The CIC/Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) Consortium summer meeting, held August 2–4, 2009, in Jersey City, New Jersey, was the fifth CIC/CLA summer meeting and the second for the 47 institutions participating in Phase III of the Consortium. Approximately 140 participants met to discuss using the Collegiate Learning Assessment as a tool to improve teaching and learning on college campuses.

Referencing nautical images drawn from the meeting’s location on the banks of the Hudson River, Barbara Gombach, project manager in education at Carnegie Corporation of New York, commented, “Liberal arts colleges are collectively the trim tab on the vessel of American higher education. The segment of higher education that CIC institutions collectively represent is positioned—like the small trim-tab on the rudder of a ship—to play a role in reforming domestic higher education that its size belies.” With measures such as the CLA in hand, she continued, CIC colleges are leading the charge to increase graduation rates without sacrificing educational quality and access.

Moderating a panel of provosts, Teagle Foundation president W. Robert Connor engaged panelists with questions related to student success. The panel suggested that institutions provide faculty members with the time and resources necessary to help them use available data to improve student learning and create stronger links between courses and larger institutional goals. “Change will not occur overnight,” Connor said. “It takes time, dedication, and commitment.”

Charlie Blaich, director of inquiries for the Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts at Wabash College (IN), discussed the educational practices that predict improvement of various student outcomes. Using results from the Wabash National Study, a longitudinal study dedicated to identifying high-impact strategies that promote learning, Blaich noted the importance of discussing assessment results with students to maximize their probability of improved learning.

During the closing session Roger Benjamin, president of the Council for Aid to Education that developed and administers the CLA, noted that human capital is now regarded as the key to economic and social development and said that educational institutions, the principal venue for human capital development, would benefit if higher education were to embrace better forms of assessment.

Participants also heard from CLA staff and campus faculty members about the challenges and successes they have experienced in administering the tool and had the opportunity to benefit from advice given by Marc Chun, CLA’s director of education, and Alex Nemeth, program manager. During concurrent sessions, faculty members from Consortium institutions exchanged course-level performance tasks developed through their participation in the CLA in the Classroom program.

The work of the CIC/CLA Consortium was also featured in a CLA Spotlight web conference on November 4, 2009. Speakers included Linda DeMeritt of Allegheny College (PA), Terrence Grimes of Barton College (NC), and Mary Ann Gawelek of Seton Hill University (PA).

CLA Consortium member institutions at the summer conference included: Alaska Pacific University, Allegheny College (PA), Aurora University (IL), Averett University (VA), Barton College (NC), Bethel University (MN), Cabrini College (PA), Carlow University (PA), Charleston Southern University (SC), College of Notre Dame of Maryland, College of St. Benedict/Saint John’s University (MN), College of St. Scholastica (MN), Dominican University (IL), Drake University (IA), Franklin Pierce University (NH), Hastings College (NE), Hilbert College (NY), Illinois College, Indiana Wesleyan University, Jamestown College (ND), John Carroll University (OH), Juniata College (PA), LaGrange College (GA), Loyola University New Orleans (LA), Lynchburg College (VA), Marian University (WI), Morningside College (IA), Nebraska Wesleyan University, Seton Hill University (PA), Southwestern University (TX), Springfield College (MA), Stephens College (MO), Stonehill College (MA), Texas Lutheran University, The University of Findlay (OH), Trinity Christian College (IL), University of Charleston (WV), University of Evansville (IN), University of Great Falls (MT), Upper Iowa University, Ursinus College (PA), Ursuline College (OH), Wagner College (NY), Westminster College (MO), Westminster College (UT), Willamette University (OR), and William Woods University (MO).