READY OR NOT
Global Challenges, College Learning, and America’s Promise

January 21-24, 2009
Seattle, Washington

INFORMATION FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE COLLEAGUES

Welcoming Reception on Wednesday Evening, 8:30 pm
AAC&U’s Welcoming Reception immediately follows the Opening Night Forum with photographer and environmental activist Chris Jordan.  To make it easier to find each other at the Annual Meeting (well before Friday morning’s “Networking Breakfast for Colleagues from Community Colleges’), we will designate a section of the reception for registrants from community colleges. Please look for the sign as you enter the ballroom: “Gathering for Community College Colleagues.”   Staff members and others will be welcoming you that evening, and we hope this makes introductions at the Annual Meeting a bit easier.

Networking Breakfast for Colleagues from Community Colleges
Friday, 7:00-8:30 am
We are pleased that participants from other types of institutions will be joining the Networking Breakfast again this year.  The topic for the discussion is “Student Retention:  Best Practices.” Linnea Stenson, Associate Vice President and Dean of Liberal Arts at Minneapolis Community and Technical College will host the 2009 Networking Breakfast.

Sessions of Interest
Although many sessions that do not specifically focus on community colleges are pertinent to your work, we call to your attention here a few sessions that do focus on community colleges. 

If we can provide additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us at 202-387-3760 or at meetings@aacu.org. We look forward to seeing you in Seattle.

THURSDAY, 10:45-12:00 noon

Promoting History and Liberal Learning in Community Colleges
Ballard Room

Historians who teach at Seattle area community colleges have been working to improve history teaching and liberal learning in their classrooms. After brief presentations, faculty and students will answer questions about their classes, program designs, curricular materials, and teaching strategies, as well as their successes, failures, challenges, and collaborations.
Maureen Murphy Nutting, Professor of History, North Seattle Community College; Timothy McMannon, History Department Coordinator, Highline Community College; Amy Kinsel, Professor of History, Shoreline Community College; Brian Casserly, Part-time Lecturer of History, University of Washington Seattle

THURSDAY, 1:30-2:30 pm

Promoting Liberal Arts Learning and Preparing the Global Citizen at the Community College
Capitol Hill Room           

The global issues we face—health and environmental risk, climate change and sustainability, civil and social conflict— focus our students' attention on contemporary events and how they affect lives in local communities. They also focus educators on the magnitude of the challenge to prepare a diverse, globally connected student body.  This presentation will focus on the efforts of one institution to develop, grow, and diversify its curriculum, programs, cultural exchanges, campus life, faculty, and staff to prepare students for global citizenship.
Star Hang Nga Rush, Director of the Center for Liberal Arts, and Faisal Jaswal, Assistant Dean of Student Programs -- both of Bellevue Community College

THURDAY, 2:45-4:00 pm

Moving Engaged Learning from the Fringes to the Center of the Undergraduate Experience: Diverse Perspectives and Strategies
Douglas Room

Engaged learning is particularly effective for achieving the goals of a 21st century education. Exciting pedagogies of engagement abound, including undergraduate research, community-engaged learning, interdisciplinary exploration, and international study.  Such experiences, however, are typically optional and non-credit-bearing for students and/or “on top of” the workload for faculty. This session explores strategies for integrating engaged learning into the institutional fabric (curriculum, student role, faculty role) and increasing access to these transformative experiences.
Elizabeth L. Paul, Vice Provost, and Jeffrey Osborn, Dean, School of Science – both of The College of New Jersey; MaryAnn Baenninger, President, College of Saint Benedict; Anne Kress, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Santa Fe Community College

THURSDAY, 4:15-5:30 pm

Mother Tongues and Alma Maters
Douglas Room

English is not the first language for increasing numbers of our students, both immigrant and native-born. In a collaborative project involving five institutions, we have discovered surprising data, outdated assumptions, and policy barriers affecting the access and success of these underserved students. Based on this completed research, we are developing an innovative, holistic, and collaborative response. Participants will explore their own institutions’ readiness by discussing key findings from student surveys, literature reviews, and institutional assessments.
Marla Martin Hanley, Associate Dean for Integrated Learning, College of Saint Catherine; Bridget Robinson-Riegler, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, Augsburg College; Karen Hynick, Dean of Academic Affairs, Minneapolis Community & Technical College

THURSDAY, 4:15-5:30 pm

The Domino Effect: Connecting Institutions to Solve Transfer and Other General Education Issues
Aspen Room

Modifying general education programs is a widespread challenge that often occurs simultaneously at different institutions. The process demands that educators develop mutually beneficial relationships to resolve such issues as transferability. This panel will reveal what one state university team learned from its visits to virtually all of the community colleges and other higher learning institutions in Nebraska regarding our shared goal of building excellent general education programs.
Nancy Mitchell, Interim Director of General Education, JoAnn Moseman, Academic Transfer Coordinator, and Rita Kean, Dean, Undergraduate Studies – all of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Dianna Parmley, Dean of Educational Services, Central Community College-Columbus

FRIDAY, 8:45-10:15 am

Looking Beneath the Surface of Community College Transfer Policies
Capitol Hill Room

Recent research suggests that the presence of a state articulation and transfer policy does not increase the transfer rate of community college students to four-year institutions.  All such policies are not the same, however, so we must account for more than just the presence of these policies when assessing their impact, and account for the mechanisms through which they encourage or facilitate student transfers.  This presentation attempts to address this gap by exploring not only the opportunities created by state articulation policies, but also the relative importance of specific policy components (such as common course numbering or common general education requirements) on postsecondary outcomes.
Betheny Gross, Research Analyst, Center on Reinventing Public Education, University of Washington Bothell Campus

FRIDAY, 8:45-10:15 am

P-20 and State Systems:  Strategies for Access, Movement, and Achievement
Douglas Room

Welcome and Introductions:  Susan Albertine, Senior Director, LEAP State Initiatives, AAC&U

An Integrated Model for Competencies in Key P-20 Transitions
Missouri’s experiment with defining competencies for access to and exit from beginning collegiate general education courses in seven key disciplines demonstrates the need for a major paradigm shift and highlights collective responsibility across educational levels and sectors.  A systemic focus on key points of transition has also emphasizes assessment, transfer, dual credit, and general education policy review and development.  A long-term commitment for intentional learning has been set in motion.
Robert B. Stein, Commissioner for Higher Education, State of Missouri, and Hillary Fuhrman, Research Associate, Academic Affairs – both of the Missouri Department of Higher Education

Closing the Achievement Gap:  A System Approach
Like most states, Maryland has a significant gap in college participation and success rates between underrepresented minority and low-income students and the student population at large.  This presentation will focus on the methods and strategies developed by a public university system to collect data, set benchmarks, and develop strategies to cut the achievement gap in half by 2015.
Nancy S. Shapiro, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Maryland College Park; John Wolfe, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dewayne Morgan, Graduate Research Assistant, and Danielle Susskind, Program Specialist – all of the University System of Maryland

FRIDAY, 10:30-11:45 am

Using Technology to Teach a Diverse Course or Workshop
Capitol Hill

Instructors can use technology-enabled strategies to identify differences among students, respond to those differences, and sometimes take instructional advantage of them.  We will discuss how to disseminate techniques such as online surveys, ‘clickers,’ online discussion, and using the web to provide alternate assignments.
Stephen C. Ehrmann, Vice President, The Teaching, Learning, and Technology Group; Naomi Story, Director of the Center for Learning and Instruction, Mesa Community College

FRIDAY, 1:30-2:30 pm

Reaching Back and Pulling Forward:
Two Integrated Programs for College Readiness and Retention
Capitol Hill Room

Presenters will describe two programs proven to increase college readiness.  "Jump Start to College: A College Readiness Reach-Back Model" is an innovative partnership with the Minneapolis Public Schools that increases college readiness through expanded outreach to K-12, early assessment testing of students, faculty to faculty exchanges, and completion of developmental curriculum during the junior and senior year of high school. "The Power of YOU” also works with the public schools, requiring students to participate in service learning/civic engagement opportunities.  Presenters will present data on this program and share its successes and challenges.
Linnea A. Stenson, Dean of Liberal Arts and Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs, and Karen Hynick, Dean, Office of Academic Affairs – both of Minneapolis Community and Technical College

FRIDAY, 2:45-4:00 pm

Give Students a Compass: States, Systems, and New Strategies for General Education in Public Institutions
Willow B Room

In its new project, “Give Students a Compass,” AAC&U is working with three state systems to re-map educational aims, educational practices, and assessment strategies for general education in public higher education. Participating systems will infuse general education with practices that raise the levels of performance and success of all students, especially those who remain underserved. Compass faculty and staff leaders will describe the project and consider its potential to act as a catalyst to generate change that will influence all of higher education.
Susan Albertine, Senior Director, LEAP State Initiatives, AAC&U; Elisabeth Zinser, Special Assistant to the Chancellor, Oregon University System; Ken O'Donnell, Associate Dean, Academic Program Planning, California State University Office of the Chancellor; Rebecca Karoff, Senior Academic Planner, Office of Academic Affairs, University of Wisconsin System

SATURDAY, 9:30-10:30 am

Inclusive Excellence: Highline Community College Honors Scholar Program
Ballard Room

Can "diversity" and "excellence" mix? Absolutely! The Highline Honors Scholar Program coaches students who are from traditionally underserved, underprepared demographic groups, specifically low-income families and racial and ethnic minorities, not only to "play the game" at four-year programs (to which they carry over $1.9 million in financial aid and scholarships this fall), but also to make a difference in society. Participants will learn the details of a program from the director and recent graduates.
Barbara L. Clinton, Director, Honors Scholar Program; Kim Trinh, Meheret Endeshaw, and Eunice Soh – all former students who now have bachelor’s degrees; Lance Frank and Bethanie Russell, current students transferring to four-year institutions – all from Highline Community College