conflict.

Please click here to register: https://www.acsouth.edu/forms/new-department-chair-programming/

New Department Chair Programming Series - Who am I as a Leader?
2023-09-06 15:00 - 17:00
Who am I as a Leader? This first session will kick off the year by touching upon the big picture of chairing a department. In this session we will explore who we are as leaders; how to transition effectively into our new role. We will also develop a community of academic leaders from across the consortium of ACS. We will discuss leading from our values and through a DEI lens; the importance of communication; thinking like a department chair; running an effective meeting; and onboarding new faculty and staff into our departments. We will also review upcoming topics, and have time for some just-in-time discussions. In this first session, the goal is to create a community among ACS new department chairs, and to provide an overview of some of the issues and activities you are likely to encounter.

Please go here to register: https://www.acsouth.edu/forms/new-department-chair-programming/

“Diversity Advocate” Approach to Building Equitable Hiring Practices
2023-07-10 08:00 - 2023-07-12 17:00
This “train the trainer” experience equips two people per campus (a human resource lead and a faculty-hiring lead) to build or expand the institution’s recruiting and hiring process, practices and policies towards increased equity in faculty/staff hiring. The experience includes readings, interactive lectures with people who have designed such programs at ACS institutions, opportunities for confidentially sharing and discussing among peers, scenarios for training and tactical planning for each institution’s up-coming hiring season.

Registration for this event is open to staff and faculty who have hiring and hiring oversight responsibility. Please click here to register.

Inclusive Pedagogy Institute
2023-06-26 17:00 - 2023-06-28 15:30
Students and classrooms differ, not just by content but also by who’s teaching! Curious to learn more about reaching varieties of students in today’s generation? The facilitation team of this interdisciplinary workshop fosters honest exploration of the complexities of “doing the work of inclusive pedagogy,” structures activities that cultivate connections with colleagues across ACS, teaches participants how to design an authentic inclusive assignment, practice, or assessment that can be implemented in Fall 2023 in your course(s) or in your emergent inclusive mindset. Participants will come away from the institute with a toolkit for building inclusive learning environments.

For those coming in from out of town, please plan to arrive at Millsaps College no later than 4:00 PM on Monday, June 26th (flights should arrive at JAN airport by 3:15 pm or earlier). This allows for you to check in for the institute and check into your room. Because we end so late in the day Wednesday June 28th, you may wish to depart in the morning on the 29th. Housing, meals, and a more casual, community time together will be available after the formal program concludes.

Leadership Fellows Orientation
2023-06-20 08:00 - 2023-06-22 17:00

Pathways to Diversity – Shaping Histories of Desegregation
2023-06-19 08:00 - 2023-06-20 17:00
The stories shared are the narratives believed. This project invites library archivists and faculty of art, anthropology, history, political science, race and ethnic studies and more to learn the strategy, the tools, and the multi-media technique from librarians and faculty who have been doing this work at Centre College, Rollins College, Washington & Lee University, and Furman University since 2018. We especially seek colleagues from Birmingham Southern, Centenary, Davidson, Hendrix, Millsaps, Morehouse Sewanee, Southwestern, Spelman, Rhodes, Trinity, and University of Richmond. Learn more.

Register directly! https://library.centre.edu/pathways-workshops/join

ACS Teaching and Learning Workshop
2023-06-05 08:00 - 2023-06-10 17:00
This annual program focuses on individualized instruction, often for early career faculty, for teachers explicitly seeking to develop classroom style and techniques for increasing their classroom effectiveness. The workshop is led by a consistent set of teaching and learning coaches from ACS schools who have built, refined and continuously innovated the curriculum and their own pedagogical techniques over time.

Registration for this experience requires that a faculty member be nominated by their Chief Academic Officer. Please contact your CAO’s office.

Chocolate Covered Teaching: Using commodity-based goods to foster critical thinking skills in undergraduates
2023-06-01 08:00 - 2023-06-04 17:00
This chocolate workshop is aimed at faculty across disciplines who use – or want to consider using – chocolate and other “affordable luxuries” as an approach for teaching curricular materials, especially at introductory levels. Faculty will explore and create curricular materials that both support and integrate the natural sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Neuroscience), the social sciences (Anthropology, Education, Geography, Economics, Business, Environmental Studies), the fine arts (Visualization) and the humanities (English, History, Religion, Community) into different themes including, but not limited to, biodiversity, global and local economics/business, human health, artistic impression, and social justice.

Registration for this event is now closed.

Sustainability Mindset: Making Change Makers
2023-05-23 08:00 - 2023-05-25 17:00
(at Sewanee, University of the South)

What happens when we notice our own choices rippling out across time and around the globe? Mindsets shift about what “sustainability” might include. Beyond fostering eco-literacy, Education for Sustainable Development Goals (ESDG), a United Nations initiative, structures approaches and techniques for opening students’ minds to fostering global-social changes. This workshop builds on innovative curricula using a leading-edge approach sustainability mindset, led by Dr. Isabel Rimanoczy.

Registration for this workshop seeks to balance multi-disciplinary representation and assure access to people from across all ACS schools. Therefore, please apply here before April 10. Organizers will then contact people for registration as space permits. A waiting list will be created as needed, and all registration closes by April 21.
