Engaging Science, Advancing Learning: 
General Education, Majors, and the New Global Century

November 6 - 8, 2008       
Providence, Rhode Island

Call for Proposals

Deadline for the submission of proposals: April 18, 2008

This conference will examine the place and practice of science in college learning for a new global century. 

AAC&U’s Network for Academic Renewal invites proposals for conference sessions that feature practices engaging students with the power and centrality of science and with the global reach of science and technology in addressing the world’s urgent challenges.  Session proposals should offer ways to accelerate hands-on learning in science, both in general education and in majors, especially reforms that put critical inquiry, undergraduate research, and social responsibility at the center of the educational experience.  And/or they should address how to remove the many barriers—in campus culture and the reward systems—that still impede faculty efforts to teach “science as science is done.”  With decades of innovation in science teaching behind us, what are the most promising avenues for raising the quality and level of students’ engagement and achievement in science and scientific research?

Please review the entire proposal submission process outlined below to help you decide if this is something that you would like to do.We look forward to your proposal and participation.

Conference Themes
Writing a Strong Proposal
Session Formats
How to Submit a Proposal
Resources for Attendees of Your Session
Final Reminders
Dates to Remember

Important: After deciding to submit a proposal, please follow each step of the instructions and contact us if you have questions. Once you begin the submission form, you will not be able to save the proposal for submission at another time.

Conference Themes

Themes: The conference is organized around four elements needed to forge new understandings of the way science contributes to, and is shaped by, an overall framework for liberal education in the college years—vision, structures, designs, and assessment. The bullets that follow each heading are just a few examples of ways your proposal might explore one of these four elements.

1) Vision: Re-envisioning science education in the context of a contemporary, practical liberal education, where new ways of thinking about and “doing” science enriches overall learning in the college years and where a robust set of cross-cutting outcomes enhances goals for student learning in the sciences. Efforts in this area include developing rich science literacy outcomes for all graduates; fostering scientific “habits of mind” that can help solve society’s unscripted problems; broadening participation in science majors; and forging interdisciplinary connections in support of broad goals for student learning (to foster intellectual and practical skills, personal and social responsibility, etc.) 

• What sorts of knowledge, skills, and abilities should today’s science majors possess? What experiences in college will help them to consider advanced study? What will help them to be innovators and leaders in a variety of career fields? What will help them to contribute their skills and expertise to a larger good?  What is the role of cross-disciplinary learning for science majors?

• What analytical skills should all students acquire during their college education that will enable them to effectively evaluate and use scientific information? How do institutions help all students understand and use a scientific mode of inquiry and be sensitive to the rigor of science-based analysis?

• What knowledge base should all students acquire to prepare them to make informed decisions that include scientific perspectives? Is study in a single science discipline sufficient? How should historical foundations be balanced with current research findings?

• How have institutions re-envisioned introductory courses in science learning? How have technology and other tools created more engaged learning environments? How have institutions addressed the notion of introductory courses as “weeding out” students versus preparing them for further study?

• What needs to change in how we teach science in order to engage students more deeply along a set of essential outcomes? Does the new outcomes emphasis offer promise or peril for learning and achievement in science?

• How can colleges and universities working together create a positive climate for engaging science with far-reaching educational change? 

2) Structures: Developing policies, structures, and strategies that: support new forms of science learning in college; that help faculty raise the quality and level of science learning for all students, regardless of major; and that sustain collaboration among (a) departments within the sciences; (b) science faculty and faculty in the humanities, social sciences, and professional programs; (c) science faculty and student affairs professionals; and (d) science departments and community agencies. This area also includes strategies to increase participation of underserved groups in the sciences, to engage all students in further learning in the sciences through innovative general education/introductory courses, and to sustain innovative efforts over time.

• How can colleges and universities provide early—and recurrent—experiences with science research and problem-based studies?

• What institutional structures and policies exist to encourage faculty and staff to design creative science learning opportunities for all students, regardless of major? What incentives are there on campus for faculty and staff to participate in undergraduate research programs, service learning, and other forms of engaged learning practices?

• How have science faculty met research and teaching obligations in their departments while also forging collaborations with others on campus and in the community? How have departments and institutions worked to ensure that collaborative efforts are not just “added on” to existing workloads?

• How can faculty development programs help faculty across a variety of disciplines to raise the quality and level of science learning for all students, whether they major in the sciences, earn a certificate or minor, or take science within general education?

• What strategies have institutions employed to enhance the racial/ethnic and gender diversity of the science faculty? How are gains in diversifying the faculty sustained over time?

• How can colleges and universities work with high schools to better prepare students for powerful science experiences in college?

3) Design: Designing innovative curricular, co-curricular, and pedagogical practices that advance scientific knowledge, skills, and abilities of both majors and non-majors and that integrate science with other areas of knowledge (e.g., public policy, history, philosophy, literature, and art) to advance understanding of the place of science in all aspects of life. This area includes helping students undertake “science as science is done” and apply science learning to “big questions,” to unscripted problems, and in field-based settings.

• How can we move beyond menu-driven general education requirements to mre integrative designs for learning ? What designs have helped to connect the development of science knowledge with other outcomes of liberal education? What is the role of engaged learning practices (e.g., undergraduate research, service learning) in fostering science learning?

• How can faculty ensure that curricula are responsive to paradigm shifts and to changes in the scientific knowledge base? How can faculty help students address ethical considerations in research and in the use of scientific information?

• How can colleges and universities curb students’ eroding confidence in science skills that frequently occurs in the first year of college? How have institutions been successful in reaching students that do not “see themselves” as science majors?

• In what ways can scientific thinking be integrated with other areas of knowledge (public policy, history, philosophy, literature, and art) to advance understanding of the place of science in all aspects of life?

• There is evidence that community-based and lab-based research experiences improve learning for many and help to reduce the achievement gap for women and minority students. Should these experiences be included in the major curricula? In general education curricula? If so, how often, and when?

4) Assessment: Assessing learning to help ensure that students are developing science competencies in increasingly sophisticated ways over time and to help understand how science learning contributes to the achievement of an array of essential outcomes of college, including intellectual and practical skills, the development of personal and social responsibility, the integration of disparate areas of knowledge, and the application of this knowledge to new settings and contexts.

• What are some new approaches to assessing science learning and scientific “habits of mind”? What common “artifacts” exist across the sciences that could be used to assess student learning and program effectiveness?

• How can faculty discern whether particular educational designs are effective at enhancing particular outcomes among students?  How can assessment practices help faculty and staff better understand how science learning contributes to the achievement of an array of essential outcomes of college?

• What are we learning through widespread efforts to connect science and related disciplines to big global, health and policy challenges such as the environment or health?  What are we learning from projects that use technology to involve students in global investigations, multi-national teams and creative projects?

• How is field-based work in the sciences assessed, and what lessons from these contexts can be applied to other settings? How have field experiences, undergraduate research, service learning, and other engaged learning practices influenced the learning of science as well as the development of other outcomes in science students?  

• How have science faculty worked with institutional researchers and colleagues across campus to create more seamless assessment practices across the disciplines and over students’ educational careers?

Writing a Strong Proposal

The proposal consists of three parts: a session title, a brief session description, and a longer abstract.  Your proposal should be clear and concise and your session title should accurately reflect your session content.  Experts in the field and AAC&U staff will review all proposals.  Reviewers will look favorably upon proposals that (1) offer theories, research findings, practical models, and/or strategies that reflect one of the conference themes and have proven effective, (2) are innovative, and (3) identify the intended audience and goals for the session (including what attendees will gain from going to the session).

Tips

• Consider how your work might be useful to individuals at different types of institutions and/or those serving different student populations.
• Indicate if your session will: (1) combine the work of more than one institution, (2) illustrate perspectives of different organizational roles (e.g., faculty, department chairs, student affairs educators, academic advisors, librarians, students), or (3) focus on a specific audience. We particularly welcome student perspectives on your work and models of collaboration.
• Include facilitators who bring diverse perspectives and life experiences to the topic or issue your proposal addresses. AAC&U is committed to presenting conferences where sessions and participants reflect the pluralism of our campus communities.
• Show how your session will be interactive.  In AAC&U Network meetings, participants are actively engaged in discussion and activities during sessions. Please do not plan to read a paper. 
• Provide a clear sense of how your session will unfold and be prepared to discuss what worked, what did not, and how you addressed challenges along the way.
• Avoid “show and tell” submissions that have little or no applicability to other institutions.
• Present work that has proven effective and is well beyond the planning stages.

Below is a sample session title and description that clearly states the issue to be explored, provides supporting evidence, and discusses what participants should expect from their attendance.  Your abstract should provide greater detail about these aspects of the session.

Searching for Faculty of Color and Sustaining their Presence on Campus
Recent studies have shown that institutional context affects not only searches for faculty of color but also the socialization processes through which these faculty members negotiate their own cultural backgrounds alongside newly forged identities within the academy.  In this session, the facilitators will: (a) highlight emerging practices at institutions that successfully recruit and sustain faculty of color; (b) recommend strategies for institutions to increase the presence of faculty of color; and (c) share a set of socialization experiences of linguistic-minority women faculty.  Participants will explore implications for creating a “multi-contextual” campus culture that validates the importance of different ways of thinking and learning, and they will share their own institutional experiences and promising strategies related to the recruitment and success of faculty of color.

Session Formats

There are four session formats from which to choose:  (1) workshop, (2) basic and applied research information/model/discussion, (3) poster/demonstration, and (4) roundtable discussion.  Please select the format that will best facilitate participants’ understanding and potential use of your work.  One way to effectively engage participants across the different formats is to have them explore ways to apply your information and resources to their own institutional and professional settings. 

Workshop (90 minutes; two or three facilitators; room set in roundtables to support active learning)
Workshops provide participants an opportunity to engage the facilitator and each other in learning about the session topic and applying it to their unique situations.  Workshops should begin with a brief framing of an issue, theory, model, or process and include data, benchmarks and challenges, practical examples, and evidence that you and the participants can then use to examine and discuss the topic.  If you are sharing a campus-based project, provide an opportunity for workshop participants to apply the concepts to their own situations.  For example, if your work takes place at a research university, please facilitate discussion among participants as to how community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and comprehensive institutions might adapt your work to account for institutional differences. You might organize the participants into discussion groups by institution type or stage in the process (novice, intermediate, advanced) of work being addressed.  If your work is better suited to a particular type of institution or level of engagement, please make that clear. 

Proposals should: 

1. state clearly the problem or issue that you will address and to which theme it relates
2. indicate how your work has effectively addressed that problem or issue
3. indicate the outcomes participants should expect from your session and examples of how you will facilitate achievement of those outcomes 
4. describe the strategies you will use to engage participants in discussing, analyzing, synthesizing, and applying the information you will share
5. describe how your work might be applied to a particular or multiple sectors of higher education, i.e. large universities, liberal arts colleges, community colleges; describe the level to which your session is geared (novice, intermediate, advanced)
6. include links to relevant Web sites or electronic copies of the materials you will share (electronic copies of materials can be provided later)
7. include time for participants to discuss how the work might be used to achieve the stated goals or outcomes

Seminar (Research information/model/discussion sessions) (75 minutes; two or three facilitators; room set in roundtables)
This session should allow 20 minutes to provide research findings or overview of a model, 35 minutes to discuss practical applications; and 20 minutes for participant discussion.  Research information or models of institutional reform or assessment can stimulate creative problem-solving discussions.  Research session proposals should state the underlying research hypothesis, a brief explanation of the methodology, and a summary of the findings.  Practical applications should provide concrete steps for using the research to affect change.  Data, findings, and applications should be presented in ways that are accessible to participants and allow them to engage in a discussion about the implications of your findings.  Models might be presented visually as well as verbally and include strategies for implementation.

Proposals should:

1. state the hypothesis/problem your research addresses or describe the model
2. identify the theme that you will address
3. describe briefly the methodology and the parameters of the study
4. provide visual means of presenting findings and applications (e.g. handouts)
5. include time throughout the session for participants to discuss the implications of the findings and applications

Poster/Demonstration Sessions (60 minutes; one or two facilitators; 6 X 3 foot skirted table; electrical connections and other supports provided as available upon request)
Poster/demonstration sessions lend themselves well to combining visual displays of key information with written and verbal presentations and small group interaction to create a more individualized learning experience.  These sessions provide an opportunity for you to share your work with the full conference audience and they are a valuable way to initiate conversations with those of similar interest. These sessions can include 3’x 4’ boards to display visual charts, diagrams, pictures, graphs, etc. that demonstrate key findings.  They might also present the information through technological means or other types of visual displays that can be set-up on the 6’x3’ table provided. 

Proposals should:

1. clearly state the problem or issue that your display will address and to which theme it relates
2. indicate how your work has effectively addressed that issue
3. describe the visual data, display, etc. that you will provide including any special requests for technical assistance
4. indicate how the data or information will be useful to a particular or multiple sectors of higher education
5. include links to relevant Web sites or electronic copies of the materials you will share (copies of materials can be provided later)
6. include students or student perspectives in your presentation where relevant

NOTE:  Our ability to provide technical assistance is limited, but if you have a project for which you need such assistance, we are happy to explore the options with you.  Poster boards are provided upon request. 

Roundtable Discussions (60 minutes; one or two facilitators; roundtable of 10 during continental breakfast; no audio visual)
Roundtables are facilitated discussions among colleagues with a common interest.  They provide a valuable forum to network and reflect upon important topics in an informal setting.  Roundtable discussions may take one of the following approaches:

• Topic discussion/theoretical construct:  The facilitator briefly presents a topic of general interest and uses this opportunity to explore issues relevant among colleagues from a variety of positions and institutions to uncover new ways of thinking about shared interests.
• Case study/practice/strategy:  The facilitator prefaces the discussion with a brief overview of her/his work and a handout that includes a longer description, theory, data, models, bibliography, or other resources.  She/he may pose or invite a question to stimulate and/or focus the conversation so that others can share their own experience with the issue

Proposals should:

1. describe clearly the topic, theory, or practice that you will present for discussion, why it is compelling for those in higher education to address this issue, and to which theme it relates
2. indicate your experience in addressing the issue including the benchmarks of success, challenges, and outcomes of your work
3. indicate the outcomes participants should expect from the discussion and examples of how you will prompt and sustain conversation to achieve those outcomes
4. include links to relevant Web sites or electronic copies of the materials you will share (electronic copies of materials can be provided later)
5. include students or student perspectives where relevant

How to Submit a Proposal

Electronic Submission
Please submit your proposal online by filling in each field of the submission form as directed.  If you cannot submit the proposal electronically or encounter technical difficulties, please contact Siah Annand at Annand@aacu.org or 202.387.3760 ext. 802.

Deadline
Please submit your proposal by Midnight Pacific Time, Wednesday, April 16, 2008.

Notification
You should receive an automatic message indicating receipt of your proposal when submitted.  If you do not receive this message, we may not have received your proposal.  Please send an e-mail to Siah Annand at Annand@aacu.org to confirm receipt of proposal.

Acceptance
You will receive notification about the status of your proposal by Friday, May 23, 2008.

Registration Fees
All session facilitators at the conference are responsible for the appropriate conference registration fees, travel, and hotel expenses.  Please be sure all individuals in your proposal have this information and can be available to present at any time throughout the event.  Presentation times range from Thursday, November 6, 2008 beginning at 8:30 p.m. through Saturday, November 8, at 12:00 noon. Registration fees will be finalized this spring. Please expect a small increase from the 2007-2008 rates.

Resources for Attendees of Your Session

Conference participants like to have resource materials to help them implement and/or share new ideas when they return to campus.  In an effort to conserve natural resources, and increase the potential for active participation in your session, we strongly encourage facilitators to provide us with online resources one month in advance of the conference.

If your proposal pertains to a project, program, course, or other feature for which there is (or will be) descriptive materials available on the Web or electronically, please provide the URL address or e-document with your proposal, (or when they become available before the conference).  AAC&U’s Web site will include these links when we post the program.  After the conference, all presenters will be asked to provide additional electronic resources to make available to conference participants.

Final Reminders

Please complete all fields including information pertaining to all additional facilitators.

• Please include links to supplemental materials, if available.
• Please remember that by submitting a proposal, you agree to:
• Register and pay conference fees if the proposal is accepted
• Inform your co-facilitators about the proposal’s status and the need for all facilitators to pay the conference registration fees and be available throughout the event to present your work as scheduled.

Dates to Remember

• Wednesday, April 16, 2008:  Proposals due to AAC&U
• Friday, May 23, 2008  Proposal acceptance notification

MEETING LINKS

About the Conference:
  Overview
  Planning Committee
 

Call for Proposals:
  About the CFP
 

Conference Features:
  Schedule at a Glance
  Program Highlights
  Workshops
 

Registration:
  Information
  Hotel Details
  Online Registration
  Reg Form (pdf)
 

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