Press Release

Fifty-Four Institutions Selected to Participate in AAC&U’s Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute

Washington, DC—The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) announced today the fifty-four institutions selected to participate in the 2022 Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute. Co-directed by AAC&U and IBM, this virtual institute will focus on supporting campus efforts to strengthen connections between college learning and workforce preparation and to develop productive campus-industry partnerships. The Institute will kick off on August 11 and run through December 16.

“The Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute offers a unique opportunity to nurture and spread new approaches to curricular design that promote equity and student success through meaningful career preparation,” said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella. “We look forward to working with our colleagues from IBM to support and advance the innovative work of the participating institutions.”

Over the course of the fall semester, teams from the participating institutions will develop projects focused on cocurricular alignment, defined learning and skill development, and high-impact experiences, as well as assessment and change management strategies. The teams will have ongoing access to leading experts from higher education and industry who serve as Institute mentors. The Institute’s approach to innovation emphasizes design thinking, broad and inclusive interdisciplinary perspectives, collaboration across stakeholders, and systemic commitments to equity that prepare students to seek purpose across an array of career paths.

“The overwhelmingly positive response to the Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute signals a great desire among campuses to do more than simply heed calls for career preparation. Our aim with this Institute is to find the sweet spot between higher education’s ability to meet the needs of a rapidly changing workforce and the desire of each campus to supply that career preparation in a meaningful way that is authentic to its mission and context,” said Ashley Finley, AAC&U Vice President for Research and co-director of the Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute.

The following institutions will participate in the 2022 Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute:

  • Agnes Scott College
  • Albertus Magnus College
  • American University in Cairo
  • Bay Path University
  • Bridgewater College
  • California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
  • California State University Northridge
  • California State University San Marcos
  • California University of Pennsylvania
  • Clark University
  • Cleveland State University
  • Concordia College
  • Dallas College
  • Davidson College
  • Delaware State University
  • Emerson College
  • Florida International University
  • Gallaudet University
  • Johnson & Wales University
  • Kent State University
  • Lorain County Community College
  • Louisiana State University
  • Loyola University Maryland
  • Louisiana State University of Alexandria
  • McDaniel College
  • Michigan State University
  • Muskingum University
  • Oakton Community College
  • Pasadena City College
  • Phoenix College
  • Quinnipiac University
  • Saint Mary’s College
  • Saint Mary’s College of California
  • San Diego State University
  • St. Catherine University
  • St. Edward’s University
  • St. John Fisher College
  • The College of Wooster
  • The University of Alabama
  • The University of Michigan–Flint
  • University of Alaska Anchorage
  • University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
  • University of North Carolina at Wilmington
  • University of Northern Colorado
  • University of Portland
  • University of Virginia
  • University of Washington Tacoma
  • Utah Valley University
  • Westfield State University
  • Wheaton College (MA)
  • William & Mary
  • Windward Community College
  • Wittenberg University

Learn more about AAC&U’s Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute.

About AAC&U

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the vitality and democratic purposes of undergraduate liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions in more than twenty-five countries as well as other organizations and individuals.