Whats New at AAC&U
Featured news from the Association of American Colleges and Universities
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Association of American Colleges and Universities Announces Seven New Directors and New Slate of Officers for Board of Directors
At its recent Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, AAC&U named seven new directors, and elected a slate of new officers. Dr. Bobby Fong, President of Ursinus College, assumed the position as Chair of the Board, taking over from Dr. Helen Giles-Gee, President of Keene State College. Giles-Gee will continue to serve on the AAC&U’s Board Executive Committee as Past Chair. In addition to the appointment of Dr. Bobby Fong, AAC&U appointed Mildred García, President of California State University-Dominguez Hills, as Vice Chair of the Board. AAC&U reappointed Dr. Robert Sternberg, Provost and Senior Vice President of Oklahoma State University, as Treasurer of the Board. For more information, read the press release online.
(Posted on 2012-02-09 07:31:28)
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Community Colleges Invited to Participate in New Project on Civic and Democratic Learning through the Humanities
AAC&U and The Democracy Commitment (TDC) have received a $359,995 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support the formation of a new community college network focused on civic learning and democratic capacity-building. The funding will support a three-year curriculum and faculty development project called Bridging Cultures to Form a Nation: Difference, Community, and Democratic Thinking. The project will begin with a call for proposals to community colleges across the country, leading to the selection of ten to twelve teams of humanities faculty and administrators. The project will support faculty and curriculum development and will result in new humanities courses that teach skills and knowledge essential for responsible citizenship in a diverse and globally connected world. For more information, read the press release. The Call for Proposals is now available at http://www.aacu.org/bridgingcultures/cfp.cfm.
(Posted on 2012-02-06 07:51:25)
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2,000 Education Leaders Gather in DC; Calls for Commitment to Quality, Reclaiming of Civic Mission
Nearly 2,000 participants gathered last week at AAC&U’s 2012 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Among other issues, participants and speakers discussed how to build on the practices highlighted in the recently released report, A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy’s Future, and to move civic learning from the margins to the center of students’ educational experiences. As President Obama spoke at the University of Michigan on issues of containing college costs, participants also discussed how to advance ambitious goals for college access and completion without jeopardizing a commitment to improving the quality of student learning outcomes to ensure long-term student success. Podcasts of selected presentations will be posted soon. See details from the 2012 Annual Meeting and news coverage of issues and sessions.
(Posted on 2012-01-31 11:26:16)
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AAC&U Announces Colleges and Universities Chosen to Test New Degree Qualifications Profile
Sixteen colleges, community colleges, and universities have been chosen to participate in the Quality Collaboratives Initiative, a new project supported with funding from the Lumina Foundation and designed to advance systemic change in eight higher education state systems. Institutions chosen to participate in the initiative will test ways to assure that students can demonstrate achievement of essential competencies across all areas and levels of learning, regardless of where they begin or end their educational journeys. This project is part of Lumina Foundation’s beta testing of the value of a shared Degree Qualifications Profile. See the press release for the full list of participating institutions.
(Posted on 2012-01-30 08:15:23)
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AAC&U Presents 2012 Frederic W. Ness Book Award to Why Choose the Liberal Arts? by Mark W. Roche
AAC&U announced the winner of its Frederic W. Ness Book Award: Why Choose the Liberal Arts?, published in 2010 by the University of Notre Dame Press. The Ness award is given to a book that best illuminates the goals and practices of a contemporary liberal education, and was formally presented to the author, Mark W. Roche, at AAC&U’s Annual Meeting, held January 25-28, 2012 in Washington, DC. In his book, Mark W. Roche lucidly and passionately argues for the essential value of the liberal arts. He draws on more than thirty years of experience in higher education as a student, faculty member, and administrator, and deftly connects the broad theoretical perspective of educators to the practical needs and questions posed by many students and their parents.
(Posted on 2012-01-26 07:01:58)
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New Guidelines for Assessment and Accountability from New Leadership Alliance
AAC&U has joined twenty-seven other national higher education organizations to endorse Committing to Quality: Guidelines for Assessment and Accountability, published by the New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability. The guidelines insist that higher education must focus on both the quality and quantity of degrees, and recommend that colleges and universities set clear goals for student achievement and conduct assessment of student learning toward those goals. The new Guidelines are also fully consistent with earlier recommendations from AAC&U’s board of directors in Our Students’ Best Work (pdf). Speaking about the New Leadership Alliance guidelines, Executive Director David Paris notes that, "The endorsement of these guidelines by national organizations sends a clear message that higher education will speak with one voice and embrace evidence-based improvement of student learning." AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider serves on the board of directors for the alliance. See the full list of endorsements here. On January 24, AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider and New Leadership Alliance Director David Paris commented on the new quality guidelines on NPR's Morning Edition.
(Posted on 2012-01-24 08:20:59)
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PKAL Announces New Project on Institutional Change in STEM Education.
Project Kaleidoscope and AAC&U have announced a new initiative to develop a comprehensive Institutional STEM Effectiveness Framework to help campus leaders translate national recommendations into scalable and sustainable actions that improve STEM learning and success for all students. Funded by the W.M. Keck Foundation, the project will engage up to twelve colleges and universities in California to test evidence-based strategies that will lead to program, departmental, and, eventually, institutional transformation.
(Posted on 2012-01-24 08:19:36)
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2,000 Educational Leaders Expected in Washington, DC to Explore New Models for Civic Learning, Ways to Ensure that All College Students Receive a Globally Engaged Liberal Education
Two thousand educational leaders from around the country—presidents, provosts, deans, and faculty members—will gather in Washington, DC, from January 25-28, 2012, for AAC&U’s Annual Meeting. The meeting, Shared Futures, Difficult Choices: Reclaiming a Democratic Vision for College Learning, Global Engagement, and Success, builds on discussions begun at a January 10 White House Convening. Participants will continue to discuss how colleges and universities can implement recommendations from the newly released report A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy’s Future. Developed by the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement, this report pushes back against a prevailing national dialogue that limits the mission of higher education primarily to workforce preparation. Speakers and sessions at the meeting will focus on how to make civic, democratic, and global learning pervasive rather than peripheral on today’s college campuses. The meeting will also showcase examples from institutions of all types that are successfully building upon democratic visions and practices in complex, global contexts—visions and practices that shape institutional missions, improve undergraduate education, and challenge narrow definitions of student success. Other sessions will address progress made on assessment and accountability since the release last year of the Degree Qualifications Profile—the new framework for clarifying the meaning of college degrees in the twenty-first century. See the full program and additional information about the meeting online.
(Posted on 2012-01-18 10:56:09)
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LEAP Presidents' Trust Member Michael Roth Speaks Out on Higher Education?s Role in Addressing Our Civic Recession
In a new blog posting on Huffington Post, Wesleyan President Michael Roth makes the point that “By embracing civic learning and partnerships that strengthen communities, we can do the hard work of restoring confidence in the future. That is a core responsibility of education.” He also describes how college students are engaged in service learning in the US and around the world—for instance, “creating free schools and clearn water in Kenya [where] they are using their broadly based education to engage specific and important issues out in the world.” As Roth puts it, these civically engaged college students are “pragmatists steeped in liberal learning.”
(Posted on 2012-01-12 16:35:50)
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Reclaiming the Civic Mission of Higher Education Theme of January 10 White House Event
On January 10, AAC&U participated in a national convening at the White House that brings together educational and civic leaders from across the country, and launched a movement to make civic learning a priority for all students. The White House convening, “For Democracy’s Future: Higher Education Reclaims Our Civic Mission” included remarks by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter, and AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider, and featured the release of a new report, A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy’s Future. The report was developed by the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement of which President Schneider is a member and was prepared at the invitation of the US Department of Education under the leadership of Larry A. Braskamp, president of Global Perspective Institute Inc. (GPI) and AAC&U’s Senior Vice President, Caryn McTighe Musil. See Secretary Duncan’s prepared remarks, and a blog posting by AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider. President Schneider's prepared remarks are also online. Read the press release, view the full report and highlights from it, or learn more about other AAC&U civic learning resources and projects. Media coverage about this announcement is online.
(Posted on 2012-01-10 10:31:07)
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Community Colleges Invited to Participate in New Project on Civic and Democratic Learning
AAC&U and The Democracy Commitment (TDC) announced today the receipt of a $359,995 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to support the formation of a new community college network focused on civic learning and democratic capacity-building. The funding will support a three-year curriculum and faculty development project called Bridging Cultures to Form a Nation: Difference, Community, and Democratic Thinking. The project will begin in February 2012 with a call for proposals to community colleges across the country, leading to the selection of twelve teams of humanities faculty and administrators. The project will support faculty and curriculum development and will result in new humanities courses that teach skills and knowledge essential for responsible citizenship in a diverse and globally connected world. For more information, read the press release. The Call for Proposals to participate will be available in February 2012 online at: http://www.aacu.org/bridgingcultures/index.cfm.
(Posted on 2012-01-05 10:52:54)
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New Video Highlights Interfaith Cooperation in Higher Education
A newly posted video highlights the work of the Interfaith Youth Corps (IFYC) and features comments by AAC&U’s President Carol Geary Schneider. The IFYC brings together young college students of different religious and moral traditions for cooperative service and dialogue around shared values. Eboo Patel, founder and president of IFYC, will speak on the opening plenary at AAC&U’s 2012 annual meeting. His plenary presentation from AAC&U’s 2011 Network for Academic Renewal meeting on Educating for Personal and Social Responsibility is available as a downloadable podcast. For more information about IFYC, see: http://www.ifyc.org/
(Posted on 2011-12-28 07:57:54)
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Former Procter & Gamble Chairman and CEO Advocates for the Pursuit of a Liberal Education
Former Procter & Gamble Chairman and CEO A.G. Lafley wrote an op-ed for The Huffington Post titled, “A Liberal Education: Preparation for Career Success.” Mr. Lafley encourages those students entering college to, “pursue a liberal education.” Lafley is a graduate of Hamilton College – and he currently serves on the institution’s Board of Trustees. At the conclusion of his op-ed, the author notes, “The formula for businesses trying to compete in today's economy is simple: hire employees with the mental agility, leadership, and passion to navigate constant change -- in other words, hire those who are liberally educated.” Learn more about AAC&U’s Resources for Students online.
(Posted on 2011-12-07 09:35:10)
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New Book on Assessing College Student Learning by Robert Sternberg with Five Comprehensive Learning Outcomes Assessment Case Studies
Assessing College Student Learning: Evaluating Alternative Models, Using Multiple Methods, by Robert J. Sternberg, Jeremy Penn, and Christie Hawkins helps readers make sense of the broad assessment landscape. Authors examine various psychological theories of learning and achievement that underlie the most commonly used methods of assessment and offers practical guidance on how to select among them for different institutional purposes and contexts. The publication also offers five case studies profiling how different institutions are implementing comprehensive approaches to assessing student learning and the benefits of using multiple methods in combination. Learn more about this publication online.
(Posted on 2011-12-05 08:32:21)
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Kentucky Becomes Seventh LEAP State
The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education recently announced that Kentucky would become the seventh official state partner in AAC&U’s LEAP initiative. Kentucky sought to become a LEAP state because the goals LEAP fit well with the Stronger by Degrees, the state’s plan for improving postsecondary and adult education, said Robert L. King, president of the council. “The assessment strategies and development of high-impact educational practices we will be developing and testing as a part of our involvement with the LEAP initiative will be critical to meeting our goal of increasing high-quality degree production and completion rates at all levels,” King added. Kentucky is also one of eight states involved in AAC&U’s new Quality Collaboratives initiative, funded with support from the Lumina Foundation.
(Posted on 2011-12-05 07:08:06)
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Inter/National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research Invites Applications for Cohort VII
The Inter/National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research convenes research/practitioners to study the impact of e-portfolios on student learning and educational outcomes. The Coalition invites applications for Cohort VII, which will constitute from Fall 2012 through Spring 2015. Applications are due January 13, 2012. Selected teams will be notified by January 30. If you have any questions about the Coalition, this cohort, or your campus's readiness to participate, contact any of the Coalition's codirectors-Darren Cambridge, Kathi Yancey, and Barbara Cambridge. For more about using e-portfolios to advance achievement and assessment of essential learning outcomes, see AAC&U's VALUE project and the publication, Electronic Portfolios and Student Success: Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Learning.
(Posted on 2011-11-15 10:46:27)
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First Lady Michelle Obama Advises Students to Pursue a Liberal Education
On November 8, First Lady Michelle Obama made remarks and answered questions during College Immersion Day at Georgetown University. During the event, Mrs. Obama offered, "a strong endorsement for the liberal arts," according to a reporter who covered the event for Inside Higher Ed. Mrs. Obama told the prospective college students, "Worry less about [your] major than what educators tend to talk about as critical thinking and communication skills. That’s the beauty of a liberal arts education, and I value liberal arts education because you’re really getting a broad skill set."
(Posted on 2011-11-09 09:11:20)
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Saving Student Aid
AAC&U is assisting with a significant effort to mobilize individuals and institutions to sign on to the Save Student Aid statement of support. This effort--advanced by a coalition of 62 higher education organizations--asks Congress to protect Pell grants, student loans, and other essential financial aid programs from budget cuts. While demand for college-educated workers continues to grow and our nation is in need of ever more knowledgeable and committed citizens, thousands of students are struggling even to gain access to a college education. The statement notes that student aid programs "offer students an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills our nation demands for a strong recovery. Tough budget decisions in DC have put pressure on all federal spending, but cutting student aid, a long-term investment in our nation’s future, doesn't make sense." For more information or to sign on with others, see Save Student Aid Statement.
(Posted on 2011-11-08 13:21:33)
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Bringing Theory to Practice Announces New Book on Transforming Undergraduate Education
Drawing on ten years of Bringing Theory to Practice (BTtoP) projects, conferences, and other scholarship, Transforming Undergraduate Education: Theory that Compels and Practices that Succeed (edited by BTtoP Director Don Harward; case studies edited by National Evaluator Ashley Finley) will be released this month by Rowman and Littlefield publishers. Twenty-four authors and co-authors of chapters and ten case studies document the need for, the nature of, and the practices that result in transformative change. In addition to the case studies by AAC&U Senior Director of Assessment and Research Ashley Finley, BTtoP Director and AAC&U Senior Fellow Don Harward provides a framing of the core arguments of the book in Part I, with a chapter by AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider (co-authored with AAC&U Vice President Debra Humphreys) included in Part III.
(Posted on 2011-11-04 12:22:43)
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LEAP Presidents Named 2011 Carnegie Corporation Academic Leaders
Eduardo Padrón, president of Miami Dade College, and Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, both were honored today with the Carnegie Corporation's 2011 Centennial Academic Leadership Award for "outstanding leadership and commitment to excellence and equity in undergraduate education, curricular innovation, the liberal arts, reform of K-12 education, and the promotion of strong links between their institution and their local communities.” President Hrabowski serves on the National Leadership Council of AAC&U's long-running LEAP initiative, is a former AAC&U board member, and is now an active partner in Project Kaleidoscope and its current efforts to develop effective STEM learning pathways from two-year to four-year institutions. President Padrón served on AAC&U's board of directors for seven years, and was its chair in 2009. He currently is a member of the LEAP Presidents’ Trust. As a leader in the earlier AAC&U Greater Expectations initiative, President Padrón helped develop the LEAP framework of "essential learning outcomes" and led Miami Dade in developing its “Miami Dade College Learning Outcomes." Padrón is a staunch supporter of the LEAP commitment to help all colleges and universities "Aim High and Make Excellence Inclusive." AAC&U congratulates both presidents on this well-deserved national honor.
(Posted on 2011-11-03 10:31:11)
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LEAP Presidents' Trust Chair and St. Lawrence President Emeritus Daniel Sullivan Warns Against Narrowing the Curriculum
Daniel Sullivan, Chair of the LEAP Presidents’ Trust and President Emeritus of St. Lawrence University, wrote an op-ed for Inside Higher Ed titled, “Worried? I’m Terrified.” Sullivan notes, “We are hearing today a literal cacophony of commentary from business leaders, economists, journalists, and even a growing number of higher education leaders that the education Americans need for the twenty-first century must stress inquiry and analysis, critical and creative thinking, integrative and reflective thinking, written and oral communication, quantitative literacy, information literacy, intercultural understanding, and teamwork and real-world problem-solving, as well as knowledge and competence in specific fields of learning. These are the skills and learning necessary for success in today’s occupational system…They are as essential for community college students as they are for students seeking four-year degrees.”
(Posted on 2011-10-31 09:30:25)
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AAC&U and Iowa State University Announce New Partnership on Personal and Social Responsibility Climate Assessment
AAC&U has partnered with the Research Institute for Studies in Education (RISE) at Iowa State University to oversee national administration of the Personal and Social Responsibility Inventory (PSRI), a campus climate survey developed through AAC&U’s Core Commitments initiative. The PSRI was piloted in 2007 with 23 institutions involved in Core Commitments, and the survey has now been refined for use by the wider higher education community. The PSRI surveys four campus constituent groups—faculty, students, student affairs professionals, and academic administrators—regarding key dimensions of personal and social responsibility: striving for excellence; cultivating academic integrity; contributing to a larger community; taking seriously the perspectives of others; and developing competence in ethical and moral reasoning and action. RISE is now recruiting campuses to administer the PSRI in spring 2012; for more information about using the survey, visit www.psri.hs.iastate.edu or email psri@iastate.edu.
(Posted on 2011-10-21 09:30:02)
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General Education Conference in Hong Kong to Feature AAC&U President and Vice President; Proposals Due November 15
AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider and AAC&U Vice President for Quality, Curriculum, and Assessment Terry Rhodes will both be presenting at a conference June 12-14, 2012 at the City University of Hong Kong. The conference is titled, “General Education and University Curriculum Reform in Hong Kong: Gateway to Asia’s Future.” Hong Kong’s public universities will launch a four-year undergraduate curriculum in September 2012 to replace the current three-year system, and much of the new curriculum will be devoted to general education. The conference will bring together academic leaders and advocates for quality and reform in higher education to discuss this reform and how to enhance liberal education within the Hong Kong context and beyond. Proposals for this conference are due November 15. More information about the conference is available online.
(Posted on 2011-10-17 08:15:37)
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LEAP Presidents' Trust Member Promotes Lifetime Benefits of a Liberal Arts Education
LEAP Presidents’ Trust Member and President of Sacred Heart University John J. Petillo wrote an op-ed for the Hartford Courant titled, "Liberal Arts Education: Gateway to Riches." Petillo states, "A liberal arts education, perhaps more than anything else, sets the groundwork for intellectual leaps that can advance humankind by rendering the recipient endlessly curious and thoughtful. It raises our capacity to analyze, to see and solve problems, to invent and innovate beyond the realities of today and into the possibilities of tomorrow. As Albert Einstein said, 'The value of an education in a liberal arts college is not the learning of many facts, but the training of the mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks.'"
(Posted on 2011-10-04 08:06:09)
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PKAL Launches Action Labs on Two-Year/Four-Year Partnerships to Facilitate Student Transfer in (STEM) Fields
PKAL recently launched a series of national summits or “action labs” on developing effective models for transfer of students in STEM fields from two-year institutions to four-year institutions. The first Action Lab was held on September 30th and October 1st in Indianapolis, IN; The second will be held in Seattle, Washington in March, 2012. Supported with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, these events will bring together leading institutions working toward building, strengthening and expanding programs for guaranteed transfer from community-colleges into four-year institution STEM programs. Participants will share models and discuss factors that contribute to success, barriers they have faced, and next steps for continuing development of partnerships. For more information, see: http://www.aacu.org/pkal/rampingupstem/index.cfm
(Posted on 2011-10-03 13:26:46)
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AAC&U Receives $2.2 Million Lumina Foundation Grant to Support Quality Collaboratives in Eight States
AAC&U has received a $2.2 million dollar grant from Lumina Foundation to implement the Quality Collaboratives Initiative, a project designed to support eight higher education state systems in assessing quality learning for all students, including those who transfer between institutions. Quality Collaboratives will work with the systems and with individual institutions to test assessment tools that evaluate students’ achievement based on samples of students’ actual work collected across their courses and regardless of where they begin or end their educational journeys. The project is part of Lumina Foundation’s beta testing of a shared Degree Qualifications Profile.
(Posted on 2011-10-03 08:17:52)
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AAC&U Board Chair Speaks Out on Impact of Cuts to Education
Helen Giles-Gee, AAC&U's Board Chair and President of Keene State College, wrote an op-ed for the Concord Monitor titled, "In The Long Term, Cuts to Education Will Cost Us: They're Already Being Felt at Keene State College." Giles-Gee states, "A recent report by the Lumina Foundation says that college students will earn 85 percent more than their high school counterparts. Education, such as provided by Keene State College, gives employers what they need to be competitive, according to a survey by Hart Associates for the Association of American Colleges and Universities in 2009. We need workers with an array of skills and higher levels of learning and knowledge for a healthy economy and future."
(Posted on 2011-09-26 10:39:32)
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AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider Speaks at National Colloquium on Community Colleges
On Friday, September 23, AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider spoke at the CUNY National Colloquium Reimagining Community Colleges. Responding to President Obama's call for an additional 5 million community college degrees and certificates by 2020, the colloquium engaged national leaders and experts in discussing how community colleges can focus on the most innovative and successful educational models and assess the viability of bringing them to scale in a cost-effective manner so that all students can share their benefits. President Schneider spoke in a session focused on the role of community college faculty in educating more students than ever before and ensuring that they receive a high-quality 21st century education. The session also included presentations by Gail Mellow, president, La Guardia Community College, CUNY; and Susan Fuhrman, president, Teachers College, Columbia University. The session was moderated by John Merrow, education correspondent, PBS NewsHour and president, Learning Matters. Read more about the colloquium and about AAC&U's community college Roadmap initiative.
(Posted on 2011-09-23 11:23:37)
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Thirteen Historically Black Colleges and Universities Chosen for Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future Project
AAC&U announced the institutions chosen to participate in the second cohort of Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future (PCFF), a project that supports women of color faculty in STEM disciplines in becoming strong academic and administrative leaders, both on campus and within their respective disciplines. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP). Read more about the project on AAC&U’s Web site and about the schools chosen in the press release about the second cohort of institutions chosen for PCFF.
(Posted on 2011-09-16 07:07:22)
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LEAP National Leadership Council Meets at Wheaton College
Members of the LEAP National Leadership Council convened at the home of chair Ronald A. Crutcher, president of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts on September 9. NLC members discussed strategic directions and opportunities for LEAP to (a) refocus the national dialogue and campus action—attending to issues of student success and achievement of essential learning outcomes through the use of high-impact practices; (b) make liberal education a national priority for economic opportunity, innovation, and global competitiveness; and (c) reclaim the civic purposes of higher education. NLC members affirmed their interest in finding ways to make even more visible employers’ pervasive interest in college graduates who have achieved the LEAP essential learning outcomes.
(Posted on 2011-09-13 16:03:58)
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AAC&U Vice Chair of the Board Dr. Bobby Fong Receives OCA Pioneer Award
AAC&U Vice Chair of the Board Dr. Bobby Fong received the OCA Pioneer Award on August 6 during the OCA National Convention in New York. OCA is a national organization dedicated to advancing the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Pacific Americans. Dr. Fong is the President of Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. Active in many higher education associations, Dr. Fong is Vice Chair of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and serves on the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the American Council for Education’s National Task Force on Institutional Accreditation, and on the board of the Lingnan University Foundation. Fong is also a member of the Presidents' Trust, a leadership group advancing liberal education as part of AAC&U's LEAP initiative.
(Posted on 2011-08-08 09:34:59)
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LEAP Presidents' Trust Member Leo Lambert Speaks at Kickoff of White House Interfaith and Community Service Challenge Initiative
LEAP Presidents' Trust Member and Elon University President Leo M. Lambert was part of a panel discussion on Aug. 3 at the White House kickoff of President Barack Obama’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge. About 200 colleges and universities across the nation were selected for the initiative, which seeks to foster interfaith cooperation and understanding through service. “At Elon, interfaith issues are key components of our programs to prepare students to be global citizens and leaders,” Lambert says. “In the 21st century, it is impossible to be a liberally educated person without understanding the religions of the world and their importance to societies.”
(Posted on 2011-08-04 10:45:27)
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AAC&U Receives Grant to Study Impact of High-Impact Practices on Underserved Students
AAC&U has received a grant from TG to conduct a mixed-method analysis of the impact of high-impact practices on learning outcomes for historically underrepresented students. Part of AAC&U’s Give Students a Compass initiative, this project will examine data from universities in California, Wisconsin, and Oregon to better understand the impact of engaged learning on underserved populations. The project focuses primarily on regional comprehensive institutions that receive large numbers of transfer students from community colleges. Read more about the project, Give Students a Compass, and other initiatives sponsored by TG.
(Posted on 2011-08-02 08:48:06)
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AAC&U President Appointed to Advisory Committee Developing New Assessments of College Readiness
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) has named a new Advisory Committee on College Readiness (ACCR), a group of higher education experts from more than twenty states and education associations. AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider is among eight leaders from national higher education associations who will serve on this committee. The ACCR will help develop assessments aligned with the new Common Core Standards and that will be accepted as an indicator that a student is ready for first-year, credit-bearing college work. The members of ACCR were invited to participate by the PARCC Governing Board.
(Posted on 2011-08-01 09:15:46)
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AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider Issues a Statement of Condolence on the Tragedy in Norway
AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider has issued a statement of condolence on the tragedy in Norway that occurred on July 22. Schneider notes, “These gruesome events only underscore the importance of embracing democratic values of tolerance, respect, the rule of law, and deliberating differences. We commit ourselves as educators to those ends as one way to honor those slain in Norway.” Read the full statement online.
(Posted on 2011-07-28 13:04:37)
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Culinary Creativity is No Big LEAP for AAC&U's Dan Singh, Notes Washington Post
AAC&U’s Director of Information Systems Daniel Singh was recently profiled for the Washington Post feature story, “Washington Cooks: Unorthodox Steps to an Indian Feast.” Singh cooked and prepared an authentic Indian feast for seventy-five guests at his rowhouse in Washington. Among those invited to his home were colleagues from AAC&U, and dancers and supporters of Dakshina, the modern/Indian dance company he founded in 2003. Singh discovered his passion for dance while taking a ballet course for PE credit at the University of Maryland. Mr. Singh studied both computer science and dance as part of his undergraduate liberal education. Mr. Singh also earned a graduate degree in dance from the University of Maryland. He brings all these varied skills to bear as he serves AAC&U members as our IT director.
(Posted on 2011-07-27 13:30:01)
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757 Faculty and Administrators Attend AAC&U Summer Institutes
In 2011, AAC&U hosted 757 individuals at six different summer institutes. With 205 participants, The Institute on General Education and Assessment at San José State University brought together teams working on integrative general education and assessment designs. 220 individuals attended the Institute on High-Impact Practices and Student Success at the University of Vermont. Teams worked on developing, expanding, and assessing high-impact practices and strategies to make excellence inclusive. The Engaging Departments Institute at The Hotel at Turf Valley in Ellicott City, Maryland brought together 150 attendees working to advance integrated and engaged learning in and across disciplines and integrate major programs with general education. Project Kaleidoscope sponsored two Institutes in July on the Baca Campus of Colorado College. These institutes brought together thirty-two early and mid-career STEM faculty working to improve undergraduate STEM education. The Shared Futures Initiative is sponsoring the final AAC&U summer institute at The Hotel at Turf Valley in Ellicott City, Maryland in early August. 150 participants will work on refocusing general education programs to prepare students to address global questions such as environmental sustainability, health and disease, and conflict and inequality.
(Posted on 2011-07-26 09:41:29)
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LEAP Presidents' Trust member Elsa Núñez Speaks Out on Why Liberal Education Makes Sense Today
LEAP Presidents' Trust Member and President of Eastern Connecticut State University Elsa Núñez wrote an op-ed for the Christian Science Monitor titled, "Liberate Liberal Arts from the Myth of Irrelevance." She notes that, "As AAC&U has noted, 'In an economy fueled by innovation, the capabilities developed through a liberal education have become America's most valuable economic asset.'" She strongly makes the case for the continuing relevance of liberal education especially in light of, “the economic and social transformation occurring in the United States [that] requires workers who are able to adapt to change and the complexities of the modern world. The broad academic competencies of a liberal arts education, tempered by preprofessional opportunities for students to apply their learning in real-world settings, can help create a workforce ready for the economic challenges of the twenty-first century and a citizenry ready to lead America forward."
(Posted on 2011-07-25 13:15:26)
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AAC&U Member President Steven Knapp Speaks Out Against Three-Year Degrees
In response to a recent Washington Post editorial, Steven Knapp, president of George Washington University, in a letter to the Post editor, argues that, “as knowledge expands across all fields, it takes more, not less, time to master any subject.” He notes further that “packing nearly four years of credits into three years would deprive students of the time for internships, service learning and study-abroad programs that help prepare them for productive citizenship in our complex and globalized society.” See AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider’s own statement on three-year degrees and the original editorial in The Washington Post.
(Posted on 2011-07-14 13:02:10)
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LEAP NLC member Martha Nussbaum Speaks Out on Value of the Humanities and Liberal Education
Martha Nussbaum, a member of the LEAP National Leadership Council was recently interviewed for an article titled “Our World Needs the Humanities.” In the article published by The Australian, Nussbaum notes, “In the US, we find that liberal education promotes understanding across the different sectors of society, since all students have some studies in common. It refines the ability to think critically and examine the arguments of politicians, which keeps them accountable, and promotes a civil and reasonable style of debate… Even for commerce and technology to succeed, they need the humanistic imagination and the ability to think critically and rigorously. Science at its best is closely allied to the humanities because it is creative, highly rigorous and critical. So what the world needs is an alliance between the humanities and creative basic science to foster the skills that produce good citizenship and healthy business cultures.”
(Posted on 2011-07-13 10:53:17)
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AAC&U Board Member Mildred García Appointed to President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics
Dr. Mildred García, president of California State University, Dominguez Hills, has been appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. García is one of nineteen individuals from the education, business, nonprofit, philanthropic, and high-tech sectors nationwide appointed to the commission, which will advise the president and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on issues related to improving education opportunities and outcomes for Hispanics. García is an active member of the American Council of Education, the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, and AAC&U, where she serves on the board of directors and on the editorial advisory board of Peer Review.
(Posted on 2011-07-12 10:32:21)
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AAC&U's Annual Meeting
AAC&U is pleased to announce speakers confirmed for the 2012 Annual Meeting—“Shared Futures/Difficult Choices: Reclaiming a Democratic Vision for College Learning, Global Engagement, and Success”—which will be held in Washington, DC, January 25-28. Plenary and featured speakers include Carol Geary Schneider, AAC&U; Eboo Patel, Interfaith Youth Core; David Scobey, The New School for General Studies; Lisa Anderson, American University of Cairo; Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, authors of Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses; and Alexander and Helen Astin of UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute. The meeting will include a pre-meeting symposium January 25 on Democracy’s Promise and Civic Learning; and an E-Portfolio Forum on Saturday, January 28. The Call for Proposals is online. Proposals are due July 18. Registration is available in September.
(Posted on 2011-06-29 08:43:47)
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LEAP Resource Helps Students Understand Liberal Education-More than 75,000 Sold
AAC&U has now sold more than 75,000 copies of the brochure – “What is a Liberal Education? And Why Is It Important to My Future?” -- designed specifically for students and released as part of AAC&U's LEAP initiative. The brochures are being used at more than eighty-five colleges and universities across the country. Based on research findings and interviews with students and employers, the six-panel brochure provides a contemporary definition of the term "liberal education," discusses the most important outcomes of college, and features the perspectives of recent graduates and employers. The brochure is ideal for use in first-year and transfer student orientation, first-year seminars, academic advising, admissions, and career counseling. More information about the brochure is available here.
(Posted on 2011-06-20 09:34:16)
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Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future Announces Call for Applications
AAC&U announces a new application process to select the second cohort of participants for its Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future (PCFF) project. The goals of the PCFF project are to provide professional and leadership development for women of color faculty in NSF science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) disciplines, and to improve undergraduate STEM education at HBCUs and beyond. Thirteen institutions will be selected to participate in the project. Institutions will identify two women STEM faculty to participate as part of the application process. Interested Institutions can find more information about the project and how to apply here. Applications are due August 19.
(Posted on 2011-06-07 10:57:48)
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Six Humanities Majors at Stanford University Make the Case for The Value of Their Studies
The Chronicle of Higher Education has published six powerful commentaries by Stanford students enrolled in the Structured Liberal Education Program. The students reflect on their educational experiences in relation to their life goals. The students compare themselves to their peers at Stanford, noting, “What is a major in the humanities worth? Should we measure worth by career utility or by some other value—cognitive, aesthetic, moral? By our skills or by our knowledge? No doubt many students can attack those questions and reach the same breadth of benefits outside the humanities. At Stanford, many of our classmates are scientists, social scientists, and engineers, and we have great respect for and interest in their studies—not only for their work's clear practical applications but also for the ways in which those students grapple with the world. We argue that our education is just as significant, and just as irreplaceable, as theirs." Through its LEAP initiative, AAC&U regularly highlights student voices and provides resources to help students make the most of their college learning.
(Posted on 2011-06-06 13:18:02)
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Faculty Members from Twenty-Five Campuses to Attend Project Kaleidoscope 2011 Summer Leadership Institutes
Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) and AAC&U recently announced the colleges and universities sending faculty members to each of two PKAL summer leadership institutes for early and mid-career faculty members to be held at the Baca Campus of Colorado College in Crestone, Colorado. PKAL has sponsored a summer leadership institute for the past thirteen years and has expanded its offerings to two institutes to be held this summer in July. PKAL’s five-day intensive institutes provide faculty participants with the theory and practice required to act as agents of change to improve STEM education in their home institutions or professional societies. For a complete list of participating campuses, see the press release.
(Posted on 2011-05-31 07:00:15)
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AAC&U Member Institutions Honored For Leadership in Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service has announced the six colleges and universities named to the Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition an institution can receive for its commitment to community service. Honorees are chosen based on a number of factors, including the extent to which service learning is embedded in the curriculum and the school’s commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships. Presidential Awardees include AAC&U member institutions, Augsburg College (MN), San Francisco State University (CA), St. Mary’s University (TX), Rollins College (FL), Loyola University (IL), and California State University, Monterey Bay (CA). Honor roll finalists also include eleven other AAC&U member institutions. See additional resources on community service and civic learning.
(Posted on 2011-05-26 07:10:21)
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On CNN.com and at Commencement, Wesleyan President Makes A Powerful Case for Liberal Education
LEAP Presidents' Trust Member and Wesleyan University President Michael S. Roth makes a powerful case for liberal education on CNN.com. Roth counters the national trend toward narrowing of educational goals and suggests, instead, that "We should look at education not as a specific training program for a limited range of mental muscles but as a process through which one will generate some of the most important features in one's life." Speaking directly to college students, he notes further that, "it makes no sense to train people as narrowly as possible in a world going through cataclysmic changes, for you are building specific strengths that leave you merely muscle-bound, not stronger and more flexible. We should have confidence, as my parents did, that a broadly based, liberal education will help our young people lead lives of creative productivity, lives in which they can make meaning from and contribute to the world around them." See more about AAC&U's Presidents' Trust and how others are making the case effectively.
(Posted on 2011-05-23 11:21:17)
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AAC&U Announces Lisa Russell O'Shea as New Senior Director of Development
Starting July 5th, Lisa Russell O’Shea will assume the position of AAC&U senior director of development. O’Shea brings to AAC&U a wealth of experience from her work with the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, where she currently serves as the director of program development. In her new role, O’Shea will help design and implement a fundraising strategy to support AAC&U’s continued advancement of liberal education and inclusive excellence. “I am delighted to be joining AAC&U as it approaches its centennial anniversary of advocating for the value of liberal education,” said O’Shea. “We all benefit in the long run when students have deeper and richer learning experiences, and I look forward to helping AAC&U cultivate and steward donors who see the value to society of an inclusive liberal education. ” Read the press release announcing O’Shea’s appointment.
(Posted on 2011-05-23 07:18:28)
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SHARED FUTURES / DIFFICULT CHOICES: Reclaiming a Democratic Vision for College Learning, Global Engagement, and Success
In 1947, The Truman Commission on Higher Education named as the principal goals for higher education a fuller realization of democracy’s promise, a commitment to global cooperation, and greater cultivation of social imagination and creativity. Facing national and global challenges that demanded difficult choices, Commission members sought to reclaim a sense of shared future for a war-torn, nuclear age. Today, we confront a dangerous and potentially disastrous public narrowing of vision, where higher education is valued more for its economic and individual benefits than for its contributions to the common good. AAC&U’s 2012 Annual Meeting will showcase examples from institutions that are successfully building upon broader democratic visions and more integrative practices in complex global contexts—visions and practices that are shaping institutional missions, improving undergraduate education, and challenging narrow definitions of success.
(Posted on 2011-05-19 12:24:03)
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LEAP Campus Action Network Member Bard College Receives $60 Million to Expand Reach of Liberal Education
A new grant from George Soros and the Open Society Foundations will support a variety of activities sponsored by Bard College’s Center for Civic Engagement. In announcing the grant, Bard President Leon Botstein noted that, “institutions of higher education must create a sense of civic duty and be willing to lead in finding solutions to the challenges facing the nation and the world. The Center for Civic Engagement at Bard is realizing the potential of colleges and universities to forge an effective link between education and democracy.” See the press release, article in the New York Times, and AAC&U resources and initiatives on civic learning.
(Posted on 2011-05-18 11:06:36)
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AAC&U President Provides Written Testimony on Quality and Completion to Department of Education
In response to a call from the U.S. Department of Education for comment on upcoming regulations and the proposed “First in the World” competition, AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider has submitted written testimony urging the department “to work with the higher education community…to ensure that completion efforts are accompanied by, and interwoven with, proactive efforts to significantly raise the quality of college student learning and achievement. See the full text of the statement and an accompanying list of research studies documenting the Underachievement of Essential Learning Outcomes in College.
(Posted on 2011-05-18 07:28:04)
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AAC&U President Releases Statement on Death of Bin Laden and Lessons of 9/11
AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider released a statement today marking Sunday's "important milestone in the world's ongoing battle against the forces of terror and violence." She notes that "the national pride we feel this month invites us to re-engage with the larger lessons of 9/11 and of American history over time" and calls on the higher education community to use this historic moment to "recommit as educators to explore with our students the past, present, and future of freedom, in our society and around the world...[and] help all our students acquire the knowledge skills, and determination to tackle the urgent problems of our time." See the full statement online.
(Posted on 2011-05-04 08:50:45)
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AAC&U President Champions Continued Importance of the Liberal Arts in Article Critical of National Governors Association Report
The Chronicle of Higher Education has published a commentary by AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider titled, “'Degrees for What Jobs?' Wrong Question, Wrong Answers.” In this opinion article, President Schneider notes that the recent NGA Center for Best Practices report, Degrees for What Jobs?, makes “short-sighted policy recommendations [that] would do nothing to meet the nation’s long-term needs for intellectual capital and could well deplete the learning this country needs, both for individual students and the global economy.” Schneider notes that, “the NGA report seems stuck in an obsolete mindset that sees learning in a job-related major as the only goal that matters.” She argues, instead, that employers consistently say that to achieve the outcomes most important in today’s workplace, “students need more liberal education, not less.” See President Schneider’s article, her other perspectives and presentations, and surveys of employers commissioned as part of AAC&U’s LEAP initiative. See also the article on Hong Kong universities’ adoption of “The American Model” of higher education in Inside Higher Ed.
(Posted on 2011-05-02 07:19:25)
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Campuses and State Systems from 106 Institutions, Thirty-Six States, and Four Countries To Attend AAC&U 2011 Summer Institutes
AAC&U recently announced the colleges, universities, and state systems sending teams to its 2011 summer institutes. Teams of five or more from 106 institutions will attend one of three summer institutes: the Institute on General Education and Assessment at San José State University in San José, California (June 4-8, 2011); the Institute on High-Impact Practices and Student Success at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont (June 14-18, 2011); and the Engaging Departments Institute at The Hotel at Turf Valley in Ellicott City, Maryland (July 13-17, 2011). 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.
(Posted on 2011-04-27 07:20:50)
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AAC&U President Keynotes the Higher Learning Commission Meeting; Urges 3,800 Participants to "Take the Lead" on Quality
In her remarks, Carol Geary Schneider underscored the strong agreement between educators and employers that graduates need a broad liberal education to navigate and succeed in the new economy. As one of the authors of the Lumina Foundation’s proposed Degree Qualifications Profile (DP), she noted that the DP includes learning outcomes that both educators and employers see as crucial to Americans’ shared futures, including outcomes that prepare students for mindful citizenship, both at home and abroad. The DP, she urged, “provides the strategy higher education needs to link together the completion agenda and the quality agenda. It also positions us to fight ‘faux reforms’ that threaten to sacrifice quality in the quest for more ‘degree production’.” See the LEAP “economic case for liberal education” and Schneider’s presentation slides from the HLC meeting.
(Posted on 2011-04-13 10:31:10)
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AAC&U Remembers Manning Marable
AAC&U has issued a statement marking the passing and honoring the legacy of Manning Marable, M. Moran Weston and Black Alumni Council Professor of African American Studies, History, International and Public Affairs, and Political Science at Columbia University. The statement notes his many contributions to scholarship, teaching, and the expansion of social justice. It comments on the way that Marable conducted and “nurtured bold, engaged scholarship that used the finest intellectual tools to investigate public issues and record or inspire organized citizen action.” Marable contributed to the work of AAC&U’s initiative on American Commitments: Diversity, Democracy and Liberal Learning, which in turn has informed our long-term work on Liberal Education and America’s Promise. See full text of statement.
(Posted on 2011-04-06 12:57:45)
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AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider Receives ACPA Contribution to Higher Education Award
On March 28, the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) presented AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider with the ACPA Contribution to Higher Education Award. The award was presented during the ACPA Awards Luncheon during ACPA’s annual convention in Baltimore and recognizes Carol Geary Schneider for, “her professional accomplishments and her commitment to higher education.” Past honorees include NSSE’s George D. Kuh and ACE’s David Ward. Learn more about ACPA and its national convention online.
(Posted on 2011-03-28 09:59:07)
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LEAP States Summit Brings Together Leaders from 14 States to Chart Next Steps
Representatives from 14 states, a consortium of private institutions, and a consortium of the U.S. service academies convened in Chicago in March for a “LEAP States Summit.” The summit, Advancing Systemic Change in States and State Systems, focused on systemic change to increase student success and both strengthen and document students’ achievement of essential learning outcomes. The summit provided a unique opportunity for individuals working in state systems and institutions to strategize with and learn from each other about common opportunities and obstacles as they navigate the contemporary higher education landscape and seek to raise the quality of learning for all students. See more information about the LEAP States Initiative.
(Posted on 2011-03-25 09:57:51)
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President Helen Giles-Gee of Keene State College Elected Chair of AAC&U Board
At the 2011 Annual Meeting, President Helen Giles-Gee assumed the chair of AAC&U’s board of directors, taking over from Pomona College President David Oxtoby. President of Keene State since 2005, Dr. Giles-Gee is a nationally-known scholar, educator, and administrator. Under her leadership, Keene State College has come to be known throughout New Hampshire and the New England region for the strength of its academic program, as a leader in innovation, and as a powerful force for economic development. Keene State College is a COPLAC institution and an active AAC&U member, is engaged in the LEAP Campus Action Network, and was competitively selected to participate in AACU’s current initiative on Shared Futures: General Education for a Global Century. At its 2011 Annual Meeting, AAC&U also named 7 new directors and a new slate of executive officers. See the press release for more information and the full list of AAC&U’s board of directors.
(Posted on 2011-03-16 14:43:08)
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LEAP Presidents' Trust Member Michael Roth Blogs "On Scholarship and Public Life"
In a new blog post in the Huffington Post, LEAP Presidents’ Trust Member and President of Wesleyan University Michael Roth writes about scholarship, civic engagement, teaching, and learning. Roth makes the case for a healthy mix of more “engaged” scholarship and teaching, but also a commitment to a broader “culture of inquiry.” He endorses efforts, like the development of Wesleyan’s own interdisciplinary minor in civic engagement, that “connect what [students] study on campus to their lives as citizens and activists.” He also, however, notes the need for a continued commitment to basic research in the humanities and social sciences. These efforts, too, are essential to the vitality of liberal education and teaching undergraduates. As he puts it, “Connecting research and undergraduate learning, engaging students in the work of advancing the fields in which we teach, opening their minds to new possibilities in these subject areas and for themselves as independent thinkers, are some of the joys of working in higher education. This should be the heart of the ‘public life’ (small ‘p’, small ‘l’) of higher education.” See AAC&U President Carol Schneider’s recent blog post on the humanities and liberal education and learn more about the AAC&U/GPI initiative on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement.
(Posted on 2011-02-24 09:03:50)
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AAC&U Board of Directors Issues Statement on Lumina Foundation?s Proposed Degree Profile
The Lumina Foundation has released a proposed Degree Qualifications Profile (DP) that defines US degrees at the associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s levels in terms of what students know and can do with their knowledge. AAC&U’s Board of directors has released a statement about the profile noting, among other things, that, “We are particularly encouraged by Lumina’s pledge to partner with the higher education community in funding and learning from experimental efforts to both strengthen and demonstrate students’ achievement of key learning outcomes or competencies, across all the many pathways today’s students follow to and through college.” Read the full text of the Board statement about the DP. Learn more about the Lumina Foundation's Degree Qualifications Profile online. Read a guest blog post on the implications of the Lumina DP by Carol Geary Schneider published by the Washington Post College, Inc. blog.
(Posted on 2011-02-17 12:08:31)
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Dialogue on Academically Adrift Continues
Many scholars and practitioners are continuing the dialogue started by the publication of the new book, Academically Adrift by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa. In addition to AAC&U’s board member, Robert Sternberg, who published an analysis in Inside Higher Ed questioning the study’s reliance on the use of narrow cognitive tests to determine what students are accomplishing in college, others have written about the study and its implications. See David Glenn’s article in The Chronicle of Higher Education summarizing doubts being raised about the author’s conclusions, Alexander Astin’s discussion of the statistical analysis at the heart of the book, and Jonathan Zimmerman’s discussion of potential implications for campus practice suggested by Arum and Roksa’s findings.
(Posted on 2011-02-16 15:30:03)
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LEAP NLC Member Diana Chapman Walsh Discusses Trends in Advancing "A Science of Learning"
In an article in Inside Higher Ed, LEAP NLC member and president emerita of Wellesley College Diana Chapman Walsh writes about the “growing interest in learning about learning” that she sees on campuses around the country. In LEAP and many other campus-based projects and interventions, Walsh notes that new “efforts to identify fruitful points of intervention in the classroom and in cocurricular offerings are picking up steam.” She muses on where these efforts might lead, noting that “if groups of faculty were to think deeply and systematically over a number of years about student learning and student success, they could create for their own institutions and the wider field a more robust evidence-based culture of learning.”
(Posted on 2011-02-16 15:28:42)
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Leading Scholar Argues that Academically Adrift Is Too Narrow in Its Focus-and Misread as Well
Robert Sternberg—a leading scholar of successful intelligence, provost, senior vice president, and professor of psychology at Oklahoma State University, and a member of the AAC&U Board of Directors—has written an analysis that questions the use of narrow cognitive tests to determine either what students are accomplishing in college or what they need to accomplish. AAC&U’s LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes and the proposed Lumina Degree Qualification Profile are closer to the mark, Sternberg points out, on the different kinds of learning students need from their college studies to contribute and thrive at work and in society.
(Posted on 2011-02-08 14:58:34)
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LEAP Presidents' Trust Member Michael T. Benson Explains Why Liberal Arts is the "Portal to Anywhere"
The Salt Lake Tribune featured an op-ed by LEAP Presidents' Trust member and President of Southern Utah University Michael T. Benson. Benson notes, "Utah is one of six states to be categorized as a LEAP state. At its core, LEAP states and institutions are committed to producing graduates with the portable skills necessary to ensure success in today’s uber-competitive global environment: knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world; intellectual and practical skills; personal and social responsibility; and integrative and applied learning. In sum, LEAP subscribes to the philosophy of the architect of the Great Books program at the University of Chicago, Robert Hutchins: 'The object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives'.” See the op-ed online, and learn more about the LEAP Presidents' Trust.
(Posted on 2011-02-08 08:15:12)
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AAC&U Appoints Gary R. Brown and Ann S. Ferren as New Senior Fellows
AAC&U announces the appointments of Gary R. Brown and Ann S. Ferren as Senior Fellows in the Office of Quality, Curriculum, and Assessment. Gary R. Brown is the former director of Washington State University’s Office of Assessment and Innovation. He is now an assessment consultant at Washington State University, working with colleges and academic departments on focused assessment projects. Ann S. Ferren is the former Provost at the American University in Bulgaria. In his role as senior fellow, Brown will work on projects of interest related to advancing liberal learning – including assessing student learning, electronic portfolios, communicating the results of student learning assessment, and networking with the e-portfolios community and with those involved in AAC&U’s VALUE project. In her role as senior fellow, Ferren will work on issues related to institutional resources and educational priorities in financially challenging times, general education, effective leadership, and other campus-based projects. Read the press release to learn more about these appointments.
(Posted on 2011-02-07 07:04:31)
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Give Students a Game Plan That Makes Practice a Must, AAC&U President Argues in Washington Post
In a recent guest blog post in The Washington Post, AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider commented on the recent release of the Lumina Foundation proposed Degree Profile (DP) and the book, Academically Adrift. She notes that, while many are focused on increasing college completion rates, too many students are “getting a credential. But not an education.” She notes further that, along with many previous studies, the book Academically Adrift, is “a red flag for a society that depends on brain power to fuel the economy and help solve festering societal problems.” The Lumina DP, however, “turns a spotlight on what students actually do with their academic time in college,” Schneider suggests. “The Degree Profile calls for a new regimen of practice and constantly "applied learning" to help students get back on course.” See the full blog posting in The Washington Post's College, Inc. blog, as well as other blog posts and perspectives from the AAC&U President.
(Posted on 2011-02-01 10:19:22)
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More than 2,000 Participants Attend AAC&U Annual Meeting in San Francisco
More than 2,000 faculty members, presidents, deans, academic administrators, and students gathered last week in San Francisco for Global Positioning: Essential Learning, Student Success, and the Currency of U.S. Degrees, AAC&U’s 2011 Annual Meeting. Highlights included addresses by Kavita Ramdas of the Freeman Spogli Institute; Eduardo M. Ochoa, US assistant secretary for postsecondary education; Mark Taylor, author of Crisis on Campus: A Bold Plan for Reforming Our Colleges and Universities; and Leo Chávez, professor of anthropology and author of The Latino Threat: Constructing Immigrants, Citizens, and the Nation. The meeting also featured presentations by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, authors of Academically Adrift, and presentations and discussions about the Lumina Foundation for Education’s new Degree Profile. If you were not able to attend the meeting—or just want to see what your colleagues were up to—check out the Annual Meeting blog archive online. Guest writers posted information and impressions throughout the meeting. All of AAC&U’s tweets about and from the Annual Meeting are also online. Also see the media coverage from the Annual Meeting.
(Posted on 2011-01-31 13:13:28)
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AAC&U Issues Statement of Support for Lumina Degree Profile
The Lumina Foundation has released a new proposed Degree Qualifications Profile (DP) that defines US degrees at the associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s levels in terms of what students know and can do with their knowledge. AAC&U has released a statement about the profile noting, among other things, that, building on the work around “essential learning outcomes” in the LEAP initiative, it is “the right time to move examinations of the meaning of the degree to a new level of shared focus.” The DP will be the focus of several sessions at AAC&U’s Annual Meeting in San Francisco on Thursday, January 27. Read the full text of AAC&U’s statement about the DP. Learn more about the Lumina Foundation's Degree Qualifications Profile online. Read a guest blog post on the implications of the Lumina DP by Carol Geary Schneider published by the Washington Post College Inc. blog.
(Posted on 2011-01-25 07:48:59)
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Follow the Annual Meeting Online
AAC&U’s 2011 Annual Meeting – Global Positioning: Essential Learning, Student Success, and the Currency of U.S. Degrees – is January 26-29. Each day during the meeting, six guest writers will post information and impressions from the conference on AAC&U's Blog. This 2011 Annual Meeting includes the debut of AAC&U’s Twitter feed. Through Twitter, we will be able to have an online conversation about thoughts and observations from the conference. Follow AAC&U's tweets from the meeting at #aacu11. We also encourage you to join the conversation by tweeting from the conference using the hashtag #aacu11.
(Posted on 2011-01-25 07:47:39)
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Authors of New Book, Academically Adrift, To Present at AAC&U Annual Meeting
Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, coauthors of the new book, Academically Adrift, released January 18, will present on their findings at AAC&U’s upcoming Annual Meeting in San Francisco on January 28. Join the authors for a discussion of their research on how well students are developing critical thinking and writing skills in college. See Inside Higher Ed, The New York Times, and The Chronicle of Higher Education for coverage of this important new book. Arum and Roksa will present on Friday, January 28, at 4:15 p.m. Learn more about this session online.
(Posted on 2011-01-18 09:43:04)
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LEAP National Leadership Council Member Anthony Carnevale Explains Why "College is Still Worth It"
Inside Higher Ed featured an article by LEAP National Leadership Council member, Anthony Carnevale, explaining why “College is Still Worth It.” With detailed analysis of economic data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources, Carnevale explains why “college is still the best safe harbor in bad economic times” and decries the repeated cycle of misleading news stories about the value of a college degree that seem to come with every economic downturn. He notes the impact of this framing of the issue and warns that “The negative press on college fuels pre-existing biases among working families that college is neither accessible nor worth the cost and effort. Moreover, the bad press and worse data strengthen the hand of elitists who argue that college should be the exclusive preserve of those born into the right race, ethnicity and bank account.” See the full article and the LEAP “economic case for liberal education” to which Carnevale contributed important data and analysis.
(Posted on 2011-01-14 09:13:56)
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PKAL Executive Director Appointed to NGA Committee
The National Governors Association (NGA) recently announced the formation of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Advisory Committee to inform its work in this area and help the twenty-nine new governors, as well as incumbents, develop comprehensive STEM agendas in their states. Project Kaleidoscope Executive Director Susan Elrod was appointed along with eighteen other national leaders with expertise across education, policy, business, and STEM content areas. Learn more about the NGA initaitive online. For more information about PKAL, click here.
(Posted on 2011-01-06 07:10:36)
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NPR Features La Guardia Community College and Its Commitment to The Humanities and Philosophy
In a segment on NPR’s All Things Considered, LEAP Campus Action Network member La Guardia Community College and its commitment to the humanities and philosophy was featured. Interim La Guardia President Peter Katopes challenged the idea that community colleges only train students narrowly for jobs. He points out that La Guardia’s commitment to the humanities and to philosophy entails “giving students the opportunity to really understand the context of their lives.” He notes that La Guardia does that through the humanities. Click here to listen to the segment, which includes interviews with La Guardia students. Learn more about how to join the LEAP Campus Action Network.
(Posted on 2011-01-05 14:36:15)
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AAC&U Applauds Formation of New LGBT Presidential Organization
A new organization of LGBT college and university presidents has just released a powerful video, joining the "It Gets Better" campaign. Along with other higher education associations, AAC&U stands ready to partner with this organization in support of its mission to advance effective leadership in the realm of post-secondary education, support professional development of LGBTQ leaders in that sector, and provide education and advocacy regarding LGBTQ issues within the global academy and for the public at large. As part of its ongoing commitment to diversity as both a resource and equity commitment in higher education, AAC&U applauds the members of this new organization and encourages all college and university leaders to share the video with students and all members of their campus communities. See www.lgbtqpresidents.org for more information and to see the video.
(Posted on 2010-12-22 11:23:55)
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Thirteen HBCUs Chosen for Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future Project
AAC&U recently announced the thirteen institutions chosen to participate in the Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future project. Each historically black college or university in the project has nominated two women of color faculty in science, technology, engineering, or math disciplines to participate in all project-sponsored professional and leadership development activities. Institutional leaders also identified additional faculty and a senior administrative leader who will participate as a team at AAC&U’s Engaging Departments Institute in July 2011.For more information and a list of participating schools, see the PCFF web pages.
(Posted on 2010-12-16 07:15:39)
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First Roundtable on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement To Be Held December 13
On December 13, the Department of Education will host in Washington, DC the first of several national roundtables on “Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement.” AAC&U is an organizing partner of this Department of Education initiative which is being led by The Global Perspective Institute and a Coordinating Committee of twelve recently named national leaders. This first roundtable will focus on organizations, foundations, and groups whose mission promotes differing dimensions of civic learning and democratic practices across a variety of communities. Participants will provide insights to GPI and the Coordinating Committee all working together to develop a national action plan with recommendations for action by a variety of national and local stakeholders.
(Posted on 2010-12-08 08:49:22)
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New Issue of On Campus with Women Explores Campus Climates
The overall climate for women in higher education has warmed considerably over the past several decades. Yet microclimates across colleges and universities continue to affect the educational and workplace experiences of particular women--for example, women from some minority racial and ethnic backgrounds and those who pursue male-dominated majors or work in male-dominated fields. This issue of On Campus with Women explores the many microclimates affecting women on campuses and asks how higher education might make them more genial not only for women, but for all its stakeholders.
(Posted on 2010-12-02 13:26:32)
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North Dakota Joins LEAP States Initiative
AAC&U recently announced that North Dakota has become the sixth LEAP state. As part of their involvement in the LEAP States Initiative, leaders in North Dakota are organizing a series of campus action and advocacy efforts that champion the value of a liberal education for all college students. Involving participants from ND public, private, and tribal colleges and universities, LEAP North Dakota is sponsoring a series of statewide summits, including one held in Fall 2010 at which participants approved a constitution formally establishing a statewide General Education Council based on the LEAP essential learning outcomes. The constitution has been sent to campuses for ratification this year. Participants also held talks on how to address common concerns in general education assessment and transfer.
(Posted on 2010-11-18 19:03:47)
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AAC&U Announces Members of New Global Learning Leadership Council
On November 15, AAC&U announced the members of a new Global Learning Leadership Council (GLLC) formed as part of its ongoing Shared Futures initiative. Members of the GLLC will meet for the first time the week of November 15 and will work together with the thirty-two colleges and universities participating in the latest Shared Futures project, General Education for a Global Century, funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. Read the press release online to learn more about the Global Learning Leadership Council.
(Posted on 2010-11-15 07:44:16)
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Highlights of AAC&U's 2011 Annual Meeting
AAC&U’s 2011 Annual Meeting will feature more than 400 speakers and 150 sessions representing the work of more than 200 colleges and universities. The meeting – “Global Positioning: Essential Learning, Student Success, and the Currency of U.S. Degrees” – will be held January 26-29 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco. Speakers include Kavita Ramdas, Stanford University; Leo Chavez, author of The Latino Threat: Constructing Immigrants, Citizens, and the Nation; Catharine Stimpson, New York University; Eduardo M. Ochoa, Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Department of Education; Hilary Pennington, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Holiday Hart McKiernan, Lumina Foundation for Education; and Josipa Roksa and Richard Arum, coauthors of Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses. The Pre-Meeting Symposium is “Integrating the Sciences, Arts, and Humanities: Global Challenges and the Intentional Curriculum.” The E-Portfolio Forum: Deepening High-Impact Learning will be held all-day on Saturday, Jan. 29. We encourage you to register as part of a campus team by November 23 to take advantage of registration discounts.
(Posted on 2010-11-10 15:32:35)
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Applications Due December 3 for Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future Project
AAC&U is now accepting applications for a new project—Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future (PCFF). Funded by the National Science Foundation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP), the project will provide professional and leadership development for women of color faculty members in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) fields, or NSF natural and behavioral science disciplines, with the goal of improving undergraduate STEM education at HBCUs and beyond. Applications for participation must be received no later than Friday, December 3. Complete information about the project and the application process is available online.
(Posted on 2010-11-10 15:31:09)
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New Faculty Survey Documents High Level of Curricular and Teaching Innovation
On November 6, Ashley Finley, national evaluator for the Bringing Theory to Practice Project and director of assessment and research at AAC&U, released findings from a national study on curricular innovation and institutional reward structures at the annual meeting of the Professional and Organizational Development Network (POD). The study found that professors believe curricular innovations are an important part of their work, but are divided about whether this work is adequately recognized. “This [study] confirms that faculty do things to innovate and revise and challenge themselves to make courses better all the time,” Finley said in an article in Inside Higher Ed covering the study release. The study was funded by the Bringing Theory to Practice Project (a national project independently funded through the Charles Engelhard Foundation that works in partnership with AAC&U). For more information, go to the Bringing Theory to Practice Project Research web page.
(Posted on 2010-11-08 16:13:09)
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Presidents' Trust and AAC&U Board Member Mary Spilde Makes the Case for Liberal Education in the Community College Times
"A Liberal Education Serves All Students, Not Just the Privileged" by Lane Community College President Mary Spilde appeared recently in the Community College Times. In this opinion article, Spilde argues that "today's college students, in fact, need to complete their programs with field-specific skills and the broad outcomes of a liberal education." She urges community college leaders, even as they struggle to serve more students in challenging economic times, to "keep front and center…this quality agenda and our commitment to providing every student a blend of practical and liberal learning. Our integrity and the future success of our students and society depend on nothing less."
(Posted on 2010-11-01 08:24:01)
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Presidents' Trust Member and AAC&U Board Past Chair Eduardo J. Padrón to Lead National White House Initiative
President Obama has selected AAC&U’s Past Board Chair and Miami Dade College President Eduardo J. Padrón to chair The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. Padrón will lead a Commission comprising thirty members, including academics, business leaders and philanthropists, charged with the responsibility of providing guidance to the Administration on education issues related to Hispanics and to address academic excellence and opportunities in the Hispanic community. The goals of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans are consistent with AAC&U’s recommendation in our LEAP initiative that the nation must “aim high—and make excellence inclusive.” The White House initiative aims to increase educational attainment for Hispanic children and youths and to close the achievement gap between Hispanic students and their non-Hispanic peers. Padrón is a member of the LEAP Presidents’ Trust and Miami Dade is an active participant in the LEAP Campus Action Network.
(Posted on 2010-10-25 09:34:32)
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AAC&U Announces Thirty-Two Colleges and Universities Chosen To Participate in General Education for a Global Century
AAC&U announced on October 22 the thirty-two colleges and universities chosen in a competitive process to participate in the Shared Futures curriculum and faculty development project, General Education for a Global Century. Funded by the Henry Luce Foundation, this project will create and disseminate coherent general education curricular designs that address complex, global issues across divisions and disciplines. See the press release and project page for more information.
(Posted on 2010-10-22 07:26:17)
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AAC&U To Help Develop National Action Plan for Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement
AAC&U announced on October 20th that it has been named as a subject expert to work with the Global Perspective Institute (GPI) on an initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. With a sub-contract from GPI, AAC&U will help develop–through national dialogues and a guiding Coordinating Committee–a set of recommendations for a national action plan to increase the visibility and impact of higher education’s efforts to advance students’ civic learning and democratic engagement. See news release and other civic engagement resources.
(Posted on 2010-10-20 07:42:40)
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FIPSE Grant Awarded to PKAL for Initiative on STEM Education About Global Challenges
A grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) will support a new Project Kaleidoscope initiative, Mobilizing Disciplinary Societies on Behalf of Our Students…and Our Planet. The project will engage a select group of disciplinary societies, all of which share a commitment to deepening their focus on tackling our planet’s global challenges as part of their undergraduate STEM education activities. The project has two goals: first, to increase student learning in undergraduate STEM courses; and second, to better prepare students for real-world twenty-first century “big questions,” including those related to energy, air and water quality, and climate change. Project activities will involve up to dozens of colleges and universities and will extend through December 2013. For more information, see the press release about the grant or Project Kaleidoscope.
(Posted on 2010-10-06 07:07:27)
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New Advisory Board Now Planning for Next Phase of Project Kaleidoscope
Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) has announced a new advisory board to lead the initiative in its next phase of work. The new PKAL board of advisors held its first meeting over the summer and is chaired by Elizabeth McCormack, dean of graduate studies and professor of physics at Bryn Mawr College. The PKAL board will assist the PKAL Executive Director Susan Elrod and AAC&U in establishing and executing a successful strategic plan that builds on PKAL's strengths and experience as well as its new alliance with AAC&U. Read the press release to learn more about the PKAL Advisory Board. See PKAL’s Web pages for information about upcoming events and resources.
(Posted on 2010-09-10 08:59:51)
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LEAP Presidents' Trust Member Michael Roth Makes Strong Case for Liberal Education
Wesleyan University President and AAC&U LEAP Presidents’ Trust member Michael Roth makes the case for liberal education and its importance both for work and citizenship in The Huffington Post. Roth notes, “The liberal education that our students begin on Labor Day doesn't promise a specific kind of job, but it does promise to expand one's possibilities for meaningful work after graduation. Learning to learn also means learning to work, to engage with others in getting things done, creating opportunities and solving problems.” He also notes that the value of liberal education “ has little to do with the specific choice of concentration by an undergraduate.” Liberal education, according to Roth, helps students “connect what one has learned with what one can do with the communities of which one is a part,” including work communities, but also civic communities. See more about LEAP and about its Presidents’ Trust.
(Posted on 2010-09-07 10:13:01)
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Secretary Duncan on Importance of Liberal Education: LEAP Blogs on Duncan's Recent Speech
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s speech announcing the new Race to the Top assessment grants is the focus of AAC&U’s most recent LEAP blog post. During his September 2 remarks, Duncan discussed the new assessments being developed for implementation by the 2014-2015 school year. Blog Coordinating Editor Debra Humphreys notes that, without using the words, Duncan actually calls for greater emphasis on liberal education outcomes for all students. For instance, she cites Duncan noting that, “There is no disagreement that math, reading, and writing are vital core components of a good education in today's knowledge economy. But so is the study of science, history, foreign languages, civics, and the arts. In the information age, a well-rounded curriculum is not a luxury but a necessity.” Read more in AAC&U’s blog post.
(Posted on 2010-09-03 15:59:04)
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Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton Makes The Case For Liberal Education
Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton was the featured speaker at the University of Wisconsin Platteville's 2010 Convocation -- at the invitation of UW-P Chancellor Dennis J. Shields, who introduced Lawton as an individual who is "bright, engaging and passionate" about all things involving education. "A liberal education in my mind is the price of admission to the twenty-first century global economy," Lawton said. "What we really need are students who know how to navigate this growing sea of knowledge that is before us. They need the kind of intellectual and practical skills to maneuver through that and make sense of it -- as well as creativity to see the possibilities."
(Posted on 2010-08-30 09:58:16)
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General Education for a Global Century Project--Deadline for Applications: September 15
General Education for a Global Century, AAC&U’s newest project that is part of its ongoing Shared Futures initiative seeks to build the capacity of colleges and universities to prepare today's students to grapple with big global challenges and thrive in a globalized economy as socially responsible and engaged citizens and workers. The initiative is funded with a generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. The Call for Participation is available online. The deadline for applications is September 15. For more information about the project, click here.
(Posted on 2010-08-30 09:48:00)
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LEAP NLC Member Martha Nussbaum Featured in Washington Post Blog
Steven E. Levingston’s Washington Post blog recently featured an excerpt from Martha Nussbaum’s recent book, Not for Profit. Nussbaum reminds readers of the importance of one of the LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes—“civic knowledge and engagement.” She notes that “citizens need to cultivate…the ability to criticize tradition and authority, to keep examining self and other….Citizens…need to know historical knowledge, the basics of major world religions, and how the global economy works.” See civic engagement for AAC&U resources on the topic, including reports from the initiative Core Commitments: Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibiity.
(Posted on 2010-08-16 16:28:28)
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AAC&U Announces 12 Community Colleges To Lead Roadmap Project on Student Success
AAC&U announced twelve community colleges chosen to take the lead in a new initiative, “Developing a Community College Roadmap: From Entrance to Engagement in Educational Achievement and Success.” The initiative is funded by MetLife Foundation as part of its commitment to increasing the success of community college students. The community colleges will join together to create robust and proactive programs of academic support – tied to expected learning outcomes – that engage students at entrance and teach them, from the outset, how to become active partners in their own quest for educational success. Learn more about the Roadmap Project online or read the press release about this new initiative.
(Posted on 2010-08-12 07:15:28)
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Hot Issue: Undocumented Students-See Issue of Diversity & Democracy With Perspectives on Immigration and
In a series of articles, The Chronicle of Higher Education has brought attention to undocumented students in colleges and universities. In case you missed it, a recent issue of AAC&U’s Diversity & Democracy also examines this issue and the ways that immigration is transforming American higher education, and how higher education can transform the lives of new and established Americans. With a focus on questions of access and success at the crossroads between local and global, this issue's authors describe challenges facing American democracy as our demography shifts. Read the entire issue online.
(Posted on 2010-07-27 14:34:51)
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AAC&U Remembers Daniel Schorr, Journalist and Supporter of Liberal Education
AAC&U notes with sadness the passing of Daniel Schorr, Emmy award-winning journalist and champion of the academic and journalistic freedom so important to maintaining the vibrancy of a democracy. Schorr played an important role in one of AAC&U’s signature initiatives—our Institute on General Education. Daniel Schorr was the keynote speaker at the very first Institute held in 1991 at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. In that address, he talked of the importance of excellence and integrity in life, in education, and in his own field of journalism—themes that have continued to echo in AAC&U's own work over these past twenty years. AAC&U is grateful for Schorr’s contribution to launching AAC&U’s Institute on General Education and Assessment – now in its twentieth year. We also celebrate his commitment to the philosophy of liberal education, and his role as mentor to many young journalists. Read the full statement online.
(Posted on 2010-07-26 14:29:20)
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Southern Utah University President and Provost Speak Out on Value of Liberal Education
Michael T. Benson and Bradley J. Cook make a compelling case for why “Students Need a Liberal Education” in the Deseret News. They note that “the best career preparation is one that positions the graduate with a set of transferable intellectual and practical skills, applicable in a variety of contexts.” They describe how Southern Utah University, a LEAP Campus Action Network member, “has crafted a contemporary design for liberal education” that will, among other things “strategically integrat[e] general education courses, experiential learning and student life with in-depth work in program-specific curriculum.” They end by calling for sensitivity to this vision in state educational and fiscal policy, noting that, “Unless we support high-impact educational practices such as those outlined by a broad, liberal education, our state’s potential for sustainable economic progress will be forever challenged.” Utah is one of several LEAP partner states. See LEAP Utah for more information.
(Posted on 2010-07-23 09:16:20)
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New Issue of Liberal Education Explores Liberal Education at U.S. Military Academies
The latest issue of AAC&U’s journal, Liberal Education, explores the role of liberal education at the nation’s military service academies. With articles from educational leaders at West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy, this issue explores how and why these institutions continue to prioritize liberal education even as they seek to reshape the liberal education tradition to meet the changing demands of twenty-first-century military service. See the news release and online articles from the issue.
(Posted on 2010-06-30 10:52:28)
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Presidents' Trust Members Gather to Discuss Building Civic Capacity for Today's College Students
More than two dozen college and university presidents gathered yesterday at American University in Washington, DC for a summer convening of the LEAP Presidents’ Trust. Discussions focused on the critical role of higher education in building civic capacity of students and institutions. They also discussed the contexts for--and challenges of--educating students who are informed about the world in which they live, engaged in their communities, and globally knowledgeable. Several guests joined in the discussion, including Ira Harkavy, founding director of the Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania, Sarita Brown, president of Excelencia in Education, and LEAP National Leadership Council member Eric Liu, co-founder of the True Patriot Network.
(Posted on 2010-06-29 13:33:49)
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AAC&U Receives Grant from Luce Foundation for General Education for a Global Century
AAC&U has announced a new project, General Education for a Global Century, part of its ongoing Shared Futures initiative and funded with a generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. The project seeks to build the capacity of colleges and universities to prepare today's college students to grapple with big global challenges and thrive in a globalized economy as socially responsible and engaged citizens and workers. For more information, see Shared Futures and the news release.
(Posted on 2010-06-17 09:27:28)
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Alma Clayton-Pedersen Appointed as Senior Scholar
AAC&U recently announced the appointment of Alma Clayton-Pedersen as a senior scholar. She will assume this new position on July 1, 2010, when she retires as AAC&U’s Vice President for Education and Institutional Renewal, a position she has held since 2001. In addition to her new role as senior scholar in AAC&U’s Office of Engagement, Inclusion, and Success, Clayton-Pedersen will begin work in a private consulting practice advising nonprofit organizations and educational institutions, corporate and family foundations, and government. Clayton-Pedersen’s new consulting activities will be conducted as part of her involvement with Emeritus Consulting Group, LLC, a firm founded by her daughter, Sonja Clayton-Pedersen. For additional information, see the news release.
(Posted on 2010-06-15 08:38:08)
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PKAL Names New Advisory Board
Project Kaleidoscope has announced the names of a new advisory board created to assist the PKAL Executive Director and AAC&U in establishing and executing a successful strategic plan that builds on PKAL's strengths and experience as well as its new alliance with AAC&U. The advisory board will assist in helping PKAL advance its vision of a future in which individual colleges and universities are committed to ensuring that all American undergraduates have access to robust learning experiences in STEM fields. The new PKAL advisory board is chaired by Elizabeth F. McCormack, dean of graduate studies and professor of physics at Bryn Mawr College. See other members and their biographical sketches.
(Posted on 2010-06-14 09:05:51)
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LEAP Presidents' Trust Member Blogs in "Defense of Liberal Education"
Michael Roth, president of Wesleyan University, posted a terrific article on The Huffington Post, “Coming to the Defense of Liberal Education.” In part, he points out that “it is certainly understandable that in these uncertain economic times families are more concerned than ever with the kind of education their students will receive. That’s why it’s so important to understand the deep, contemporary practicality of a liberal education. Patience and persistent critical inquiry has never been more crucial, and the development of this capacity is one of the defining features of a liberal education.” See how LEAP defines a “liberal education” and other members of the LEAP Presidents’ Trust.
(Posted on 2010-06-09 13:35:34)
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Susan Albertine Appointed Vice President of the Office of Engagement, Inclusion, and Success
AAC&U recently announced the appointment of Susan Albertine as Vice President of the Office of Engagement, Inclusion, and Success, a position she will assume on July 1, 2010. Albertine will assume this position after serving for more than two years as Senior Director for LEAP State Initiatives in AAC&U’s Office of Quality, Curriculum, and Assessment. In her new role, Albertine will continue to serve as director of LEAP States Initiatives and as director of Give Students a Compass. For additional information, see the news release.
(Posted on 2010-06-09 08:42:25)
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AAC&U Seeks to Hire Senior Director for Student Success
AAC&U seeks a talented, self-motivated, productive, and creative individual for a newly created position of Senior Director for Student Success. The Senior Director will be the primary staff person for AAC&U’s work on student success as outlined in “Aim High—and Make Excellence Inclusive.” The Senior Director will direct funded projects and will be responsible for conducting and managing research and resource-development activities related to student success, with emphasis on underserved student success. For additional information, see the online job description.
(Posted on 2010-06-08 09:33:15)
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AAC&U to Cosponsor E-Portfolio Meeting in Boston--Terrel Rhodes Featured as Plenary Speaker
AAC&U is a cosponsor of the first major international conference on e-portfolios, sponsored by a new organization, the Association for Authentic, Experiential, and Evidence-Based Learning (AAEEBL), and scheduled for July 19-22, 2010, in Boston. AAC&U Vice President and Director of the VALUE Initiative Terrel Rhodes will speak at this unprecedented gathering of world e-portfolio leaders, which will feature more than one hundred concurrent sessions. AAEEBL is sharing an exhibit hall with the Campus Technology 2010 conference at the Seaport Hotel and Seaport World Trade Center. See: http://www.aaeebl.org/page/AAEEBL+Annual+Conference for more information and to register.
(Posted on 2010-06-07 09:54:05)
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Project Kaleidoscope Launches New Blog
Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) is launching a new blog featuring regular postings from PKAL Executive Director Susan Elrod and other PKAL and STEM education practitioners who will share their perspectives on issues related to transforming STEM higher education, new advancements in STEM undergraduate education – and the latest news from PKAL. Join the national dialogue about creating, scaling up, and sustaining more engaging, learner-centered STEM learning environments for all students at all types of institutions. The blog, entitled Through the Kaleidoscope, is online here. Learn more about PKAL online.
(Posted on 2010-06-03 15:04:09)
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AAC&U President Issues Statement on Three-Year Degree Proposals--Warns that They Are No Silver Bullet and Will Shortchange Students
In a recently released statement, AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider explains why proposals to make three-year BA degrees "the norm" ignore the reality of students' achievement shortfalls and will shortchange students and further erode their essential learning. She notes that "we can tighten the curriculum... and provide better support systems to help students achieve a high quality education. But we shouldn't... just shave off an entire year's worth of expected learning, either at the college level, or at the high school level." She cites AAC&U's own research indicating that "employers are asking for more, not less" of college graduates.
(Posted on 2010-06-03 07:24:41)
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University of Wisconsin System Announces Annual LEAP Student Essay Winners
Three undergraduate students from University of Wisconsin System campuses have been named recipients of the fifth annual UW System Liberal Arts Essay Scholarship Competition. As part of the UW System’s involvement with AAC&U’s LEAP initiative, the competition was established to support and promote liberal arts and science education throughout the state’s public university system. Students were invited to discuss the transformative nature of their educations by focusing on an experience that changed how they viewed themselves and the world. This year’s winners are: Colleen Jurkiewicz – UW Milwaukee, for “Liberal Education: A Metamorphosis of the Soul”; Adria Kaurman, UW-Marinette, for “With Which to Paint Our World”; and Evan Mast, UW-Madison, for “The Importance of Cartography.” Wisconsin was the first official LEAP partner state. Learn more about the WI LEAP activities.
(Posted on 2010-06-02 10:57:25)
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AAC&U Announces Theme of 2011 Annual Meeting
AAC&U's 2011 Annual Meeting will address Global Positioning: Essential Learning, Student Success, and the Currency of U.S. Degrees. Scheduled for January 26-29 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco, California, the meeting will showcase institutions that are staking claim to their global positions by focusing with renewed intensity on aims, learning outcomes and assessments, curriculum designs, and progressively more challenging learning to develop students' global capabilities. More information about the meeting is available on the Annual Meeting page. The Call for Proposals will be sent out in late May, with a July 19 deadline for submissions.
(Posted on 2010-05-10 11:05:02)
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Utah Leaders in Business, Education, and Government Gather at LEAP Public Forum
From the Governor to the Commissioner of Higher Education to the State Superintendent of Schools to the President of the Salt Lake Chamber, Utah's leadership gathered in Salt Lake City recently for a LEAP Public Forum, Raising the Bar: Preparing Utah College Students for Life, Work, and Responsible Citizenship. These leaders came together with 100 other faculty, teachers, deans, provosts, and presidents to discuss the future of education in Utah and the importance of providing all Utah students a broad set of learning outcomes essential for success in the 21st century. This event is the first public event in a planned series of events and activities planned as part of LEAP Utah. See press coverage of the event, and the program, with links to powerpoint presentations.
(Posted on 2010-04-20 17:41:02)
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Bringing Theory to Practice Project Awards $1 million in New Grants to Foster Students' Civic Development and Their Psychosocial Well-Being
The Bringing Theory to Practice Project (BTtoP), sponsored by the Charles Engelhard Foundation and the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation, and developed in partnership with the Association of American Colleges and Universities, announced that matching grants totaling more than $1 million have been awarded to six colleges and universities for work from 2010 to 2012 to develop transformative educational experiences. Six institutions--Otterbein College, the State University of New York at Cortland, Tufts University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Gettysburg University, and Wagner College--were chosen from among fifty outstanding institutional proposals.
(Posted on 2010-04-20 10:35:32)
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Not Dead Yet! AAC&U President Responds to Newsweek article on "Death of the Liberal Arts"
AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider sent a letter to Newsweek today responding to the recent article, "The Death of the Liberal Arts." In it, she notes that Newsweek missed the larger story that liberal education is, in fact, "dramatically expanding its reach to include all parts of the educational experience and community." She clarifies further why liberal education is on the rebound, how important the outcomes of a liberal education are in today's world, and how liberal education--while still grounded in liberal arts and sciences disciplines--now extends to all students in all fields. See the full letter to the editor and a guide to frequently confused terms about liberal education.
(Posted on 2010-04-12 14:14:46)
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AAC&U Receives Grant to Advance Academic Support of Community College Students
AAC&U is expanding its LEAP initiative to address practices that support community college students in both persistence and achievement of essential learning outcomes. A new grant from MetLife Foundation will support this initiative. The new project, Giving Community College Students a Roadmap is designed to assist community colleges in creating robust programs of academic support--tied to expected learning outcomes--that engage students at entrance and teach them how to become active partners in their won quest for educational success. See the press release online.
(Posted on 2010-04-09 09:32:02)
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AAC&U VP to Participate in Webcast on Civic Learning
AAC&U Senior Vice President Caryn McTighe Musil will participate in a Webcast, "Preparing for Citizenship or a Career--a False Choice," cosponsored by the American Democracy Project and the Society for College and University Planning. The Webcast challenges the all-too-common "false choice" between preparing students for careers and preparing them for lives of meaningful citizenship. "Preparing for Citizenship or a Career" will explore practical strategies and approaches that campuses can use to develop both career and civic skills. The Webcast will air on Thursday, April 29, at 3:00 p.m. EDT. More details and registration information are available online.
(Posted on 2010-04-05 09:54:57)
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AAC&U Remembers Charles Muscatine
In a statement released on March 23rd, AAC&U noted with sadness the passing of Charles Muscatine, former English professor at the University of California at Berkeley and member of the panel that authored AAC&U's influential report, Integrity in the College Curriculum, published in 1985. Muscatine, a specialist in the medieval poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer, was known for his commitment to academic freedom and student-centered higher education institutions.
(Posted on 2010-03-23 14:08:49)
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AAC&U President Releases Statement on Common Core Standards
AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider released a statement calling the common core standards release by the National Governor's Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers as an important first step, but far from what is really needed to face up to America's achievement shortfalls.
(Posted on 2010-03-17 13:29:08)
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Audio Podcasts of 2010 Annual Meeting and General Education Sessions Now Available
AAC&U is pleased to offer audio podcasts of selected sessions from our 2010 Annual Meeting: The Wit, The Will... and the Wallet, January 20-23 in Washington, DC, including recordings of the Opening Plenary, Project Kaleidoscope/STEM sessions, and sessions from the VALUE symposium on electronic portfolios, among others. Five podcasts are also available online from AAC&U's Network for Academic Renewal conference: General Education and Assessment: Maintaining Momentum, Achieving New Priorities recently held in Seattle. Included are recordings of the conference keynote address, Conceptualizing a 21st Century Renaissance for General Education presented by Robert Weisbuch, president of Drew University.
(Posted on 2010-03-10 12:56:49)
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