Contacts: Debra Humphreys, Association of American Colleges and Universities
202-387-3760, ext. 422

Spencer Jenkins, Utah System of Higher Education
801-999-0202

Utah Colleges and Universities Join Forces to Accelerate Improvements in Student Learning Outcomes and Meet Needs of Changing Global Economy

Association of American Colleges and Universities Announces Utah as Fifth Partner State in Liberal Education and America's Promise: Excellence for Everyone as a Nation Goes to College

Washington, DC—October 30, 2009—The Association of American Colleges and Universities announced today that Utah is the fifth official state partner in its continuing national initiative, Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP): Excellence for Everyone as a Nation Goes to College.  Public and private colleges and universities in Utah have already been working on improving learning outcomes for all undergraduate students and developing new approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment using resources and guidance from the LEAP initiative.

This new statewide effort will bring institutions together throughout Utah to accelerate existing campus-based projects designed to clarify, improve, and assess student learning outcomes essential for success in the twenty-first century.  The effort will build on existing Utah efforts including the statewide “What is an Educated Person?” conference held each fall, the annual faculty discipline majors’ meetings, and the Tuning Process sponsored and supported by the Lumina Foundation for Education through which institutions in the Utah System of Higher Education are clarifying credential requirements at different levels of learning in two fields—history and physics.

"Connecting the learning outcomes of our college graduates to the relevant business needs within the state is critical to a successful economic development policy in Utah,” observed William Sederburg, Utah Commissioner of Higher Education. “If we, as a state, are serious about being a player in the global marketplace, our learning outcomes in higher education must align to sustainable, high value business initiatives. We are excited to be one of five LEAP partner-states working to improve student learning to better prepare all Utah students for responsible citizenship and for all of life’s challenges. We also look forward to bringing together policy, education, and business leaders to build a shared understanding of the kinds of learning we need for economic development in the state and for the sustained health of our communities.”

In addition to supporting and advancing campus-based planning and innovation, LEAP Utah will also bring together a wide array of Utah citizens, employers, and leaders in education and public policy to discuss the future of education in Utah as it relates to the needs of the state’s employers.  An initial LEAP Utah public forum—co-sponsored by Utah System of Higher Education, the Salt Lake Chamber in connection with its education initiative, and AAC&U —will be held April 14, 2010 in Salt Lake City.  The event will feature public policy, educator, and employer perspectives on the kinds of learning students need for both responsible citizenship and success in today’s world.  This event will also highlight findings from recent national surveys of employers about why broad learning outcomes like written and oral communication, global knowledge and skills, and critical thinking are so important in today’s world.

“Business leaders believe developing a highly educated workforce is the most critical long-term strategy for a vibrant economy and healthy society,” said Salt Lake Chamber President and CEO Lane Beattie. “We cannot compete over the long haul in a global market if we don’t educate the next generation of workers, business leaders, innovators, and teachers. We are very pleased to join forces with AAC&U as well as colleges and universities throughout Utah on this initiative.”

“Colleges and universities across the state of Utah are already working to ensure that graduates achieve the kinds of learning that will best position them for success in today’s turbulent global environment,” said AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider.  “AAC&U is pleased to work with both the Salt Lake Chamber and the Utah System of Higher Education to accelerate these learning improvement efforts, bring more Utah leaders and residents into a dialogue about the future of higher education in the state, and shine a national spotlight on the high-impact educational practices Utah colleges and universities already are developing.”

For information about LEAP Utah, see www.aacu.org/leap/utah_initiative.cfm.

About LEAP

Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) is an initiative that champions the value of a liberal education—for individual students and for a nation dependent on economic creativity and democratic vitality. The initiative focuses campus practice on fostering essential learning outcomes for all students, whatever their chosen field of study.  LEAP seeks to engage the public with core questions about what really matters in college, to give students a compass to guide their learning, and to make a set of essential learning outcomes the preferred framework for educational excellence, assessment of learning, and new alignments between school and college.

About AAC&U

AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises 1200 member institutions--including 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.

About the Chamber

The Salt Lake Chamber is Utah’s largest statewide business association and Utah’s Business Leader. With roots that date back to 1887, the Chamber has been standing as the voice of business, supporting its members’ success and championing community prosperity for over 100 years. The Chamber represents 5,300 businesses statewide and one in every three jobs in the Utah economy. Chamber strategic partners include the Downtown Alliance and World Trade Center Utah.