AAC&U Annual Meeting
January 25-28, 2012
Washington, DC / Grand Hyatt Hotel

SHARED FUTURES / DIFFICULT CHOICES
Reclaiming a Democratic Vision for College Learning,
Global Engagement, and Success

OPENING NIGHT FORUM
Wednesday, January 25, 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Separated at Birth?

Ken O’Donnell, Associate Dean, Office of the Chancellor, California State University

The educational outcomes of employability are looking more and more like those of civic engagement.  Employers tell us they want graduates who can think independently and express themselves originally, but who can also work with colleagues from across disciplinary cultures and around the world.

For many, the new emphasis on collaboration departs from an approach to intellectual development as solitary.  Constantly connected, we're increasingly expected to solve problems, build businesses, and even invent and learn as members of teams.

What can each domain learn from the other? Are we ready to prepare our students for lives that—whether we like or not—will be led more collectively than ours?

And what does American higher education have to contribute, with its tradition of shared governance?

Our responses will shape our colleges and universities for decades to come, as we reconcile the sibling proficiencies of work and community.

Separated at Birth? Power Point Presentation

Ken O’Donnell is Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Policy for the Office of the Chancellor of the California State University—the world’s largest public system of four-year universities.   Dean O’Donnell works on statewide curriculum, with a focus on student engagement and success and the state’s shared coursework in general education.  He also serves as the liaison for the California State University’s partnership with LEAP, and for the CSU’s participation in the Give Students a Compass initiative. Prior to joining CSU, Dean O’Donnell was a member of the screenwriting faculty and an assistant dean at the film school at Chapman University.

AAC&U'S WELCOMING RECEPTION
Wednesday, January 25, 8:30-10:00 p.m.

Please join us as we greet old friends and welcome new ones to AAC&U’s Annual Meeting.