Welcome to the NLC Nighthawk Faculty Development Page!

John Mello, NLC Faculty Fellow

I am John Mello, your NLC Faculty Fellow! Bet you are thinking, what does a Faculty Fellow do, exactly? I am here to be your source for everything Professional Development. If you are needing a specific type of PD, please visit with me and I can work at putting it together. I offer many sessions during the year. I hope you will attend! You will find that I like more open dialog and conversation. Just as students learn from another, teachers can collaborate and do the same. Please check out my newsletter, you can find archival newsletters here too! See below!

2025-2026 Professional Development Offerings by John Mello.pdf

Important Terms & Information

Here are some important terms you will hear me mention! Rudy and John.jpg

Adjunct Faculty Certification Program (AFCP): The Adjunct Faculty Certification Program (AFCP) is a great opportunity for adjuncts currently teaching with the Alamo Colleges to grow both professionally and personally. This program provides high quality, engaging learning experiences that help you strengthen your teaching and expand your impact in the classroom.

Adjuncts accepted into the program complete 48 hours of professional development in just eight weeks, working alongside a supportive cohort of colleagues. The program is designed in two phases and offered fully online, with courses aligned to the seven Faculty Essential Competencies in the Faculty Development Catalog. By the end, you will not only earn certification but also gain valuable tools and connections that support your success as an educator. We have two flex sessions in Fall and Spring and a summer session. See me for details!

New Faculty Institute (NFI): The New Faculty Institute is here to welcome and support those starting their journey as full-time faculty with the Alamo Colleges District. Maybe you are brand new to teaching, or you have been an adjunct and are now stepping into a full-time role. You might be joining us from another college or university, or beginning here as a visiting lecturer moving into a full-time position. Wherever you are coming from, the institute is designed to help you feel connected, supported, and ready to thrive in your new role. If you are new, you should begin this in September; even if you missed a Fall NFO and will take Spring NFO - get ahead of the game. See me for more information!

Paluxy Heights, My NLC Newsletter!

Please tune in to my newsletters! As with Professional Development, I prefer more conversations and practical approaches to teaching. You will often find those types of approaches in my newsletter. It includes highlights related to NLC, pictures of events, and Faculty Development Course Offerings. See below for current and previous newsletters!

August 2025.pdf

April 2025.pdf February 2025.pdf November 2024.pdf September 2024.pdf July 2024.pdf

System Resources

Smart Path

SmartPath by Mountain Pass Solutions will be replacing Faculty 180 as the Alamo Colleges annual and biennial faculty evaluation platform beginning in 2025-2026.

Along with a new platform will come a new process and a new schedule that will streamline the evaluation process and increase transparency for faculty and Department Chairs. SmartPath will also diffuse the effort required in Spring semesters, and deliver a more impactful summary evaluation for professional growth.

A series of short, initial videos will introduce you to the new faculty evaluation platform and more detailed training will be rolling out in Summer and Fall 2025.

Please see this great tutorial on how to use Smart Path from Scott D'Amico! Click Here!

Syllabus HELP!

If you are having trouble setting up your syllabus, please check out this tutorial created by Dr. Bobbie Myatt. It is an easy step by step process. If you need any help please reach out to me.

Welcome to Simple Syllabus

Alamo Talent

AlamoTalent is the system used by faculty and staff to sign up for professional development opportunities. For a step-by-step guide on using AlamoTalent, please review How to Sign Up for Sessions in AlamoTALENT.

AlamoShare

Please visit the available resources in AlamoShare to connect, build community, and participate in professional development opportunities. AlamoShare

Starlink

As an Alamo Colleges District instructor, you have free access to STARLINK, an online consortium of professional development from community colleges across the state of Texas. These courses are completed asynchronously and cover a range of pedagogical topics. You can access STARLINK in the Professional and Organizational Development guide

ACES

ACES is a portal that links to a variety of applications pertinent to both faculty and employee needs. Through ACES, faculty members will enter grades, drop students, and they can access important employee documents like paystubs and W2 forms. You can find a detailed guide in the Alamo Colleges District screen-steps.

Teaching Tips

Are you linking for quick teaching tips that you can easily implement into your class to increase student engagement? If so, explore the Teaching Tips Collection published by POD, the leading organization for faculty development in higher education. You'll find tips written by faculty developers from institutions like Notre Dame, Florida State, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Alamo Colleges District. You can access those teaching tips in the Teaching Tips Collection guide.

Navigate

Navigate is a system used to communicate with both students and advisors about academic issues that might occur in the classroom. It also provides the capability for instructors to enter early alerts for students. For a detailed walkthrough of Navigate, please click Navigate FS Walkthrough (Final Revision).pdf

John Mello, M.A.

Faculty Fellow
Talent, Organization & Strategic Innovation

jmello@alamo.edu

210.486.5355