INSTITUTE GOALS

The purpose of the Greater Expectations Institute is to provide campus teams with concentrated time in a resource-rich setting to work on initiatives that create engaging, inclusive, and academically rich campus environments. Participating teams will create action plans to develop and implement educational change initiatives on their campuses. Although each team works to refine its own initiative, all teams share the common goal of building their capacities to successfully implement current and future reform efforts. To accomplish these goals, the 2004 Institute provides in-depth study, analysis, and resources in three areas:

Understanding Campus Cultures

Initiating change on campus begins with an understanding of the various cultures unique to, and evolving within, each institution. Prior to the Institute, campus teams will be asked to take stock of their current institutional goals, programs, and resources and how they contribute to student engagement, inclusion, and high achievement.Teams will explore the ways in which their own campus cultures nurture or impede engagement, inclusion, and high levels of student achievement. Understanding their own campus cultures enables teams to more effectively design and implement effective reform initiatives.

Advancing Significant Educational Change

While campus initiatives vary, all are focused on raising the quality and intensity of student learning.The Institute's faculty will meet regularly with individual campus teams to discuss specific strategies and resources to strengthen the focus of their initiatives and develop feasible action plans. Examples of campus initiatives from past institutes include: Changing a first-year program to deepen the level of academic challenge and support, and to engage all students with diversity and civic responsibility; Engaging departments with a comprehensive set of student learning goals across the curriculum (building from prior general education reform); Rethinking and revitalizing a university's approach to diversity as learning; Integrating curricular and co-curricular learning to raise the level of student engagement and achievement; Developing an e-portfolio program to integrate and assess student learning; and Re-envisioning faculty work and rewards.

Aligning Institutional Vision and Practice

Teams will work to connect their initiatives with their institution's mission, campus practices, and other campus initiatives to create an institution that is greater than the sum of its departments, programs, faculty, and facilities.The Institute helps teams identify existing and evolving programs and resources, potential areas for collaboration, and communication strategies to motivate colleagues throughout the campus to work toward a shared vision of inclusive educational excellence.