“Foster Student Success” – call for proposals

Call for Proposals

Fall Conference

Friday, October 9, 2009

“Fostering Student Success:

Critical Collaborations between Academic Affairs and Student Affairs on Campus”

Keynote Speaker: Richard J. Light, Ph.D. is a professor in the Graduate School of Education and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University

Conference Theme: Student success is best achieved when there is creative collaboration between academic and student affairs professionals and an understanding that student success is dependent on a learning environment that highly regards student engagement.  This full-day conference on Fostering Student Success will feature innovative programs and best practices highlighting a learning-centered model that utilizes cross-campus collaborations, both inside and outside the classroom, to increase student success and improve retention for traditional and non-traditional learners.

Conference Location: Hogan Campus Center, College of the Holy Cross, 1 College Street, Worcester, MA 01610

Proposal Submission Guidelines: The Program Committee seeks proposals for one-hour  workshop sessions which demonstrate best practices in programs for promoting student success, engagement and retention, ideally with an emphasis on cross-campus collaborations between and among academic affairs, student affairs and other campus departments.  Workshop session topics could include, but not be limited to, the following themes:

• Promoting Student Engagement in the Classroom
• Successful Advising Models/Strategies
• Creative Student Retention Initiatives
• Successful Transitions: High School to College
• Effective First Year Programs
• Learning Communities
• Serving Students with Special Needs
• Early Warning Programs for At Risk Students
• Success Strategies for Non-traditional Learners
• Enhancing  Time-Management and Study Skills for Students
• Promoting Student Involvement Outside the Classroom

Proposals will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

• Relevance to the conference theme
• Clarity and coherence of the session description/plan
• Relevance to the interest of conference participants
• Evidence of audience engagement in session

Application of session’s content to provide useful “take-away” information for session participants

Proposal Submission Deadline: Wednesday, September 16, 2009 Notification of Acceptance Monday, September 28, 2009

Submit proposals to:

Susan C. Wyckoff, PhD

Vice President for Academic Affairs

Colleges of Worcester Consortium

swyckoff@cowc.org (Electronic submissions only, please)

Questions can be directed to the Proposal Review Committee:

Catherine WoodBrooks, Assumption College, cwoodbro@assumption.edu

Janet Richardson, WPI, jbrich@wpi.edu

Libba Moore, Nichols College, libba.moore@nichols.edu

Proposal Format: (Please number the sections of your proposal.)

1. Lead Presenter Information (all correspondence regarding this proposal will be sent to this person only):
   • Name
   • Position Title
   • Institution
   • Street Address, City, State, Zip Code
   • Daytime Phone
   • Email Address
   • Fax Number
2. Additional Presenter(s), if any (same information as in #1)
3. Title of Session (subject to editing)
4. Session Abstract: (for inclusion in conference program, 100 words maximum, subject to editing).  Since the title and abstract are the “marketing piece” which will attract participants to your session, please be as concrete and descriptive as possible about what will take place during your session.
5. Session Summary (250 words maximum)
   • Description of session and session format (lecture, panel, small group activity, etc.)
   • Statement of objectives/outcomes:  What will participants learn from your session?
   • Target audience for session (faculty, administrators, faculty advisors, student affairs professionals, etc.)
6. Session Needs:

Please indicate any specific needs for the proposed session (laptop, projector, flip chart, etc)

Pics from the Summer Institute!

Many, many thanks to Colin Adams for these great photos!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carafox/sets/72157618512289507

Summer Institute, Part 2

Please click the link below to read the evaluation of the session

SI2009evalresults

Summer Institute – Day One

Learning Outside the Classroom was the focus for SI Wednesday. With 25 participants and 11 guest speakers (six of them BCC students), a lively dialog ensued. Highpoints included:

- John Reiff’s presentation on the five elements of service-learning: preparation, action, reflection, evaluation, celebration

- Participants with blindfolds walking the trust line to get an experiential feel for the obstacles students encounter at community college (led by Louise Hurwitz)

- Carol Hilderbrante and Tom Troiano talking about their work at Salvation Army’s juvenile life skills course

- Visions of study abroad and field tripping with Graziano Ramsden of MCLA and Lois Cooper and Tom Tyning

- Five BCC students and two Crosby Elementary Students talking about math tutoring as service learning

- Faculty at round tables engaging across disciplines about student learning and teaching approaches

Tomorrow we shift to “Learning 2.0″ – where technology becomes the medium for getting outside the classroom… more soon

Summer Institute starts today!

Soon 28 BCC Faculty and Staff will arrive shortly for Learning Outside the Classroom & Learning 2.0 – will report on the outcomes later today…

Call for Proposals ISSOTL

The Intl Society of SOTL has a call for proposals for papers, roundtables, posters, or panels for their next meeting, Oct 22-25, 2009 at Univ of Indiana, Bloomington. Proposals should relate to three broad themes (they are really very broad), and indicate the literatures, methods, evidence, and conclusions in play. Deadline for proposals is June 1, and full information is at: http://issotl09.indiana.edu/call.html

FAQ on BCC Summer Institute

FAQ on the BCC Summer Institute, May 20-21

Q. Is it all about technology?

A. It’s all about learning outside the classroom: first day focus is service learning, field trips, study abroad, experiential learning — pretty low-tech! Day 2 will focus on web 2.0 technologies in the context of supporting student learning

Q. Can I come to just Day 2?

A. The two-day program actually is a complete experience. Email me if you have questions; it may be possible.

Q. Day 2 might be way beyond my level…

A. We have a guest speaker who will put the technology in a classroom context: doable and potentially time-saving. The workshops will be focus on 1-3 easy things you can do to incorporate the tech in a pedagogically sound way. 

Q. Will there be outside presenters?

A. We will have presenters from HCC, GCC, HVCC, Boston College, and UMass Amherst. We will also have presentations from our own faculty and staff.

 

New England Sloan-C Conference

Click on the link below for information on the first New England Regional Sloan-C conference, to be held in Portland, ME on October 30, 2009.

http://www.learn.maine.edu/sloan/