American Academy of Arts and Sciences Releases Important New Report on Humanities and Social Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences released today an important national report focused on the continuing indispensable role of the humanities and social sciences in meeting urgent national goals. In a press release from AAC&U pledging support for the recommendations in the report, AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider notes that, “We were especially pleased to see the Commission’s call for the humanities, social sciences, and sciences to work together on ‘Grand Challenges’ related to our global future. We believe this kind of cross-disciplinary, problem-centered inquiry should play a prominent role both in scholarship and in teaching and learning.” For more perspectives on the humanities from AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider, including a recent commentary in the Wall Street Journal describing how the humanities remain an essential component of a quality undergraduate education and have value for both citizenship and professional success, click here.
Campuses and State Systems from 122 Institutions, 37 States, and 3 Countries to Attend AAC&U 2013 Summer Institutes AAC&U recently announced the
colleges, universities, and state systems sending teams to its 2013
summer institutes. Teams of five or more from 120 institutions will
attend these summer institutes: the Institute on General Education and Assessment at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont (June 1–5); the Institute on High-Impact Practices and Student Success at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin, (June 11–14); and the Institute on Integrative Learning and the Departments at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon (July 10–14). All
AAC&U institutes offer campus teams a time and place for sustained
collaborative work on a project of importance to their campus. For a
complete list of participating campuses for each institute, see the press release.
LEAP Presidents' Trust Member Speaks Out for Humanities and Social Sciences
Miami-Dade University President Eduardo Padrón spoke out with Donna Shalala, president of the University of Miami, in the Miami Herald op-ed, "Humanities, Social Sciences for a Vibrant, Competitive, Secure Nation." The op-ed was written in response to the June 19 release of an important national report focused on the continuing indispensable role of the humanities and social sciences in meeting urgent national goals. In the op-ed, Padrón and Shalala note that, "A better-educated America is a stronger America. One look at the rapidly changing world around us makes clear that if we are to prosper as a nation—with justice and civil liberties firmly rooted in democratic principles—we must ensure that the humanities and social sciences have their rightful place in education." Both Padrón and Shalala are members of the Commission on Humanities & Social Sciences. The Commission released this report. More information is available in this press release. See also additional news coverage about the humanities report.
PKAL Summer Leadership Institute for STEM Faculty at the Baca Campus of Colorado College in Crestone, Colorado, July 23-28 OR July 30-August 4, 2013.
Featured Member News and Resources
The June/July issue of AAC&U News features technology and learning at Wallace State Community College and the latest news about AAC&U meetings, projects, and publications. Watch for our next issue of AAC&U News in August.
Building on previous AAC&U reports, this publication presents research on specific educational practices correlated with higher levels of academic challenge, student engagement, and achievement. The publication features the relationship between these practices and improvements in retention and graduation rates and advice on how to ensure that all students experience multiple high-impact practices. Detailed case studies show how five campuses are providing high-impact practices more pervasively and systematically.
Originally published by the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment, this publication provides an in-depth exploration of the latest models for assessing the advanced college-level learning outcomes articulated in the Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP). Developed by the Lumina Foundation and released in "beta" form in 2011, the DQP describes the knowledge, skills, and applications that prepare graduates to succeed in the economy, civil society, and their own lives. Featuring reflections from two of the primary authors of the DQP, this publication offers guidance to stakeholders on how best to assess learning in relation to the competencies articulated in the DQP.
