Volume 7, Number 10

April 16, 2009

We’re pleased to present you a new issue of Collaboration Newsbytes, the e-bulletin published monthly by The Collaboration for the Advancement of College Teaching & Learning. Each issue contains important news and updates about upcoming programs and professional development opportunities.

The Collaboration for the Advancement of College Teaching & Learning is an alliance of colleges and universities that supports and promotes outstanding college teaching and learning. We can be reached at: 2356 University Ave. West, Suite 230, St. Paul, MN 55114, Phone: (651) 646-6166, Fax: (651) 646-3162, Email: collab@collab.org, Web: www.collab.org.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Headlines & Deadlines

2. Save the Date! Upcoming Events

3. Movers & Shakers

4. Funding and Other Opportunities

1. Headlines & Deadlines 

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE NOVEMBER 2009 CONFERENCE EXTENDED TO APRIL 22

The deadline for submitting proposals for concurrent session presentations for the November 2009 conference, “Bridging the Generational Divide: Working Together to Teach Millennial Students,” has been extended to Wednesday, April 22. The conference will be held November 13–14, 2009, in Bloomington, Minnesota, and is intended to address the pressing need for educators to understand and address generational differences on campuses. Generational differences are affecting the college teaching and learning environment as never before. Born since 1981, Millennial Students, also called the “Net Generation,” form the largest cohort since the Baby Boom, numbering more than 80 million and constituting more than 41% of the current population. They are predicted to enter colleges in record numbers in 2010. The goal of this conference, then, is to discover how faculty and staff are tackling the issues and challenges that arise between generations, both between faculty and students and among faculty themselves, so as to continue to provide good work climates for all, as well as quality teaching and learning across the curricula. We invite proposals for concurrent sessions that address the conference theme by disseminating and modeling effective practice or promoting stimulating dialogue, inquiry, and problem-solving. To download a pdf version of the full Call for Proposals, please visit: http://www.collab.org/programsservices/conferences/CFP%20November09.pdf, or for more information please contact The Collaboration at 651-646-6166 or collab@collab.org.

CORE FACULTY ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2009 INSTITUTE FOR NEW FACULTY DEVELOPERS — REGISTER BY MAY 1 AND SAVE $175!
Co-sponsored by The Collaboration for the Advancement of College Teaching & Learning and the POD Network in Higher Education, and held at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota (June 21–26, 2009), the Institute for New Faculty Developers is a program for anyone wishing to develop professional expertise in planning, leading, and managing college and university teaching and learning centers and faculty and instructional development programs. Discover resources available to help you in your work and sustain your professional development. Learn how to apply key concepts and skills to meet the needs of your home institution. Tap into a talent pool of presenters, facilitators, and consultants who are recognized leaders in the field. The list of core faculty has been announced for the 2009 Institute for New Faculty Developers and includes John Tagg, author of The Learning Paradigm College; Marilla Svinicki, author of Learning and Motivation in the Postsecondary Classroom, Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, Vice President of the HBCU Faculty Development Network, and Marion Larson and Diane Pike, winners of the 2007 and 2008 Bellman Award for Exemplary Leadership for the Advancement of College Teaching and Learning. For more information about the INFD core faculty and program and to register for the event, go to www.collab.org/programsservices/INFD.html.

BELLMAN LEADERSHIP AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE MAY 15, 2009
The Collaboration is seeking nominations of individuals or groups of faculty, staff, or administrators at current Collaboration member institutions who have demonstrated their ability to inspire collaborative engagement and foster changes in higher education that result in measurable improvements in teaching and student learning. The recipient of the Stewart Bellman Award for Exemplary Leadership for the Advancement of College Teaching and Learning will be announced in fall 2009 and the award presented at The Collaboration’s November 13-14, 2009, conference. Nominations must be supported by at least three individuals from the nominee’s own campus or another Collaboration member institution. To receive a copy of the Nomination Guidelines for the 2009 Bellman Award, please visit our website at www.collab.org, or contact us at collab@collab.org or (651) 646-6166.

NEW 2009–10 TRAVELING WORKSHOP CATALOGUE AVAILABLE NOW

Now’s the perfect time to book one of The Collaboration’s affordable and convenient Traveling Workshops or keynote addresses for your summer and fall professional development needs. Choose from more than 60 workshops, including 16 that are brand-new sessions on themes ranging from active learning to teaching with technology. And for the first time next year, we’re presenting nine new keynote addresses, including offerings by higher education leaders Stephen Brookfield, Karen Hoelscher, Vivian Jenkins-Nelsen, John Tagg, and others. We can provide your campus with half- or full-day workshops, a workshop series, a conference with multiple sessions, or even a keynote + workshop combination. Don’t see what you need? We will create a customized workshop to meet your specific needs.

To help with your planning, our new 2009–10 Traveling Workshop catalogue will reach campus mailboxes in the next week. Faculty Development Coordinators, Department Chairs, Chief Academic Officers, and Chief Student Affairs Officers on our mailing list will receive copies automatically, or you may request a copy by contacting The Collaboration at collab@collab.org. Complete 2009-10 program information, including facilitators and workshop and keynote address abstracts, will also be on our website by Monday, April 20.

The Collaboration’s Traveling Workshops and new keynote addresses offer you a superior combination of expertise and convenience at very cost-effective rates. Visit www.collab.org for more information on Traveling Workshops, or call us at (651) 646-6166.

2. SAVE THE DATE! UPCOMING EVENTS

NOVEMBER 2009 COLLABORATION CONFERENCE: BRIDGING THE GENERATIONAL DIVIDE: WORKING TOGETHER TO TEACH MILLENNIAL STUDENTS

November 13-14, 2009

Registration materials available online in July

See the summary description under Headlines and Deadlines above. This conference will be held at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel, Bloomington, Minnesota.

WINTER 2010 COLLABORATION CONFERENCE: ASSESSMENT FOR THE CHANGING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

February 19-20, 2010

Call for Proposals available on our website in June

Concurrent session proposals due September 18, 2009      

Registration materials available in November           

As challenging as it is, assessment of student learning and educational programs is more critical than ever now, as institutions scrutinize more closely the return from ever more limited resources. What’s more, assessment today has to take into account learning and working environments characterized by accelerating change. Technology is a major factor in this—whether with respect to new educational models, such as online learning, blended courses, simulations, and the use of email and social networking to increase student interaction and augment or replace faculty office hours, or in the use of e-portfolios and other online assessment tools. Other factors that must affect our approaches to assessment include changing perspectives on where learning takes place—outside the classroom through community engagement or study abroad, for example, or through programs that fall under the auspices of student development; increasing student diversity; and the evolving role of faculty.

Along with the challenges, come new approaches for assessing student learning and for using assessment data to improve learning and the return on our investment. What new opportunities for improving assessment come from technological advances, for example? How do NSSE, CSSEE, FSSE, and similar national project data help? And how are campus communities coming together to gain a common understanding of what their assessment data is telling them and how to use it to improve?

The primary goals of this conference are, first, to explore the implications of changes in the learning environment for how colleges and universities frame their approaches to student assessment, and second, what new opportunities exist in our rapidly changing working environment to strengthen assessment practices and make them more efficient and productive.

This conference will be held at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel, Bloomington, Minnesota.

3. MOVERS & SHAKERS

THANKS TO INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED TO THE COLLABORATION AS MEMBERS FOR 2009–10. FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T YET — PLEASE JOIN US!

More than 30 institutions have already joined The Collaboration for the 2009–10 membership year, which begins July 1. This brings our annual Membership Campaign pledges to 34% of our annual goal of $248,000. Membership is the cornerstone of The Collaboration’s budget, enabling the organization to provide distinctive programs and services to the higher education community. In the current economic atmosphere, it may be more important than ever that your institution remain dedicated to the continued professional development of your faculty and staff by renewing membership in The Collaboration for the Advancement of College Teaching & Learning. “Being a member in The Collaboration is a good way to be exposed to schools that are different,” explained Scott Bierman, Dean of the College at Carleton College. “This is even more important in tough economic times, because one way to think about doing things differently is to learn about schools that are doing things differently. All colleges now are struggling with financial issues. The Collaboration is a place where a diverse set of institutions can help each other. Because of that The Collaboration has never been more valuable.” Not only does membership in The Collaboration give your institution access, over the long-term, to an informed, inclusive, and diverse professional community devoted to exceptional teaching and learning, but also, in the short-term, membership can actually save you money. This is because The Collaboration provides cost-effective, cutting-edge programs that give faculty and staff the knowledge and skills needed to promote student learning and build institutional capacity to address current and future challenges. Information on our 2009-10 programs and services will be reaching campus leaders soon. For more information on programs or membership, visit our website at www.collab.org or contact us at (651) 646-6166.

NOVEMBER 2009 CONFERENCE PLANNING COMMITTEE GEARS UP FOR ACTION!

Thanks to those who have signed on to serve as members of the Planning Committee for our November 2009 conference on “Assessment for the Changing Learning Environment”:

·          Holly Boomer, Assistant Professor, Black Hills State University

·          Alan Ferris, Professor of Psychology, Department of Social Sciences, Mount Marty College

·          Joel Frederickson, Acting Associate Dean of Institutional Assessment and Accreditation, Bethel University

·          Rhonda Huisman, Coordinator–Library Services/Title III Activity Director, Northwest Iowa Community College

·          Anne Kelsch, Director of the Office of Instructional Development, University of North Dakota

·          Janet Moldstad, Professor, Department of Business Administration, Bethany Lutheran College

·          Diana Morris, Dean of Instruction, College of Menominee Nation

Members of the committee will be calling those whose concurrent session proposals are selected in May to confirm your participation.

Interested in serving on an upcoming conference committee? Contact Tim Barrett at tbarrett@collab.org to express your interest and find out more about committee members’ responsibilities.

BUSH LEADERSHIP FELLOWS PROGRAM NAMES 2009 FELLOWS

The Bush Foundation recently announced the selection of 18 new Bush Leadership Fellows, including several faculty and staff at Collaboration member institutions:

·          Anita B. Frederick, Saint John—Frederick is the interim director of institutional effectiveness at Turtle Mountain Community College, where she was involved in creating a plan that dramatically improved student retention at the College. With her fellowship, she will complete a Ph.D. in educational leadership at the University of North Dakota; her goal is to develop sound research on how financial aid can improve student retention rates. Frederick is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and has lived on the reservation her entire life.

·          Patrice H. Kunesh, Vermillion—Kunesh is associate professor of law at the University of South Dakota and director of the University’s Institute of American Indian Studies.  The daughter of a Hunkpapa Lakota from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, Kunesh dedicated herself early in life to improving the lives of Indian children and reservation families.  With her fellowship, she will pursue a master’s degree in public administration at Harvard University. Kunesh plans to work with tribal communities to develop culturally relevant systems that reduce child abuse.

·          Miriam Duchess Harris, Vadnais Heights—Harris strives to be a change agent in higher education by diversifying curriculum, faculty and students. She will complete a law degree at William Mitchell College of Law and plans to open a center at a law school to serve women leaving prison that focuses on the many challenges they will face. Harris is associate professor of American studies at Macalester College.

These fellows will use their grants to learn how to improve their communities in a variety of ways—shaping local food systems, addressing mental health and education access among immigrant and refugee populations, engaging low-achievement and disengaged learners, assisting tribal nations in managing natural resources and reducing child abuse, advocating for corporate responsibility, joining museum exhibits with technology, preparing for baby boomers’ retirement, improving health care access for Native people, diversifying higher education administration, advancing mentoring strategies and leading the news media through unprecedented turmoil. More information about the fellows can be viewed at www.bushfoundation.org.

4. Other Opportunities 

NATIVE VOICES ENDOWMENT ANNOUNCES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Deadline: October 15, 2009
The Endangered Language Fund (http://www.endangeredlanguagefund.org/) is accepting applications for the Native Voices Endowment: A Lewis & Clark Expedition Bicentennial Legacy. Funding from the program comes from the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Council, which received the revenues from the U.S. Mint's sale of the Lewis and Clark 2004 Commemorative Coin. Grants through the program will be available to members of Native American tribes that came in contact with the Lewis and Clark Expedition between 1803-1806. Grants are available for work on documentation and revitalization of the languages of these tribes. Principal Investigators must be enrolled tribal members or employees of tribal colleges. Scholarships for academic work in linguistics or the Native language, or for Master/Apprentice programs, are also available for tribal members. The complete Request for Proposals and list of eligible tribes are available at the ELF Web site.

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