AAC&U’s Annual Meeting to Feature Discussions of Academic Freedom

Registration continues for AAC&U's 2006 annual meeting, "Demanding Excellence: Liberal Education in an Era of Global Competition, Anti-Intellectualism, and Disinvestment," which will be held January 25-28, 2006, in Washington, DC. Conference participants will have the opportunity to discuss the topic of academic freedom in a few concurrent sessions, as well as at the box lunch roundtable discussions on January 25. One roundtable will focus on AAC&U’s “Board Statement on Academic Freedom and Educational Responsibility,” which will be posted to AAC&U’s Web site in December.

AAC&U Invites Proposals for Diversity and Learning Conference

AAC&U invites scholars, educators, practitioners, students, administrators, and community partners to submit proposals for “Diversity and Learning: A Defining Moment.” This Network for Academic Renewal conference, to be held October 19-21, 2006, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, will take stock of the effectiveness of current structures, programs, and conceptualizations for diversity education, while charting emerging directions for the next generation’s work. To view the call for proposals, visit the Diversity and Learning pages. The deadline for submission is January 13, 2006.

Register Now for General Education and Assessment Conference

Online registration is now available for “General Education and Outcomes That Matter in a Changing World,” an AAC&U Network for Academic Renewal conference to be held March 9-11, 2006, in Phoenix, Arizona. This conference will provide a forum for dialogue about what students need to know and be able to do in our information-rich, technologically advanced, and globally connected society. It will also provide diverse examples of how campuses across the country are advancing and assessing these key outcomes. The conference will open on March 9 with a keynote address by Professor Derek Bok of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, which will be followed by poster sessions and a reception.

2006 Institute on General Education Accepting Applications

Applications for the 2006 AAC&U Institute on General Education will be accepted starting in late December. The institute will be held June 9-14 in Washington, DC, and will offer an intellectually stimulating environment for advancing campus planning in general education. Institute faculty members this year include J. Herman Blake, Helen Chen, Ann S. Ferren, Jerry G. Gaff, Paul Gaston, Lee Knefelkamp, Andrea Leskes, Peggy Maki, Ross Miller, Terrel Rhodes, Karen M. Schilling, Carol Geary Schneider, and Barbara Wright. Additional information, including an institute brochure and application form, is available online. The deadline for applications is March 8, 2005.

AAC&U Announces 2006 Greater Expectations Institute

The 2006 Greater Expectations Institute will be held June 21-25 in Snowbird, Utah. Designed for campuses that are working on ways to improve student engagement, inclusion, and high achievement, the institute will help teams align their work with the larger mission of the institution, refine their planning and processes, clarify their intended outcomes, and build a culture of continuous learning through assessment. This year’s faculty members are Edgar Beckham, Sue Borrego, Alma R. Clayton-Pedersen, L. Dee Fink, Tori Haring-Smith, Lee Knefelkamp, George Kuh, Jeffrey F. Milem, Caryn McTighe Musil, Judith Ramaley, Carol Geary Schneider, Daniel Teraguchi, Jesús Treviño, Damon Williams, and Vera Zdravkovich. Additional information, including an institute brochure and application, will be available on the Greater Expectations Institute Web pages in January.

Annual Meeting Session and Online Resources to Help Campuses Deepen Involvement in LEAP Campaign

The Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) Campus Action Network now includes more than 130 partner institutions. A special session at the 2006 annual meeting will provide individuals from partner institutions the opportunity to learn more about the LEAP campaign, network with other partners, and learn about how campuses are integrating their reform efforts with the larger goals of the LEAP campaign. Individuals from LEAP partner campuses will be contacted by e-mail after December 16 with more information about this special session. A concurrent session open to all participants will provide an overview of LEAP activities in Wisconsin, the first pilot state in the campaign.

AAC&U has also posted an online list of strategies and activities to assist LEAP partners in thinking about how to become more actively involved in the campaign, how to use available resources from AAC&U on their campuses, and how to leverage the vision and goals of the campaign in academic and cocurricular planning.

LEAP Convenes Leadership Meeting

On November 14 and 15, twenty educational, philanthropic, and business leaders gathered in Alexandria, Virginia, to discuss strategic planning for AAC&U’s LEAP campaign. Participants at the leadership meeting discussed the vision and key messages of the campaign, and considered a draft set of "principles of excellence" for student learning in college. Particular attention was paid to developing strategies for promoting liberal education on campuses and in the business community, as well as for communicating with the broader public.

AAC&U Receives Mellon Grant to Support LEAP Activities in Virginia

AAC&U has received a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support campus action and advocacy activities in Virginia, the second pilot state in the LEAP campaign. Activities in Virginia will be coordinated by AAC&U Senior Fellow Robert Shoenberg. See the LEAP Web pages for information about activities already underway in Wisconsin, the first LEAP pilot state.

Bringing Theory to Practice Project to Host Third National Working Conference

The Bringing Theory to Practice (BTtoP) project will host its Third National Working Conference in Washington, DC, January 27-28, 2006. BTtoP seeks to advance engaged student learning and determine how such learning might improve the quality of students’ education, development, health, and commitment to civic engagement. Details about the conference, including an agenda and registration information, are available online.

Program for Health and Higher Education Holds Student Symposium

On November 10, in conjunction with AAC&U’s conference on civic engagement, the Program for Health and Higher Education (PHHE) held a student symposium, “I’m Not Doing This Just for My Health.” The symposium attracted student leaders who are engaged with HIV/AIDS prevention and education efforts. During the symposium, participants shared and explored strategies and hurdles, critically evaluated institutional initiatives and campus cultures, and developed long-term goals. Keynote speaker Shirley Suet-Ling Tang used a combination of critical reflection, group discussion, and interactive theater to engage the participants, while students from Georgia College and State University gave a presentation on their efforts to overcome campus apathy. For resources related to HIV/AIDS education, see hivcampuseducation.org.

The Art and Science of Assessing General Education
By Andrea Leskes and Barbara D. Wright

Liberal Education Outcomes
A Preliminary Report on Student Achievement in College

2006 Annual Meeting:

Demanding Excellence: Liberal Education in an Era of Global Competition, Anti-Intellectualism, and Disinvestment will take place January 25-28, 2006, in Washington, DC

Network for Academic Renewal Conferences:

General Education and Outcomes That Matter in a Changing World will take place March 9-11, 2006, in Phoenix, AZ

Learning and Technology: Implications for Liberal Education and the Disciplines will take place April 20-22, 2006, in Seattle, WA

For more information on meetings, visit www.aacu.org/meetings/index.cfm