More than 300 chief academic officers and chief student affairs officers discovered strategies for more effective education of today's students at the Council of Independent Colleges 29th Annual Institute for Chief Academic Officers, held November 3-6 in Palm Springs, CA.
    The meeting, "Educating Today's Students: Strategies for Success," brought together chief academic officers and chief student affairs officers at independent colleges and universities for the first time since 1996 to help students develop strengths that can translate into success in college and beyond.
    Academic and student affairs officers considered ways to work with students who are increasingly different in terms of academic preparation and motivation, in time commitments of work or family, and in personal challenges such as learning disabilities or potentially addictive behaviors. Panelists explored what recent research tells campus administrators about dealing with these issues and which programs and systems have been proven effective.
    Key speakers during the conference included George D. Kuh, chancellors' professor at Indiana University and director of the National Survey of Student Engagement, and Richard J. Light, professor in the Graduate School of Education and Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
    During concurrent sessions, conference participants also learned about the Value-Added Assessment Initiative for liberal education now being conducted by RAND/CAE (Council for Aid to Education) that is examining what students actually learn from a college's curriculum and pedagogical approaches. Other topics included perspectives on learning communities, the effects of participation in intercollegiate athletics on academic performance, "collaboratories" for building educational communities, and student alcohol abuse.
    The concluding session of the conference focused on faculty recruitment, an issue raised repeatedly during CIC's strategic planning discussions as a key concern for chief academic officers at independent colleges and universities (see related story on strategic planning update). "The Faculty of the Future on a Student-Centered Campus" helped CAOs grapple with the increasing number of faculty retirements, the greater competition they face in hiring new faculty members, and the increased time and money spent on hiring replacements. Speakers included Arnita Jones, executive director of the American Historical Association; Andy Keogh, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Ohio Dominican College; and David A. Hoekema, professor of philo-sophy at Calvin College (MI) and president of the Society for Values in Higher Education.
    For more information on the Institute, visit the CIC website at www.cic.edu/conferences.

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Last updated: November 26, 2001
Copyright © 2001 The Council of Independent Colleges