Twelve Institutions Selected to Participate in New AAC&U Project Designed to Strengthen Connections between College Curricula and Student Career Preparation

Washington, DC— The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) today announced that twelve higher education institutions have been selected to participate in the Equitable and Inclusive Curriculum-to-Career Models project. This new two-year project builds on campus work initiated through AAC&U’s Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute and will assist campuses in designing and implementing equity-centered curricular models that connect student learning to career exploration, development of professional purpose, and acquisition of transferrable skills. The project is supported by a grant from Lumina Foundation. Ashley Finley, Vice President for Research and Senior Advisor to the President, will serve as project director.

The following twelve institutions have been selected to participate in the Equitable and Inclusive Curriculum-to-Career Campus Models project:

• Clark University
• Dallas College
• Gallaudet University
• Lorain Community College
• Loyola University Maryland
• Michigan State University
• Agnes Scott College
• St. Edward's University
• St. Mary's College of California
• University of Alaska Anchorage
• University of Northern Colorado
• University of Washington Tacoma

“We are grateful to Lumina Foundation for recognizing the essential need to support faculty in identifying authentic connections between curricular goals and career preparation,” said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella. “This work is necessary for advancing higher education, student success, and our economy.”

While the campus models developed through the project will be embedded in curricula, the implementation strategies will be designed to foster collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including faculty, career center directors, administrators, and industry leaders. Working in communities of practice, campus teams will utilize specific levers of institutional change, such as holistic advising, work-integrated pedagogies, and digital credentials and resources, to guide implementation strategies. A central goal of the resulting curriculum-to-career models will be to advance equity within student outcomes, evaluation, professional learning, and partnerships.

About AAC&U

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the democratic purposes of higher education by promoting equity, innovation, and excellence in 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. To learn more, visit www.aacu.org.