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Upward Evaluation: Turning Feedback into Growth

By now, you’ve likely heard about Upward Evaluation as part of our Demonstrated Practices of Caring.

At its core, Upward Evaluation is a structured opportunity for employees to provide feedback on their experience of leadership. It’s one of the ways we strengthen alignment between our values and our daily behaviors - because how we lead shapes how work gets done, and ultimately, how we serve our students.

This is a baseline year, and an important step forward in how we learn and improve together.

Why this matters

We are very good at working. We move quickly. We deliver. We produce. Those are strengths of this institution.

What we are strengthening now is how we work - how we communicate, how we collaborate, and how we lead. And if we’re being honest, that is often more challenging - and more important - than the work itself. Because culture isn’t what we say, it’s what we experience.

When leadership is clear, consistent, and aligned with our values, teams are stronger, collaboration improves, and we create a more effective and supportive environment for everyone.

That impact extends directly to our students.

When our people are supported and our leadership is strong, we are better able to remove barriers and help students move forward toward completion - our North Star.

What happens next

Managers will receive summarized, confidential results and will be supported through training and coaching to interpret and act on the feedback.

Teams will have opportunities to engage in follow-up conversations and goal-setting as part of this process.

This is where feedback turns into action.

Continuing the conversation

Upward Evaluation is one part of a broader effort to strengthen communication, alignment, and trust across the College.

We will continue to provide space for dialogue through weekly HR Open Forums (formerly “HR Office Hours”), monthly on-campus AMAs, and ongoing engagement opportunities. If you have questions or want to explore HR-related topics more broadly, we encourage you to join us.

Thank you

This work reflects the voices of many across ACC -- employees whose shared experiences, ideas, and perspecives help shape how our values show up in practice.

Together, we are moving from values as words… to values as actions.

That shared language, and shared commitment, makes a difference.

Regards,

Kelly Torrico

Classification and Compensation Update

What’s new this month

Project coordination is now in place

A dedicated project lead from the Enterprise Project Management Office is helping coordinate timelines and cross-department work to keep implementation on track.

Position mapping is underway

Roles in Student affairs and Basic Needs are currently being aligned within the new compensation structure.

Leadership review coming next

Cabinet leaders will soon review this work to provide feedback and ensure alignment across the College. This is a collaborative process so a timeline is difficult to share. But if it takes two or three iterations working with leadership to finalize the results, this step alone could take 3-6 weeks. A week or two after that, HR will begin notifying employees of any changes, including pay increases where applicable.

Behind-the-Scenes Construction

Systems are actively being developed behind the scenes, with HRIS partnering with Workday consultants to design and build the system needed to support the new framework.

Testing of new salary placement tool

A new salary placement tool is in its final testing stages. It is designed to refine accuracy and promote equity and consistency in the hiring process.

This work is laying the foundation for clearer roles, more consistent pay practices, and improved transparency across the College.

Tuition Reimbursement Coming Soon

The application period for Tuition Reimbursement this year will take place June 1 - June 21, 2026.

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

Additional details will be shared soon. In the meantime, you can learn more about this benefit to ACC employees on our website.

YOU ASKED

Can you help me understand compression?

And how the new compensation structure will address it?

Salary compression can show up in a few different ways, but the most common is when employees in the same or similar roles are paid very differently, often because hiring rates have increased over time while existing salaries have not kept pace.

Compression can also occur between levels, e.g., when the pay difference between a supervisor and their direct reports becomes too small.

At ACC, the Compensation & Classification work primarily addressed internal compression by aligning employees performing similar work within consistent pay ranges.

While this work helps correct many existing gaps, preventing compression over time will require ongoing market review, consistent salary practices, and disciplined use of the new framework.

Wellness Fest is Back and You're Invited

Take a break, step outside, and recharge with your colleagues; ACC’s Employee Wellness Fest returns on Friday, April 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Eastview Campus Courtyard.

This districtwide event is all about you. Every day, ACC employees show up for students, for each other, and for the community. Wellness Fest is a chance to hit pause, reconnect, and focus on your own well-being while having a little fun along the way.

Mark your calendar, grab your team, and RSVP to join us!

Whether you’re feeling competitive or just want to unwind, there’s something for everyone:

• Exercise Stars Awards celebration
• Friendly competitions for the Campus Wellness Cup
• Crowd-favorite Mascot Dance Battle (plus line dancing!)
• Wellness vendors from across ACC and the community
• Games, field day challenges, and exercise demos
• Taco Boss and Smoothie Bike
• Door prizes and giveaways throughout the event

Be sure to check the Office of Energy and Sustainability's Swag Swap, too! Bring gently-used ACC tees and hats and mugs to the Wellness Fest and trade the old for something “new to you” – all while doing something good for the planet.

Come for the activities, stay for the connection—and leave feeling a little more refreshed, energized, and maybe even inspired.



We’ll see you there!

Don't Let this Step Go Unfinished

It may be tempting to focus only on the future when one of your employees leaves ACC. You just want to find a replacement and get the workflow back on track.

But it is important that you complete the termination process in Workday by completing the employee exit checklist. Here's why:

• The Workday termination process is not complete until the checklist and the Manage Business Process for Worker task is finished. If it remains incomplete, the terminated employee remains active in Workday. And that could lead to overpayment if it's not caught early.

• The employee exit checklist is important for our colleagues in IT, too. That's how they find out about equipment that needs to be picked up.

Watch this space for Workday tips, reminders, and announcements!

Join ACC's Earth Week Celebration

More than 60 events are scheduled across the district to celebrate sustainability at ACC for Earth Week, April 20-24. Look for DIY zero waste activities, plant parties, seminars, resource fairs and more.

View the full calendar to see what's happening at your campus: austincc.edu/earthweek