 |
 |
| John Gardner |
Betsy Barefoot |
On January 26, 2012, at the AAC&U Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., The New American Colleges and Universities (NAC&U) will present the 2012 Boyer Award to renowned scholars and practitioners Betsy Barefoot and John Gardner. Following the presentation, Barefoot and Gardner will reflect on their efforts to create environments that effectively promote student success. Founders of the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education, they have worked with colleges and universities internationally to improve student learning and retention. Currently, the Institute’s work focuses on implementing a set of aspirational standards for first-year and transfer students.
The Boyer Award honors the legacy of Ernest Boyer and celebrates the collective mission of NAC&U’s members – to integrate liberal education, professional studies and civic responsibility by drawing connections across the disciplines, between general education and the major, between faculty and students, between the classroom and campus life, between traditional education and life-long learning, and between the campus and the larger world.
Session Details:
Title: All in a Life’s Work: Improving Institutional and Student Success
Date: Thursday, Jan. 26
Time: 10:30-11:45 a.m.
Location: Independence FG
Speakers: Richard Guarasci, president, Wagner College; Levester Johnson, vice president of Student Affairs, Butler University
NAC&U will be joined by Timothy Wong, recipient of the AAC&U 2012 K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders award. Wong, a doctoral candidate at the University of California – Irvine, is the son of Frank Wong, a university professor and provost who, along with Ernest Boyer, founded The New American Colleges and Universities.
Leaders from NAC&U will also present “The Role of Place in 21st Century Higher Education,” with moderator Harold Baillie, provost, The University of Scranton. Several NAC&U members will discuss their approaches to creating an institutional culture and curriculum that promotes students’ understanding of the role of place by intentionally integrating the local in the global and global in the local. From the perspective of president and provost, they will briefly describe how their institutions are ensuring that these concepts and practices are being woven into the fabric of the institution: its mission, strategic planning processes, general education, and co-curricular programs.
Session Details:
Title: The Role of Place in 21st Century Higher Education
Date: Thursday, Jan. 26
Time: 4:15 – 5:30 p.m.
Location: Independence FG
Panelists: Thomas Burns, provost, Belmont University; Jamie Comstock, former provost, Butler University; Thomas Kazee, president, University of Evansville; Steven Michael, provost, Arcadia University; Thomas Rochon, president, Ithaca College; Charles Taylor, vice president for academic affairs, Drury University; Terry Weiner, provost, The Sage Colleges
Conference-related links from AAC&U:
AAC&U press release
Download the conference guide mobile app
AAC&U blog
Follow the conference on Twitter with the hashtag #aacu12.
 NAC&U Members Ranked Among U.S. News’ Top Online Degree Programs
 Drury University’s undergraduate online education and online graduate programs at The University of Scranton, Samford University and Stetson University were ranked among the top programs in the country according to U.S. News & World Report.
In online graduate programs in Business, The University of Scranton ranked #1 in Student Engagement and Accreditation, #13 in Student Services & Technology, and #60 in Faculty Credentials and Training. In the same category, Stetson University ranked #77 in Faculty Credentials and Training, #132 in Student Engagement and Accreditation, and #134 in Student Services and Technology.
In online graduate Education programs, Scranton ranked #2 in Student Engagement and Accreditation, #16 in Faculty Credentials and Training, and #54 in Student Services and Technology.
In online graduate Nursing programs, Samford University ranked #31 in Faculty Credentials and Training, #36 in Student Engagement and Accreditation, and #56 in Student Services and Technology.
In undergraduate online education, Drury University ranked #18 in Faculty Credentials and Training, #123 in Student Engagement and Assessment, and #132 in Student Services & Technology.
In its first ranking list of online education, U.S. News ranked 196 online bachelor's degree programs and 523 online master's degree programs in business, engineering, nursing, education, and computer information technology. Programs ranked have at least 80 percent of their course content available online.
For more information: Read the entire article | Samford | Scranton | Stetson |
Wagner President Speaks at the White House
 Wagner College president Richard Guarasci described his institution’s role in Staten Island’s Port Richmond Partnership recently at a White House event. The event was convened to release a new U.S. Department of Education report, entitled “A Crucible Moment: College Learning and Democracy’s Future.” Guarasci was one of 11 national higher education leaders who sat on the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement that created the report, which highlights the need to revitalize the civic element of American higher education.
Guarasci described how, 14 years ago, Wagner College created a new curriculum called the Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts that links clusters of courses — called “learning communities” — with real-world problems through service learning activities. Read more.
 Arcadia, Nazareth Named to 2012 Guide to Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities
Arcadia University and Nazareth College were included in the 2012 Guide to Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities. The guide, compiled by Military Advanced Education, is a journal dedicated to the higher learning of today’s service members. For more information: A full list of schools | Nazareth |
Videos Added to NAC&U YouTube Channel
Second NAC&U Boyer Award will be Presented to Barefoot, Gardner
|
|
| John Gardner |
Betsy Barefoot |
NAC&U will again honor an exemplary husband-and-wife team as recipients of the Ernest L. Boyer Award. John Gardner and Betsy Barefoot are best known for reforming the First-Year Experience, having founded the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education in North Carolina. Both Drs. Gardner and Barefoot have dedicated their careers to improving the experience of students in transition, whether freshmen or transfer students. The Center has recently expanded its mission to focus on excellence through the entire undergraduate experience. The award will be presented at the AAC&U annual meeting on January 26, 2012. |
