Development Opportunities

AAC&U’s Network for Academic Renewal Meeting: “Facing the Divides: Diversity, Learning, and Pathways to Inclusive Excellence"

Sponsored by: AAC&U; LEAP Campus Action Network
Date: Thursday, October 21, 2010 - Saturday, October 23, 2010
Registration Deadline: September 27, 2010
Location: Houston, TX

Across the country, around the globe, and in our own classrooms and administrative structures, deep divides—political, economic, religious, social, cultural—hinder our abilities to reach democratic aspirations related to inclusion, justice, and belonging. As many communities face significant issues of economic instability, lack of citizenship and legal rights, inadequate healthcare, violence, and environmental degradation, many worry that we are losing our ability to engage with each other across differences, respectfully and productively, in order to resolve complex problems and chart a path to a more equitable future.

In these challenging times, campus leaders must recommit themselves to fostering diversity and inclusion in and across our colleges and universities, not only for the benefit of the many who aspire to attend college, but also for the benefit of the larger society. Facing the Divides: Diversity, Learning, and Pathways to Inclusive Excellence will focus on the pragmatic ways in which college and university leaders are fostering inclusive learning environments. The conference will focus on five primary themes:

• Framing Goals for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence;
• Ensuring Access and Essential Learning;
• Developing and Assessing Curricular and Co-Curricular Efforts;
• Fostering Identity, Civility, and Democratic Classrooms; and
• Building Institutional Capacity to Make Excellence Inclusive.

For more information about the themes and the conference, visit the website.

• View Additional Information on the AAC&U’s Network for Academic Renewal Meeting: “Facing the Divides: Diversity, Learning, and Pathways to Inclusive Excellence" Development Opportunity

Call for Proposals

Globally and locally, from Main Street to Wall Street, deep divides—political, economic, social, cultural—hinder our abilities to reach democratic aspirations related to inclusion, equity, justice, and belonging. In these challenging times, campus leaders must recommit themselves to fostering inclusion and intercultural engagement in and beyond our colleges and universities.

This will require bridging deep divides in our own administrative structures, including the divides that separate diversity, global, and civic engagement efforts; divides between academic affairs and student affairs; and divided structures that steer some students toward a horizon-expanding liberal education and other students toward narrow training.

Facing the Divides: Diversity, Learning, and Pathways to Inclusive Excellence will focus on the creative ways in which colleges and universities are building these bridges and investing in the kind of learning that matters for our shared futures. AAC&U’s Network for Academic Renewal invites faculty, administrators, student affairs educators, students, and others to submit proposals that highlight research, promising practices, and innovative institutional structures related to five key areas:

• Framing Goals for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence;
• Ensuring Access and Essential Learning;
• Developing and Assessing Curricular and Co-Curricular Programs;
• Fostering Identity, Civility, and Democratic Classrooms; and
• Building Institutional Capacity to Make Excellence Inclusive.

The conference themes grew out of significant conversation among AAC&U staff and with faculty, administrators, and student affairs educators at an October 2009 planning meeting in Houston. The questions that follow each theme are suggestive and are not meant to cover the full range of topics that can be proposed under each theme.

For more information, please visit the Call for Proposals section of the website at http://www.aacu.org/meetings/diversityandlearning/DL2010/cfp.cfm.

Submission Deadline Monday, March 15, 2010

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