Press Release

Contact: Jennifer Wong
Program Associate
202-884-0815
wong@aacu.org

Educational Leaders to Examine Research and Programs That Connect Student Learning to Student Mental Health and Civic Development

Project Meeting to Feature an Overview of Research on Engaged Learning, Mental Health, and Civic Development and a New Survey on Student Attitudes Toward Mental Health and Substance Abuse

Event: Bringing Theory to Practice Action-Conference
Date: April 15-16, 2005
Location: Bethesda Hyatt, Bethesda, MD

Washington DC—March 30, 2005—Evidence of alarming rates of depression and substance abuse among college students continues to mount. Far less evidence exists regarding how colleges and universities are addressing aspects of these growing problems through their core academic initiatives. In particular, little research exists on the use of engaged learning strategies to reduce depression or substance abuse in college. On April 15 and 16, 2005, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) will host the second meeting of the Bringing Theory to Practice project. This project, sponsored by the Charles Engelhard Foundation in partnership with AAC&U, explores the nexus of engaged learning, student health, and civic development and supports engaged learning in the academic community.

At the second working conference of the Bringing Theory to Practice project, educational leaders will gather to examine the existent research and explore strategies that are being developed by institutions participating in the project. They will examine what impact those strategies are having on student learning, mental health, and civic engagement on campus and beyond. Participants will also have access to a new national survey of student attitudes toward mental health and substance abuse conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

The Bringing Theory to Practice project currently is supporting nearly 200 colleges and universities as they develop and evaluate engaged learning strategies--such as service-learning or collaborative undergraduate research--designed to prevent or reduce substance abuse and other debilitating behaviors.

Featured speakers at the meeting will include: A. Toy Caldwell-Colbert, president, Society for the Psychological Study of Ethnic Minority Issues; George Kuh, director, National Survey of Student Engagement, Indiana University; Richard Kadison, chief of mental health services, Harvard University; William A. Galston, director, Center for Research on Civic Learning and Engagement; Lynn Swaner, assistant professor of mental health counseling, Long Island University (CW Post Campus); and Susan Foster, vice president and director, policy research and analysis, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Columbia University.

See www.bringingtheorytopractice.org for more information about the conference and project. Contact Jennifer Wong, program associate, at 202-884-0815 or at wong@aacu.org to receive a copy of the research review and national survey findings.

AAC&U is the leading national association devoted to advancing and strengthening liberal learning for all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Since its founding in 1915, AAC&U's membership has grown to 1,000 accredited public and private colleges and universities of every type and size.

AAC&U functions as a catalyst and facilitator, forging links among presidents, administrators, and faculty members who are engaged in institutional and curricular planning. Its mission is to reinforce the collective commitment to liberal education at both the national and local levels and to help individual institutions keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges.

Information about AAC&U membership, programs, and publications can be found at www.aacu.org.

The Charles Engelhard Foundation is a New York-based foundation whose mission focuses on projects in higher and secondary education, cultural, medical, religious, wildlife, and conservation organizations.