Conference on General Education, Pedagogy, and Assessment

On today’s college and university campuses, courage manifests in myriad ways: curricular courage in what we offer and require of students in order to challenge assumptions and cultivate critical thinking; pedagogical courage in the face of threats to academic freedom and integrity; creative courage in designing new programs and structures with empathy for students and educators alike; disciplinary courage to connect our chosen fields’ theories, paradigms and practices to others in order to foster integration of learning; and collective courage to demand the best of ourselves and our institutional leadership.

That said, in the face of the existential threats facing higher education, we must not mistake bluster and bravado for bravery. Instead, as a community of educators, we must have the courage to listen—and truly hear—the critiques and concerns driving the current lack of public trust in our work and commit to making the changes required to ensure that a college degree truly provides life-changing educational, social, and economic opportunities for all students.

The 2024 Conference on General Education, Pedagogy, and Assessment provides an opportunity both to showcase the courageous work of educators who ensure the continued vitality of the undergraduate educational experience and to create a space for engagement in the generative conversations and hands-on experiences that empower them and enhance their own learning.

Throughout the program, there will be opportunities to identify barriers to courageous change and to develop concrete strategies for dismantling them—including multiple opportunities to engage with faculty and “alumni” from the AAC&U Institute on General Education, Pedagogy, and Assessment (formerly known as the Institute on General Education and Assessment).

This hybrid program will take place April 9-17, 2024, kickstarting with virtual workshops on April 9 and 10, followed by the in-person event April 11–13 in Providence, Rhode Island and concluding with a virtual capstone on Wednesday, April 17. This conference provides space for presenters and participants to engage with and reimagine approaches to the three interrelated, complementary pillars of content: general education, pedagogy, and assessment.