AAC&U News | June 2004 | News & Events

Annual Meeting Call for Proposals Now Available

The call for proposals for AAC&U's 2005 Annual Meeting, "Liberal Education and the New Academy: Raising Expectations, Keeping Promises," is now available online. The meeting, which will be held from January 26 to January 29 in San Francisco, California, will showcase the best designs and practices of the New Academy—an academy that promises the benefits of a liberal education to all students, especially those who have been traditionally underserved in higher education. The deadline for proposals is July 19, 2004.

Calls for Proposals Issued for "General Education and Assessment" and "Pedagogies of Engagement" Conferences

AAC&U invites proposals for "General Education and Assessment: Creating Shared Responsibility for Learning Across the Curriculum," an AAC&U Network for Academic Renewal Conference that will take place February 17-19, 2005, in Atlanta, Georgia. Faculty, academic administrators, student affairs professionals, graduate students, and accreditors are encouraged to submit proposals that respond to broad, compelling questions about the state of general education today. The deadline for proposals is July 1, 2004.

"Pedagogies of Engagement: Deepening Learning In and Across the Disciplines," an AAC&U Network for Academic Renewal Conference to be held April 14-16, 2005, in Bethesda, Maryland, will highlight recent efforts to increase students' engagement with their learning. Faculty, administrators, student affairs professionals, students, and community leaders are invited to submit proposals that explore how new forms of engaged learning can help students effectively respond to the complex challenges they will face in work, community, and personal life.

Register now for two upcoming AAC&U Network for Academic Renewal Conferences: "Diversity And Learning: Democracy's Compelling Interest," will be held October 21-23 in Nashville, Tennessee, and "Educating Intentional Learners: New Connections for Academic and Student Affairs" will be held November 11-13 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More information about both conferences—including program highlights, hotel details, and registration forms—is available online.

AAC&U Receives Templeton Foundation Grant to Study the Impact of College on Personal and Social Responsibility

With support from the John Templeton Foundation, AAC&U will bring leading researchers from across the country together to consider how college attendance affects students' personal and social responsibility. Educating for Personal and Social Responsibility will explore how institutions of higher learning might more purposefully and effectively educate for responsibility, and how they might assess their progress in this endeavor. A press release announcing the project is available online.

AAC&U Greater Expectations for Student Transfer Project Connects with State Policy Leaders

The Student Transfer Project continues to educate policy leaders about transfer policies and key general education outcomes. At AAC&U's March 2004 Network for Academic Renewal conference on general education and assessment, the project sponsored a meeting with representatives from eleven state higher education coordinating and governing boards. Project leaders will also give presentations at the upcoming annual meeting of the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO). The project plans two publications to be issued in late 2004. For additional information, visit the Student Transfer Project's Web page.

Largest-Ever AAC&U General Education Institute Held in Newport

This year's Institute on General Education, which was held May 21-26 in Newport, Rhode Island, drew nearly 190 participants. Members of the thirty-one selected campus teams examined current trends in general education, discussed strategies for implementing curricular reforms, and refined their own general education reform plans in the context of their campus missions. More information about the institute and general education can be found on AAC&U's Web site.

New Resources on Student Political Participation Available on AAC&U Web Site

AAC&U's Center for Liberal Education and Civic Engagement has added a new resource section on college student voting and political participation to its Web site. Designed to promote student involvement in the 2004 elections, the new page offers resources on voting along with information for student voters about important national and global issues.

The Center has also scheduled a Web cast, "Educating for Democratic Participation: Power, Voice, and the Public Good," for September. Keep an eye out for more information about how to get your campus involved with the project.

New Issue of On Campus with Women Explores Work and Family

The Winter 2004 issue of On Campus with Women is devoted to the perennial conflict between academic work and family responsibilities. Despite decades of efforts by academics, young female faculty still face the dual pressures of tenure and family and, in many cases, continue to bear the primary responsibility for child care. On the other hand, as contributors to this issue note, there have been recent efforts to recast the academic career cycle in more family-friendly ways and to broaden the scope of family-friendly policies to address the needs of non-tenure-track faculty, staff, and undergraduate and graduate students. For more information and resources from the Program on the Status and Education of Women, visit the AAC&U resource page on women.

ACAD to Hold Workshop on International Relations and Higher Education

The American Conference of Academic Deans (ACAD) will hold a workshop on "The Dean and International Relations" at Georgetown University in Washington, DC on June 28. The workshop will provide an opportunity for deans, chief academic officers, faculty, international programs officers, representatives of embassies and international organizations, and funders to meet, share ideas, and explore new ways of connecting higher education institutions across international borders. For more information, visit www.acad-edu.org.

AAC&U Board Member Anthony Carnevale Joins National Center on Education and the Economy

Anthony Carnevale, a member of AAC&U's board of directors, has been appointed as a senior fellow at the National Center on Education and the Economy (NCEE). Carnevale was formerly vice president for assessment, equity, and careers at the Educational Testing Service. A press release announcing his move is available on NCEE's Web site.

AAC&U Vice President Debra Humphreys to Study Public Opinion Research and Communication Strategy at Public Agenda

During July and August, Debra Humphreys, AAC&U vice president for communications and public affairs, will be serving as a visiting senior communications fellow at Public Agenda. Founded in 1975 by social scientist and author Daniel Yankelovich and former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, Public Agenda seeks to enable citizens to make thoughtful, informed decisions by educating them about critical policy issues, and to help America's leaders better understand the public's values, concerns, and views. Her leave is made possible by a professional development program that gives long-term AAC&U staff members the opportunity to build knowledge and hone their skills in key areas of interest. For information about Public Agenda and its work, see www.publicagenda.org.