A Special Forum for Presidents and Foundation Offices

Leadership from the New Academy: Making Excellence Inclusive

Thursday, January 26, 7:00 a.m. -5:30 p.m.

The 2006 Presidents’ Forum invites presidents to explore four closely related commitments that go to the heart of the academy’s mission: Academic Excellence, Making Excellence Inclusive, Academic Freedom, and its correlate: Academic Responsibility.

Forum Chairs:

President Ronald A. Crutcher, Wheaton College
President Robert Corrigan, San Francisco State University

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2005

7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Presidents are warmly invited to attend the Opening Night Forum
THE UNITED STATES AND/IN THE WORLD: WHAT AMERICANS NEED TO KNOW AND WHAT COLLEGES NEED TO TEACH

This conversation will bring together a diverse group of scholars and public intellectuals to engage with one of the challenges of the Liberal Education and America’s Promise campaign: to spark public debate about the kinds of knowledge, skills, and values needed to prepare today’s students—from school through college—for an era of global interdependence and greater expectations.

8:45 – 10:30 p.m.
INVITATIONAL RECEPTION FOR PRESIDENTS AND FOUNDATION OFFICERS
Hosted by the President and Board of Directors of AAC&U

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2005

7:00 – 8:30 a.m.
Presidents’ Breakfast and Discussion
ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY: PRESIDENTS DISCUSS A NEW AAC&U STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM & EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY

L. Lee Knefelkamp, Professor of Psychology and Education, Teacher’s College, Columbia University

The current debates about science teaching and intellectual diversity seem to miss the basic point that college doesn’t just “teach the debates”; it also teaches students how to form their own grounded judgments about contested questions and issues. In this session, we will explore ways to address the relationship between academic freedom and students’ intellectual maturation more intentionally and productively in our own classrooms, boardrooms, and campus communities. How do we ensure that college graduates are able to evaluate competing positions and form their own independent judgment? How do we build public understanding that teaching the arts of analysis and evaluation is one of the most important things we do?

8:45 – 10:15 a.m.
Presidents are warmly invited to attend the Opening Plenary
MEETING NEW CHALLENGES AT HOME AND ABROAD: LIBERAL EDUCATION’S NEW PREMIUM

Roberts T. Jones, President, Education and Workforce Policy, LLC
Barbara Lawton, Lieutenant Governor, State of Wisconsin

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Forum Discussion Session
MAKING EXCELLENCE INCLUSIVE: WRITING A NEW EDUCATIONAL COMPACT BETWEEN THE ACADEMY AND SOCIETY

Ronald A. Crutcher, President, Wheaton College
Elisabeth Zinser, President, Southern Oregon University

New evidence documents the economic value of liberal education outcomes in a competitive and volatile world. But the public–and our own students–are largely unaware of this. In most parts of the country, a “veil of voluntary silence” surrounds the entire topic of liberal education–the outcomes that define it, the practices that foster it, and its role in professional preparation and civic vitality. In this silence, students from less advantaged background have the most to lose.

Through Liberal Education and America’s Promise, AAC&U seeks to create a broad public dialogue about the learning graduates need. In this session, presidents and foundation officers will debate the content of a public statement on “Principles of Excellence for Student Learning in College.” We also will explore ways to connect these Principles with public and policy concerns about economic competition, scientific literacy, and weak student achievement in school.

12:15 – 2:00 p.m.
Luncheon and Address for Presidents and Foundation Officers
RICH REWARDS; DEEPENING DIVIDES: THE NEW ECONOMIC EVIDENCE ON LIBERAL EDUCATION OUTCOMES
Luncheon PowerPoint Presentation

Anthony Carnevale, Senior Fellow, National Center on Education and the Economy

Dr. Carnevale’s current research illuminates the decided competitive advantage of an education that fosters strong intellectual skills and an orientation to innovation, creativity and problem-solving. But his own and other studies show that students from less advantaged families still face huge barriers in gaining access to this kind of education. What is the academy’s role in reversing the deepening stratification of our campuses and our society?

2:15 – 4:00 p.m.
Panel Presentation and Discussion
MAKING EXCELLENCE INCLUSIVE: WHAT ARE WE LEARNING FROM CAMPUS EFFORTS TO ENHANCE STUDENT SUCCESS?

Joanne Creighton, President, Mount Holyoke College
Lester Monts, Senior Vice Provost, University of Michigan
Blenda Wilson, President, Nellie Mae Foundation

Making excellence inclusive calls for broad systemic efforts to integrate diversity and quality initiatives on campus, so that diversity becomes an integral aspect of all students’ learning, while the educational program tests new strategies to identify and reduce achievement gaps. In this session, we will explore lessons learned from institutions and initiatives that have been pace-setters in new efforts to advance inclusive excellence.

4:15 – 5:45 p.m.
Discussion Session
MAKING EXCELLENCE POSSIBLE: WHAT WORKS IN REVERSING THE SLIDE IN SCIENCE AND MATH ACHIEVEMENT?

Daniel Sullivan, President, St. Lawrence University (Session Chair)

Top business and higher education leaders are issuing urgent new warnings about the United States’ waning competitive advantage in sectors that require science, engineering, and technical training. Yet many colleges and universities have been working to promote student engagement in STEM fields for years. This session will turn a spotlight on "what works" and will explore ways that the academy can provide even stronger leadership for students’ preparation and strong achievement in these key areas of liberal education.

If you have questions, please e-mail us at meetings@aacu.org.