Visit our website for a full archive of HappyHR newsletters

Turning Feedback into Action: Strengthening Consistency and Leadership at ACC

A message from Kelly Torrico, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources

Over the past several years, through climate surveys, conversations, and day-to-day interactions, employees have consistently raised important themes about how we work at ACC.

The most recent Employee Climate Survey reinforced several of those areas, including the need for greater consistency in how policies are applied, clearer communication across teams, and stronger alignment in decision-making.

This work is not new, and it is not quick. But it is moving forward in a more structured and intentional way.

What you are seeing this semester reflects that shift.

Making Expectations Clear and Usable

One of the clearest challenges identified in the survey was consistency. Only about a quarter of employees felt policies and procedures are followed consistently across the College. That gap impacts trust, clarity, and the ability to do our work effectively. Addressing it requires shared expectations, clear systems, and consistent application over time.

Through our Theory of Change and the Demonstrated Practices of Caring, we have defined what our values look like in practice through specific, observable behaviors.

These behaviors show up in how we communicate, make decisions, provide feedback, and follow through on commitments.

This creates a shared understanding of what strong leadership and effective teamwork look like across ACC.

Aligning How We Lead

Several efforts underway this semester are designed to reinforce that clarity and consistency.

Upward Evaluation provides a structured way to understand how leadership is experienced across teams.

PEP continues to anchor expectations, feedback, and development in our daily work.

Policy acknowledgment and knowledge checks ensure supervisors understand and are accountable for the standards they are responsible for upholding, beginning with the following Administrative Rules: Accountability Framework for Staff, and Resolution of an Employee Grievance.

Supervisor training and “Say Yes to Excellence” build the skills needed to apply those expectations in practice.

Our reimagined training on hiring processes and practices, License to Hire, strengthens how we bring new employees and leaders into the College with clear expectations from the start.

Together, these efforts are designed to align how we define, support, and expect leadership across ACC.

What This Means Going Forward

This is a shift toward a more consistent, values-based approach where expectations are clearer, communication is more aligned, and leadership is supported in a more structured way.

You should begin to see:

• more consistency in how policies are applied
• clearer expectations across teams
• stronger alignment between what we say and what we do

This is how we close the gaps identified over time.

Building on What’s Strong

The survey also highlighted important strengths. Employees are deeply committed to student success, understand their roles, and report strong working relationships with supervisors and colleagues.

We are building on that foundation.

There is strong leadership across ACC. This work helps us define it more clearly, support it more intentionally, and grow it across the College.

Moving Forward Together

This is not a quick fix. It is a long-term effort to strengthen how we work together.

Strong systems create clarity.

Clarity creates consistency.

Consistency builds trust.

And trust is what allows us to do our best work - for each other and for our students.

With appreciation,

Kelly Torrico

Vice Chancellor of Human Resources

Upward Evaluations Due May 15

We're halfway through the two-week Upward Evaluation window. ACC reinstituted this practice this year to help leaders understand where they are succeeding and how to better support your daily work.

How to Participate

You received an email with the subject line Submit your 2026 Upward Evaluation on April 30. It contains a unique link to a questionnaire asking about your experiences with your direct manager. This is your confidential opportunity to provide constructive feedback for leadership coaching and goal setting, and to help ACC develop the practices that help you thrive as an employee. 

Evaluation Details:

• The evaluation closes May 15 at 11:59 CST. 
• The links are unique to each employee and cannot be forwarded to anyone else.
• The survey will save your progress, but once you submit it, you cannot reopen it.
• The questionnaire takes about 5-7 minutes to complete.

We encourage all to participate. By sharing your perspective, you help us live our values and love our students to success.

Questions? Visit our FAQ for details.

Tuition Reimbursement Made Easier

In the spirit of Courage, Yes, Compassion, and Joy, the Tuition Reimbursement application is now integrated into the Employee Voucher System, bringing everything together in one convenient place to make the process smoother and easier to access.

ACC’s Tuition Reimbursement plan supports employees looking to receive reimbursement funding for their educational journey toward completing a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.

The application window will be open from June 1 through June 21 at 11:59 p.m. We encourage you to say yes to this opportunity and apply early, as late applications will not be accepted.

To help you prepare, please have the following documents ready when you apply:

• Unofficial transcripts
• Tuition and fee statement

ACC is proud to be able to support your continued growth and learning journey!

YOU ASKED

How many references are we required to get from job candidates?

There are no strict rules about how many references managers should seek in the hiring process. However, information gained in these checks is valuable, and managers are encouraged to follow these guidelines.

Number of References

• Two (2) professional references, including at least one current or former supervisor

Acceptable References

• Professional references may include mentors, colleagues, subordinates, or other relevant professional relationships.
• At least one reference should be a current or former supervisor.
• Personal recommendations are not accepted as substitutes.

Verification Method

• References are encouraged to be verified through a phone conversation to ensure accuracy and gather additional insights.
• Hiring managers may email the reference form first and follow up with a phone call, or they can use the form as a guide during the phone conversation.

Additional Considerations

• Contact references and review responses promptly to avoid delays in the hiring process.
• Maintain confidentiality throughout the reference check process.
• Securely store all reference check documentation in Workday for compliance and future reference.

Ask references factual questions to confirm basic details, such as the candidate’s role and employment dates. Then, transition to more substantive inquiries about the candidate’s contributions, work performance, and overall fit within their previous team or organization. This approach ensures a thorough and structured evaluation of the candidate’s qualifications and suitability for the role.

New Step in the Hiring Process

Hiring managers may have noticed: there's a new step in Workday's recruiting process.

We have added a new Document Verification stage to support a more consistent and compliant review of required hiring documents across all hiring types.

What this means for you:

• The Document Verification stage is where HR and the hiring committee confirm that all required documents (e.g., interview evaluations, reference checks) have been uploaded.

• For Staff, Temporary, and Work Study positions, all required documents must be completed before a background check can be initiated,

• For Faculty and Adjunct positions, this stage replaces the previous Credential Verification step (no process changes). It will serve as the holding stage until official transcripts are received.

Intentional Technology: We Want Your Ideas

If you're a faculty or staff member who'd like to present at Summer Technology Week, submit a proposal for consideration by tomorrow (May 8). Summer Technology Week is a virtual event centered on the theme Intentional Technology: Designing for People First. The week highlights practical, people-centered tools and approaches that support teaching, learning, and operations at ACC.

Read more about the event and submit your proposals here.