The 2008 WASC Academic Resource Conference

April 16-19, 2008 Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, San Diego, CA

Illuminating Learning, Accrediting Quality

Below the ARC logo add the following in white color font/shadowed:

Never in living memory has the demand for US higher education been higher, and never have the voices of critics been louder. Breakthroughs in brain research, advances in pedagogy, and new assessment methods have moved us down the road toward greater learning-centeredness. At the same time, institutions are under intense pressure to lower costs, increase retention and graduation rates, and improve the quality of students’ learning. Amid all these crosscurrents, it makes sense for us as a regional community to step back and ask some simple but profound questions.

What is the learning we most want our students to gain?

What is educational quality?

How do we achieve quality, how do we document it, and how can we best communicate with our many audiences about the higher education we offer?

These are the questions that will frame the 2008 WASC Academic Resource Conference (ARC / 2008). Join us for this important conversation.

2008 WASC ACADEMIC RESOURCE CONFERENCE

SPEAKERS AND PANELS

Plenary Speakers:

presenter-name

Caring and Conflict:
The Role of US Higher Education in an Interdependent World

What is the role of US colleges and universities in educating students for an interdependent world? Farooq Kathwari approaches this question drawing on both his practical experience running a major US corporation and as an engaged citizen of the world. He sees challenges that are multiple, complex, and contradictory. Institutions must ensure their short-term survival without losing sight of longer-term goals. They must refine and improve the education offered today, while working to reinvent it for the future. They must respond to public demands for career training at an affordable cost, and at the same time rise to a higher level of accountability for students’ development into ethical and responsible global citizens. They must offer students ways to learn about inequities and conflicts, in the US and abroad – and to learn how conflicts can be prevented or resolved. The task, ultimately, is to produce leaders for the 21st century who combine knowledge with wisdom and courage.

Farooq Kathwari is the Chairman, President and Chief Executive officer of Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. He received his B.A. degree in English and Political Science from Kashmir University and an M.B.A. from New York University. Mr. Kathwari is active in a number of organizations, including Refugees International, the Kashmir Study Group, the Council on Foreign Relations, Freedom House, the Henry L. Stimson Center, and the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University. He has received many awards for his humanitarian activities, including the “Outstanding American by Choice Award” from the US Government; the Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal; the “National Human Relations Award” from the American Jewish Committee; and the Anti-Defamation League’s Humanitarian Award.

presenter-name

Meeting the Retention Challenge: The Family Education Model

Improving the retention rates of all students, but particularly of non-traditional students, has proven challenging for all but a handful of institutions in the Western region. Iris Prettypaint’s Family Education Model (FEM) is based on principles of empowerment, family support, and resilience and is the first of its kind in higher education. Although it was initially conceived as a model for Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), it has been adopted by many mainstream colleges and universities serving Indigenous students, and it may be adaptable to other student populations.

Iris Prettypaint M.S. W., Ph.C, (Blackfeet/Crow), is an educator, researcher and leading authority on Native student retention and cultural resilience. She is currently Co-Director of ROSNA (Research Opportunities in Science for Native Americans) at the University of Montana. Iris has been dedicated to tribal college student success for more than twenty years. She was named a 1996 Department of Education Experienced Faculty Fellow and a 1999 Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow. She was selected as the 2004 Mellon Faculty Enhancement Fellow by the American Indian College Fund (AICF), and recently became a member of the American Indian Graduate Center’s Honorary Advisory Council of One Hundred Leaders, Scholars and Traditionals. Iris did her undergraduate work at Haskell Indian Nations University and the University of Kansas. Her graduate work has been at the University of Minnesota/School of Social Work. She will defend her dissertation this Spring.

presenter-name

Preparing Citizens for the 21st Century:
Why Traditional Testing Won't Get Us There, and What Will

In this talk, Linda Darling-Hammond discusses the implications of the knowledge revolution for higher education. She argues that all the basics -- curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and accountability, as well as articulation across sectors - require radical rethinking. If we are serious about deepening our students' knowledge base and developing higher-order intellectual skills along with qualities such as adaptability and ethical commitment, our teaching and assessment practices must become more ambitious and creative. The possibilities are there, and Darling-Hammond shares her vision with us.

 

Click here for Linda Darling-Hammond's powerpoint presentation

 

Linda Darling-Hammond Linda Darling-Hammond is Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education at Stanford University where she has launched the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute and the School Redesign Network and served as faculty sponsor for the Stanford Teacher Education Program. She is a former president of the American Educational Research Association and member of the National Academy of Education. Her research, teaching, and policy work focus on issues of school restructuring, teacher quality and educational equity. From 1994-2001, she served as executive director of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, a blue-ribbon panel whose 1996 report, What Matters Most: Teaching for America’s Future, led to sweeping policy changes affecting teaching and teacher education. In 2006, this report was named one of the most influential affecting U.S. education and Darling-Hammond was named one of the nation’s ten most influential people affecting educational policy over the last decade.

presenter-name

Video Games and the Future of Learning

Good video games incorporate good learning principles, principles supported by research in the Learning Sciences. They do so because they are often long, complex, and difficult and if they could not be well learned and mastered, they would not be played. More importantly, video games are, in fact, just problem solving spaces, built out of learning and mastery recruited as entertainment. The learning principles incorporated into good video games can be be applied to learning outside the sphere of entertainment, especially if we want to stress learners’ abilities to use their knowledge (not just pass paper-and-pencil tests) and engage in innovation, two properties not always present in current school learning. At the same time, video game technologies suggest new paths for assessing learning in ways that are deeper and fairer than many of our current assessment systems.

Click here for James Paul Gee's powerpoint presentation

James Paul Gee is the Mary Lou Fulton Presidential Professor of Literacy Studies at Arizona State University. He is a member of the National Academy of Education. His book Sociolinguistics and Literacies (1990) was one of the founding documents in the formation of the “New Literacy Studies”, an interdisciplinary field devoted to studying language, learning, and literacy in an integrated way in the full range of their cognitive, social, and cultural contexts. His book An Introduction to Discourse Analysis (1999) brings together his work on a methodology for studying communication in its cultural settings, an approach that has been widely influential over the last two decades. His most recent books both deal with video games, language, and learning. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (2003) argues that good video games are designed to enhance learning through effective learning principles supported by research in the Learning Sciences. Situated Language and Learning (2004) places video games within an overall theory of learning and literacy and shows how they can help us in thinking about the reform of schools. Prof. Gee has published widely in journals in linguistics, psychology, the social sciences, and education.

Spotlight Sessions:

A Comprehensive Vision for Excellence in the First Year of College

High failure rates in the first year of college and resulting low levels of retention have been chronic issues for US higher education. To combat these problems, three California institutions voluntarily joined a comprehensive national self-study of the entire beginning college experience, a process known as “Foundations of Excellence.” The result: a new vision for the first year that includes close collaboration between community colleges and 4-year campuses and moves from mere eligibility to academic excellence.

John N. Gardner, Executive Director, Policy Center on the First Year of College
Emily Fourmy Cutrer, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; California State University San Marcos
Jacqueline M. Mimms, Associate Vice President Enrollment Management, California State University Bakersfield
Mildred Lovato, Vice President Student Services, Bakersfield College

A Question of VALUE: Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education

This presentation focuses on ways campuses can generate evidence to answer the critical question, “How well are our students learning?” In two projects, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is collecting and analyzing examples of ways to assess and improve the full range of liberal education outcomes. Through faculty-developed rubrics that articulate robust and progressively more challenging criteria for judging student work, the complexity and richness of learning can be captured. A parallel strand of the projects investigates how e-portfolios can document and support assessment of liberal earning.

Terrel Rhodes, Vice President, Office of Quality, Curriculum, and Assessment, Association of American Colleges and Universities
Ross Miller, Senior Director of Assessment for Learning, Association of American Colleges and Universities

Identifying and Removing Barriers to Student Transfer

This session focuses on the myriad strategies an institution can proactively apply to dramatically improve community college transfer rates. The session draws from approaches implemented at South Texas College (founded in 1993 and serving over 20,000 students, 95% of them Hispanic) to create a seamless transition for students. It specifically addresses barriers to transfer and the actions programs have taken to remove them.

Luzelma Canales, Director of Grant Development, Accountability and Management Services, South Texas College

2008 WASC ARC FEATURES

Private Tour of High Tech High School

Friday, April 18 from 12:15 pm

High Tech High has a student body that mirrors the ethnic diversity of the San Diego region – and boasts a 100% college acceptance rate. With its innovative project-focused, team-based approach to education, it has had stunning success in overcoming the twin problems of student disengagement and low academic achievement. Since 2000, High Tech High has grown from one charter school to 7 – 4 high schools, 2 middle schools, and an elementary school – and today includes a graduate program in education that trains teachers for profound educational reform. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit the school, meet the students, and be inspired by the possibilities.



$20 Fee. Advanced sign-up required. For more information or to sign-up,
please contact at Julie Kotovsky at 510-995-3167.

Visit www.hightechhigh.org/schools/HTH to learn more about High Tech High

Special Interest Group Lunches:

Buy lunch and then join the group of your choice for informal conversation and sharing of ideas.
Friday, April 18 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm

SIG Lunch #1: The Institutional Proposal

Facilitator: Teri Cannon, Executive Associate Director, WASC

SIG Lunch #2: The Capacity and Preparatory Review

Facilitator: Michelle Behr, Assistant Director, WASC

SIG Lunch #3: The Educational Effectiveness Review

Facilitator: Ingrid Walker, Assistant Director, WASC.

SIG Lunch #4: Institutions seeking WASC Accreditation

Facilitator: Richard Winn

SIG Lunch #5: The Future of the Professoriate

Facilitator: William Plater

SIG Lunch #6: To Be Announced

Facilitator:

CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS IN SAN DIEGO,
2008 WASC ARC HOST CITY

Make it a weekend!
www.sandiego.org

Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, Old Globe Theatre

Friday, April 18, 8:00 pm

See the play that established Tennessee Williams as one of the most riveting voices in the American theatre. Amanda Wingfield reminisces about a tranquil Southern childhood and fights to provide a better life for her grown children Tom and Laura, while they struggle for a future that seems unlikely to fulfill their mother’s hopes and dreams. But a change in fortune suddenly seems possible with the arrival of the long-hoped-for “gentleman caller.” An unforgettable American classic!

Visit www.theoldglobe.org/index.html for more information and to purchase tickets.

Balboa Park / El Prado

Balboa Park is where the arts, culture and history of San Diego come together to create a 1,200 acre wonderland filled with unforgettable experiences for people of every age. Thriving botanical beauty flourishes throughout and surrounds 15 museums, a variety of performing arts and musical theaters, exotic gardens, fabulous restaurants, upscale shopping, the San Diego Zoo and exquisite Spanish Moor architecture. Known as America’s largest urban cultural park, Balboa Park welcomes more than 500,000 visitors each year, who delight in its beauty and attractions. El Prado is considered the heart of the park and is where many of the museums and interesting attractions are.

San Diego Zoo

Pandas, penguins and rare plant life are just a hint of what you’ll see when you visit the world-famous San Diego Zoo. Throughout its 100 acres, you’ll feel as if you’ve traveled around the world as you see intriguing and rarely-seen animals lounging in their expansive natural habitats. With more than 4,000 animals representing 800 species, the San Diego Zoo stands out for its diverse wildlife citizens. See hippos swimming alongside buffalos, and koalas climbing in Eucalyptus trees. And that’s just the beginning. Lush tropical pathways are lined with thriving specimen plantings that are both beautiful and exotic. Over 6,500 different types of plant-life are a spectacle not to be missed.

Old Town Historic State Park

Old Town State Park is known as the Birthplace of California. In 1821, when Mexico gained independence from Spain, a small group of Mexican settlers began building homes at the foot of the hillside below the first mission and Presidio. Because wood was scarce at the time, sun-dried adobe bricks were used. See some of the oldest buildings in the state, with their brownish-red color and rough exterior. Enjoy the museum and join a walking tour.

Gaslamp Quarter

Stained glass windows, moldings, carvings, columns and railings are just some of the fantastic architectural details that enliven the streets of the historic Gaslamp Quarter. Stroll the brick sidewalks, enjoy the landscaping, and make time to visit the many galleries, theaters, boutiques and shops before stopping in at one of the quarter’s more than 100 restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

Maritime Museum

The world-renowned Maritime Museum of San Diego was founded in 1948 by a group of local historians and maritime experts. Here visitors from around the globe come to walk the decks of the magnificent Star of India, the world’s oldest active sailing ship. Built in 1863, the Star of India made her first voyage on November 14 of that year.

WASC 2008 ACADEMIC RESOURCE CONFERENCE
SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE*

16
wed

  • Wednesday, April 16
  • 7:30 a.m. Registration
  • 8:45 a.m. Breakfast (New ALOs)
  • 10:00 a.m. ALO WORKSHOP, Part 1
  • 12:15 p.m. Lunch
  • 1:30 p.m. ALO WORKSHOP, Part 2
  • 3:30 p.m. CEO/Board Roundtable
  • 5:00 p.m. Reception (ALOs & early arrivals)
  • 6:00 p.m. CEO/Board Chair Reception
  •  

17
thu

  • Thursday, April 17 - Academic Resource Conference
  • 7:30 a.m. Registration
  • 8:30 a.m. CEO Breakfast/Forum
  • 9:00 a.m. Prepaid Workshops
  • 12:15 p.m. Luncheon & Opening Plenary
  • 2:00 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
  • 3:00 p.m. Break
  • 3:15 p.m. CAO Forum
  • 3:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
  • 4:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
  • 5:30 p.m. Poster Session & Opening Reception

18
fri

  • Friday, April 18
  • 7:30 a.m. Registration
  • 8:15 a.m. Morning Plenary
  • 9:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
  • 10:45 a.m. Break
  • 11:00 a.m. Featured Speakers
  • 12:00 p.m. High Tech High School Tour (must sign-up in advance)
  • 12:00 p.m. Lunch on your own or with a Special Interest Group
  • 2:00 p.m. Afternoon Plenary
  • 3:00 p.m. Break
  • 3:15 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
  • 4:45 p.m. Concurrent Sessions
  • 5:45 p.m. Informal Gatherings
  • 8:00 p.m. The Glass Menagerie, Old Globe Theatre

19
sat

  • Saturday, April 19
  • 8:00 a.m. Morning Plenary
  • 9:15 a.m. Concurrent Sessions
  • 10:30 a.m. Prepaid Workshops
  • 1:30 p.m. Conference ends
  •  
  •  
  •  

* Schedule is not absolute; attendees should check ARC program when they arrive at the conference for exact times of events.

2008 WASC ACADEMIC RESOURCE CONFERENCE FEES

Before 3/14/08 After 3/14/08 On-Site*

    • REGISTRATION
  • Individual ARC Registration
  • $ 425
  • $ 475
  • $ 495
  • Student ARC Registration
  • $ 195
  • $ 195
  • $ 195
  • One day only Registration (Thursday or Friday)
  • $ 225
  • $ 225
  • $ 225

Before 3/14/08 After 3/14/08 On-Site*

    • ALO EVENTS
  • ALO Meeting (Wednesday 4/16/08)
  • $ 175
  • $ 175
  • $ 175
  • ALO and ARC (Wednesday - Saturday)
  • $ 595
  • $ 645
  • $ 665
  • Breakfast for New ALO's (Wednesday)
  • $ 50
  • $ 50
  • $ 50

Before 3/14/08 After 3/14/08 On-Site*

    • CEO-EVENTS
  • CEO/Board Chair Reception and Dinner (Wednesday)
  • $ 125
  • $ 125
  • $ 125
  • CEO Breakfast and Forum (Thursday)
  • $ 150
  • $ 150
  • $ 150
  • Lunch and Opening Plenary (Thursday)
  • $ 55
  • $ 55
  • $ 55

Prepaid   On-Site*

    • WORKSHOPS

  • Thursday, 4/17/2008 9a.m.-12 p.m.

  • W-1
  • WASC 101: The Accreditation Process, Clear and Simple
  • $ 55
  •  
  • $ 65
  • W-2
  • The Capacity and Preparatory Review
  • $ 55
  •  
  • $ 65
  • W-3
  • The Educational Effectiveness Review
  • $ 55
  •  
  • $ 65
  • W-4
  • The Top 10 Stumbling Blocks to Substantive Change Success – and How to Avoid Them
  • $ 55
  •  
  • $ 65
  • W-5
  • Assessing Outcomes in Life Context: Generating Evidence for Learning in Student Affairs Domains
  • $ 105
  •  
  • $ 115
  • W-6
  • Going Full Cycle: Assessment, Engagement, Improvement
  • $ 105
  •  
  • $ 115
  • W-7
  • How Do e-Portfolios Assess Learning?
  • $ 105
  •  
  • $ 115
  • W-8
  • Achieving the Dream: Student Success through a Culture of Evidence
  • $ 105
  •  
  • $ 115
  • Saturday, 4/19/2008 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
  • W-9
  • Hosting a Visit – or How to Make the Visiting Team Fall in Love with Your Institution
  • $ 55
  •  
  • $ 65
  • W-10
  • How to Become WASC Accredited
  • $ 55
  •  
  • $ 65
  • W-11
  • Plagiarism-Proofing Institutions: Education, Course and Assignment Redesign and Enforcement
  • $ 105
  •  
  • $ 115
  • W-12
  • Implementing Student Learning-Centered Practices in Outcomes-Based Program Review
  • $ 105
  •  
  • $ 115
  • W-13
  • WASC’s New Rubrics and How You Can Use Them
  • $ 105
  •  
  • $ 115
  • W-14
  • Engaged Learning within Immersive Worlds
  • $ 105
  •  
  • $ 115
  • * On-Site enrollment subject to space availability

Prepaid   On-Site*

    • VISIT HIGH TECH HIGH SCHOOL
  • Visit High Tech High School/High Tech High’s Graduate School of Education (Friday)
  • $ 20
  •  
  • $ 20

2008 WASC ACADEMIC RESOURCE CONFERENCE
PREPAID WORKSHOPS

16 wed

ALO Workshop on Wednesday, April 16 8:45 am - 4:30 pm

ALO Meeting

Accreditation Liaison Officer (ALO) Workshop

Click here for ALO workshop materials

This day-long workshop—followed by a reception to honor ALOs and their key role in the accreditation process—is an opportunity for focused conversations with peers on the key issues that call for the ALO’s wisdom and perspective. With many intensifying national issues having potential impact on the role of the ALO, there will be an up-to-the-minute report on how accreditation could be impacted by pending legislation. ALOs will also provide feedback on potential revisions of the WASC Standards.

Richard Winn, Associate Director, WASC

CEO/Board Roundtable Wednesday, April 16 3:30 - 5:30 pm

CEO/Board Chair Roundtable 3:30 - 5:30 pm

The Role of Governing Boards and Presidents in an
Era of Increased Accountability

May be attended by presidents, board chairs and board members only.

The role of governing boards at institutions of higher education has come into the spotlight in recent years, with steadily increasing expectations for board accountability. Issues related to compensation, transparency, cost control, crisis management, and other matters have emerged at many institutions, both public and private, leading to increased public scrutiny. WASC teams are also seeking a clearer definition of board and president roles at many institutions.

At this roundtable, board leaders from the University of California, University of Hawaii, California State University, and private institutions will discuss the evolving role of boards and how boards are moving to understand their fiduciary responsibilities in new ways. Board chairs and members from 2-year and 4-year institutions are invited to attend with their presidents. Following a panel presentation, small groups will discuss selected scenarios.

CEO Reception and Dinner 6:00 pm
Presidents, board chairs and board members are invited to stay, continue the conversation, and meet with members of the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities.

Ralph Wolff , President and Executive Director, WASC

17 thu

CEO Breakfast and Forum , April 17 8:30 - 11:30 am

Charting Future Directions for WASC–What Is Needed?

May be attended by presidents and chancellors only.

This session provides an opportunity for CEOs to discuss directly with members of the Senior College Commission issues relating to the future of WASC, particularly key areas that should be addressed in a planned 2010 Handbook. Shall we keep the current accrediting model? Experiment with new approaches? Use technology differently? How shall we approach indicators of educational effectiveness such as student learning outcomes and retention/graduation rates? Do accrediting actions appropriately respond to the changes institutions are undergoing?

Our discussion will help frame a comprehensive review over the next year of the WASC Standards, Commission policies and procedures, and the three-stage accreditation process. The pending reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and recent closure of the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocation Education (BPPVE) will provide a broader external context for our discussion.

Ralph Wolff , President and Executive Director; Teri Cannon, Executive Associate Director, WASC

 

Chief Academic Officers' Forum: The Future of WASC Accreditation

Click here for CAO Forum materials

 

 

Pre-Conference Workshops on Thursday, April 17 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

W-1

WASC 101: The Accreditation Process, Clear and Simple

Click here for W-1 WASC 101 workshop materials

A must for anyone new to the WASC process – and a great chance to refresh your knowledge, if you’re not. This workshop is particularly useful for institutions that want to get a jump-start on self-reviews that are still several years away. We’ll make sense out of the three-stage review process, define the differences between the stages, and clarify language. Particular attention will be given to the planning structures and data systems that support an effective review. Participants will explore the resources available from the WASC office and have plenty of opportunities for Q & A. Institutions are welcome to bring teams. Institutions in eligibility or candidacy are also welcome but should note that a post-conference workshop is be devoted to their particular concerns.

Richard Winn, Associate Director, WASC; and Richard Giardina, Adjunct Associate Director, WASC.

W-2

The Capacity and Preparatory Review

Click here for W-2 The Capacity and Preparatory Review workshop materials

Whether your campus’s Capacity and Preparatory Review is scheduled for 2008-2009 or later, you’ll want to get a head start on the tasks of identifying issues to tackle, mobilizing your campus, preparing your report, and gearing up for the team visit. This workshop will explore the multifaceted CPR process and help you to develop strategies for a successful outcome. Come prepared to share information about what your campus is doing and lingering questions you may have. WASC staff and institutional representatives will provide resources and guidance. Institutions are welcome to bring teams.

Michelle Behr, Assistant Director, WASC; Bob Benedetti, Adjunct Associate Director, WASC.

W-3

The Educational Effectiveness Review

Click here for W-3 The Educational Effectiveness Review workshop materials

The Educational Effectiveness Review can be challenging. Here’s an opportunity to learn from institutions that have most recently gone through the EER and completed the entire accreditation process. Find out how they organized for the review, what approach they took and how it worked, what lessons they learned, and how the institution benefited. Institutions undergoing the EER in 2008-2009 or 2009-2010 may find this workshop particularly relevant, but any institution that wants to get a head start is encouraged to attend. Institutions are welcome to bring teams.

Barbara Wright, Associate Director, and Ingrid Walker, Assistant Director, WASC.

W-4

The Top 10 Stumbling Blocks to Substantive Change Success – and How to Avoid Them

Click here for W-4 Substantive Change workshop materials

After careful study of Substantive Change actions for 2006-2007, we’ve identified the most frequent issues that prevent institutions from receiving approval for new programs on the first pass. This workshop will provide an overview of the Not Accept actions from 2006-2007 and examine in depth the top 10 reasons why proposals are not accepted. Topics include: assessment, educational effectiveness, faculty, curriculum maps, budgets, capacity, and syllabi. We’ll also share examples of best practice and model elements, so you can avoid these all-too-common Substantive Change pitfalls.

Henry Hernandez, Substantive Change Manager, WASC; Substantive Change Committee Chair: Cecile Lindsay, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies, CSU Long Beach

W-5

Assessing Outcomes in Life Context: Generating Evidence for Learning in Student Affairs Domains

Click here for W-5 Assessing Outcomes in Life Context: Generating Evidence for Learning in Student Affairs Domains

Assessing learning outcomes in student affairs is challenging because it involves reframing our understanding of learning to include emotion and behavior as well as cognition. In this workshop, Jane Fried, a co-author of NASPA’s Learning Reconsidered: A Campus-Wide Focus on the Student Experience, will work with participants on ways to define and assess integrated learning outcomes, and relate them to the kinds of learning associated with general education and institutional mission.

Jane Fried, Professor of Counseling and Family Therapy, Central Connecticut State University

W-6

Going Full Cycle: Assessment, Engagement, Improvement

Click here for W-6 Going Full Cycle: Assessment, Engagement, Improvement workshop materials

In this workshop, participants will explore an assessment cycle designed to promote learning, empower faculty, and improve curriculum and programs. The cycle begins with a review of institutional culture and mission and is complete when assessment data is used to improve teaching/learning approaches. The strategies of the cycle are equally effective for general education and disciplinary majors, providing focus to curriculum and pedagogy and motivating students to achieve deep learning. The workshop will engage participants in the strategies of the assessment cycle and enable them to apply the approach to their respective institutions. Examples from multiple campuses will also be provided.

Amy Driscoll, Associate Senior Scholar, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; Swarup Wood, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, California State University, Monterey Bay.

W-7

How Do e-Portfolios Assess Learning?

Click here for W-7 How Do e-Portfolios Assess Learning workshop materials

This workshop will explore the challenges associated with eporfolio-based assessment, and ways to generate approaches that could work in participants’ institutional contexts. Workshop attendees will be actively involved in developing plans for hypothetical eportfolios for their own campuses. We will examine the emerging challenges, such as identifying assessment goals, audiences for assessment, and the eportfolio creation process. We will also discuss mechanisms for generating useful assessment data from eportfolios, including embedded assessment, automated counts, rubric creation, and scoring, and global and integrative assessments.

Susan Kahn, Director of IUPUI ePort and Director, Office of Institutional Effectiveness/Division of Planning and Institutional Improvement Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis; Judith Kirkpatrick, Professor Kapi'olani Community College; Yves Labissiere, Assistant Professor in University Studies Portland State University

W-8

Achieving the Dream: Student Success through a Culture of Evidence

This session will focus on how an institution can positively impact student success by using evidence to drive strategy development, assessment, and resource allocation/re-allocation. Topics include establishing institutional buy-in and commitment to success initiatives; using data to understand existing success issues; assessing programs and their impact; and monitoring effectiveness. Tools and techniques are drawn from the experience of South Texas College (a community college serving a 95% Hispanic student body of over 20,000), but are broadly applicable. Presidents and vice presidents, IR directors, faculty, and staff can all benefit from this highly interactive workshop.

Luzelma Canales, Director of Grant Development, Accountability and Management Services, South Texas College.

19 sat

Post-Conference Workshops on Saturday, April 19 10:30 am - 1:30 pm

W-9

Hosting a Visit - or How to Make the Visiting Team Fall in Love with Your Institution

Click here for W-9 Hosting a Visit workshop materials

Will you be hosting a site visit in the next year or two? This workshop provides detailed information on how to prepare for that all-important event. WASC staff will explain logistics, communication, agendas, team protocols, and strategies for hosting the visit. An experienced institutional host will share his best advice, along with tips for a successful visit. If you are wondering what questions the team is likely to ask, what evidence-gathering techniques they may use, and what practices for presenting themselves have worked well for other institutions, this workshop can offer some answers.

Therese Cannon, Executive Associate Director, WASC; Institutional representative: Keith Bell, Vice Provost for Academic Administration, Point Loma Nazarene University

W-10

How to Become WASC Accredited

Click here for W-10 How to Become WASC Accredited workshop materials

This workshop, now being required of all institutions prior to submitting their Eligibility application, is designed to help them do so successfully. Associate Director Richard Winn has overseen the eligibility process for more than four years and will bring that perspective to an overview of the entire process and to a review of each of the 23 Eligibility Criteria. Participants will review examples of successful applications, consider possible timelines, and have an opportunity to ask questions prior to expending time and resources on this demanding process. Consideration is given to the wide range of types of institutions that may apply and to how the process may be adapted to each.

Richard Winn, Associate Director, WASC.

W-11

Plagiarism-Proofing Institutions: Education, Course and Assignment Redesign and Enforcement

Click here for W-11 Plagiarism-Proofing Institutions: Education, Course and Assignment Redesign and Enforcement

"Cyber-plagiarism" or "copying and pasting" is the latest form of an age-old problem: stealing words or ideas. All sectors of higher education, from junior colleges to universities and graduate programs, struggle to encourage students to build on the work of others without plagiarizing it. In this workshop, we will share with participants efficient and effective approaches to reducing plagiarism on their campuses. These include: (1) interactive student workshops; (2) "plagiarism resistant" assignments and courses; (3) techniques for detecting plagiarism; (4) ways to deal with charges of plagiarism; and (5) helpful policy changes. Participants will leave this workshop with tools to strengthen academic integrity at their institutions.

Ida Jones, Professor of Business Law; Judith Scott, Adjunct Professor, Department of Communications, California State University, Fresno.

W-12

Implementing Student Learning-Centered Practices in Outcomes-Based Program Review

Click here for W-12 Implementing Student Learning-Centered Practices in Outcomes-Based Program Review

How do you implement a student learning-centered, outcomes-based program review process? Our research on "good practice institutions" has provided an array of strategies for doing so. Participants will have an opportunity to critique methods for engaging faculty and to discuss ways of addressing barriers to good practice. Participants will also examine the development and implementation of an outcomes-based program review model at one 4-year and one 2-year institution, including a peer-mentoring system to train faculty in outcomes-based assessment. This workshop is designed for those in the beginning stages of moving toward a learning-centered model of program review.

Marilee Bresciani, Associate Professor of Education, San Diego State University; and Cyd Jenefsky, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, John F. Kennedy University.

W-13

WASC’s New Rubrics and How You Can Use Them

Click here for W-13 WASC's New Rubrics and How You Can Use Them workshop materials

Since fall 2007, WASC visiting teams have been pilot-testing a set of four rubrics to guide their evaluation of campus Educational Effectiveness efforts. As appropriate, the team applies the rubrics to examine a campus's 1) student learning outcomes, 2) use of portfolios, 3) use of capstones, and 4) integration of student learning into program review. Increasingly, though, campuses are taking the initiative and using the rubrics to benchmark and improve their own practice, quite apart from visits. Participants in this session will review the latest versions of the rubrics, learn about their development as best practices indicators, and consider what teams will look for when visiting their campuses.

Mary J. Allen, consultant, former Director of the California State University Institute for Teaching and Learning, and Professor Emeritus of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield.

W-14

Engaged Learning within Immersive Worlds

This workshop will offer participants an overview of the surprisingly varied uses of immersive worlds such as Second Life by educators around the world. Workshop facilitators will highlight their potential for learning and pedagogy, inviting participants to think hard about how their faculty's teaching might be transformed within these new environments. Participants will explore student identity, best practices, policies governing use, and subject areas that fit well with the properties of Second Life. We presume no prior experience (or avatar!); participants will leave with an understanding of the educational uses of immersive worlds, a list of resources and working groups related to Second Life, and guidelines for launching and supporting these applications within higher education environments.

Susan E. Metros, Associate Vice Provost and Deputy CIO, Technology Enhanced Learning; Holly Willis, Research Assistant Professor and Director of Academic Programs, Institute for Multimedia Literacy, University of Southern California

Register For The 2008 WASC ARC

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Or, you can download the printable/downloadable form Here

Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina

1380 Harbor Island Drive. San Diego, California

Phone: (619) 291-2900

Location of the 2008 WASC Academic Resource Conference
Conference Group rate available until March 14, 2008. Subject to availability.
Click Here for more information and to reserve your guest-room!

 

Hilton San Diego Airport/Harbor Island

1960 Harbor Island Drive. San Diego, California

Phone: (619) 291-6700

Walking distance to conference hotel.
Click Here for more information and to reserve your guest-room!

 

Still looking for a hotel?

Please call the San Diego Convention & Visitor Bureau Reservation Line at (800) 350-6205 or visit them on the web at http://www.sandiego.org/nav/Visitors/WhereToStay/Hotels. Under the 'Find a Hotel' section at the top of the page, choose ' Shelter Island' as the neighborhood. All of these hotels will be within two miles of the Sheraton to make for an easy commute. And many of them still have availability.

There is not a charge for these reservations and they will be able to offer personalized service.

You may also want to check back with the Sheraton for availability. There are usually cancellations as we get closer to the conference.

Many Thanks to our Generous Sponsors

  • Academic Management Systems
  • College BASE
    Specialty Books, Inc
  • Think Education Solutions
  • TrueOutcomes

 

Sponsorship Opportunities

Click here to download ARC Sponsorship Opportunities and Benefits

Click here to download the ARC Sponsorship Reply Form

Click here to download the ARC Fact Sheet