Meet Your New Associate Dean of the Faculty Center for Learning Innovation (FCLI): Alex Watkins

I’m excited to introduce myself as the incoming Associate Dean of the FCLI. I’ve been a professor at ACC since Aug. 2020, beginning as a dual credit and Early College High School adjunct before becoming a full-time faculty member and program coordinator of technical communications in 2023. I’m excited to spend the next three years encouraging ACC faculty to innovate and highlighting those innovations for others to learn from.

To me, innovation is a structured process that helps us face new challenges and serve our students with excellence. This semester, I’ll be connecting with faculty through profiles, pop-up booths, campus office hours, and our second Spark Tank event on Dec. 4. I want us to define innovation together and explore how it can make teaching more sustainable and impactful for you and our students.

I’m grateful to build on the strong foundation established by Stephanie Long, who has led the FCLI for the past three years, including developing the AI strand of the Faculty Growth Series, building external partnerships, and launching our first Spark Tank. I’m also excited to continue working with our FCLI coordinator, Janey Flanagan, whose support and expertise have been invaluable to faculty across the College.

Interested in sharing your innovation or finding that spark? Reach out to me at alexandra.watkins@austincc.edu or fcli@austincc.edu, and let’s chat.

Connect, Explore and Innovate With FCLI This Fall

As FCLI welcomes incoming Associate Dean Alex Watkins, the Center is building on its work to support faculty innovation across ACC. This fall, connect with colleagues and explore new teaching approaches through campus office hours, Innovation Exchanges, faculty book clubs, and the return of Spark Tank.

Innovation Exchanges

FCLI will offer fall Innovation Exchange sessions via Zoom, providing opportunities to explore Generative AI, Universal Design for Learning, and Belonging, Purpose & Connection with faculty colleagues. Sessions will offer hands-on practice, collaborative discussions, and a low-stakes space to experiment with teaching strategies and educational technology.

Campus Office Hours

FCLI is bringing its office hours to campuses across the district this fall. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on select Tuesdays, faculty can stop by the Teaching and Learning Center at a different ACC campus to connect with FCLI members. Campus locations and dates:

Sept. 1 – Cypress

Sept. 15 – Eastview

Sept. 29 – Elgin

Oct. 6 – Hays

Oct. 13 – Highland

Oct. 20 – Northridge

Oct. 27 – Rio Grande

Nov. 3 – Riverside

Nov. 10 – Round Rock

Nov. 24 – San Gabriel

Dec. 1 – South Austin

Book Clubs

FCLI will offer three faculty book clubs this fall, featuring “UDL Playbook” from Sept. 3–24, “Advancing Online Teaching” from Oct. 9–30, and “Teaching for Learning” from Nov. 2–23. Each book club provides a space for cross-curricular discussion, collaboration, and the application of ideas in the classroom. Participants receive a complimentary copy of the featured book and can earn eight to 10 hours of professional development.

Spark Tank: Save the Date

On Friday, Dec. 4, ACC faculty and staff will come together for Spark Tank, a Shark Tank-style event focused on innovation, collaboration, and idea sharing across disciplines. The event provides an opportunity for faculty to pitch creative ideas and solutions designed to enhance teaching, learning, and student success.