Austin Community College (ACC) is temporarily pausing regular activities of the Adjunct Faculty Association (AFA) for the 2026-27 academic year while the College conducts a comprehensive review of the association’s governance structure and seeks additional input from adjunct faculty.

The one-year process is intended to strengthen the AFA’s structure, representation, and effectiveness before the association resumes its regular role in ACC’s shared governance system for the 2027-28 academic year.

College leaders say the review will examine areas including the AFA’s bylaws, governance practices, and representation across ACC’s adjunct faculty community. Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart announced the temporary pause ahead of the fall semester. Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Dr. Gaye Lynn Scott is leading efforts this academic year to maintain adjunct participation in shared governance while gathering feedback to inform the association’s future structure.

Scott emphasized that the pause is intended to strengthen, rather than diminish, adjunct faculty participation in shared governance. “Shared governance is a defining feature of higher education, and I am proud of the fact that Austin Community College is one of a handful of community colleges that support an association for adjunct faculty to participate in shared governance,” Scott said. “The AFA will return stronger and more effective in academic year 2027-28, of that I’m confident.”

Adjunct Participation in Shared Governance Will Continue

The temporary pause applies to regular AFA activities but does not remove adjunct faculty from ACC’s shared governance process.

Adjunct faculty will continue to be able to attend department meetings and may be selected as voting members of their departments in accordance with Administrative Rule 2.0703.03, Adjunct Faculty Participation in Shared Governance.

Adjunct faculty will also continue to serve on collegewide shared governance committees and councils. During the AFA pause, Academic Affairs will coordinate the process for connecting interested adjunct faculty with committee and council chairs.

Adjunct faculty who would like to serve on a shared governance committee or council should submit the shared governance interest form. The College is working to place adjunct representatives on committees and councils beginning this fall. Faculty are encouraged to express their interest as soon as possible as committees and councils prepare to begin meeting in September. Adjunct faculty are compensated at an hourly rate for their shared governance service.

Scott assures adjunct faculty that their unique perspectives and experience will continue to guide College decision-making. “We are developing an alternative method for inviting adjunct faculty to apply to serve on our various shared governance committees and councils,” Scott said. “In other words, while the AFA is on hiatus, we will not be without the adjunct voice.”

Listening to ACC’s Adjunct Faculty

A key part of the yearlong review will be hearing directly from adjunct faculty about their experiences, needs, and priorities.

ACC’s adjunct faculty represent a wide range of disciplines and professional backgrounds. Some teach at ACC while maintaining full-time careers or family commitments, some are retired professionals bringing decades of experience into the classroom, and others teach at multiple institutions. College leaders also have identified opportunities to improve representation from areas that historically have had less participation in AFA leadership, including professional-technical programs.

Throughout the 2026-27 academic year, Academic Affairs plans to create additional opportunities to connect directly with adjunct faculty and hear about their experiences, needs, and priorities. Those efforts are expected to include a collegewide adjunct faculty survey, focus groups, campus drop-in hours, and virtual office hours with Scott.

Missi Patterson, Anaka Rivera, and Ruth Reinhart, tri-chairs of the newly created AFA Restoration Project, will help lead the review of the AFA and its governance structure. Additional information about that process will be shared as the work progresses, and the tri-chairs can be reached at [email protected].

The feedback collected throughout the year will help inform the College’s review of the AFA structure and the development of updated governance practices, including potential revisions to the association’s bylaws.

“As the Faculty Senate President-Elect, I believe that meaningful representation must prioritize the swift reintegration of our adjunct faculty colleagues into the shared governance process,” Rivera said. “Their unique contributions enrich the higher education landscape, and it is essential that their voices are heard and valued. Together, we can create a more inclusive and effective governance structure that reflects the diverse perspectives and experiences of all faculty members.”

What Happens Next

The College expects the AFA to return to ACC’s shared governance structure for the 2027-28 academic year following the review and restructuring process.

In the meantime, adjunct faculty will continue to have opportunities to participate in departmental and collegewide shared governance, and Academic Affairs will provide updates throughout the year as additional opportunities for engagement become available.

Adjunct faculty can learn more about ACC shared governance, review Administrative Rule 2.0703.03, submit input directly to the AFA Restoration Project tri-chairs, or submit the interest form to be considered for service on a shared governance committee or council.

For any additional questions or information, please email [email protected].

Contributed by Academic Affairs Communications