Contributed by Academic Affairs Communications
Austin Community College District (ACC) has selected 16 faculty members for its inaugural Character Education Communities of Inquiry. The program seeks to integrate the cultivation of intellectual, civic, and moral virtues into teaching and learning at ACC, beginning with the general education curriculum. It launches in fall 2026.
More than 65 faculty members representing disciplines across ACC’s general education curriculum applied for the opportunity.
“The strength of this year’s applicant pool confirms broad and deep faculty interest in this kind of professional and intellectual community,” says Arun John, ACC Character Education Initiative co-lead. “While the current cohort is intentionally limited to ensure a focused experience, the initiative is designed to grow. ACC’s LEAD [Liberal Education Advancement and Development] program has already established communities of practice across the College, and as these two efforts converge, we expect to open participation to more faculty in the years ahead.”
Meet the Cohort
The Communities of Inquiry build on the work of the Character Education Faculty Institute, which has been meeting throughout spring 2026. The eight original Institute faculty will serve as facilitators within four communities, each meeting regularly over the course of the academic year through a combination of monthly gatherings, biweekly virtual check-ins, and peer classroom observations. Selected faculty will prepare over the summer with a reading of Jason Baehr’s “Deep in Thought.”
Communities of Inquiry Faculty
Lexi Allison | Humanities
Andrew Costigan | Student Development
Amy Cunningham | Composition & Literary Studies
Ping Chu | Psychology
Chelsey Dankenbring | Biology
Kristina Elizondo | Art History
Parichehr Fariborz | Mathematics
Aran Gharibpour | Philosophy
Tao Huang | Government
Carrie Kaplan | Drama
Jack McDonald | Government
Susan Meigs | Composition & Literary Studies
Rebel Sanders | Biology
Andrea Dawn Tawwater | Sociology
Ariel Taylor | Mathematics
Marcel Pons Ventura | Spanish-World Languages
Institute Faculty
Jamie Cantu | Biology
Laura Cortes-Franco | Student Development
Dania Dwyer | Composition & Literary Studies
Melissa Foote | Philosophy
Kathy Frost | Psychology
Bryan Port | History
Eli Ryder | Creative Writing
Marilyn Wells | Physics
ACC’s Character Education Initiative is co-led by:
- Kelly Greenwood, Mathematics Faculty;
- Ted Hadzi-Antich Jr., Government Faculty; and
- Arun John, English Faculty; with
- Grant Potts, Dean of Curriculum Management, serving as project advisor.
The program is supported by an ECI 2025 Institutional Impact Grant of $781,200 from Wake Forest University’s Program for Leadership and Character. ACC is one of only two community colleges in the nation to receive the award.