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Five Minutes with ACHE
August 2011
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Happy August!
I hope you are enjoying a great summer.
This last summer note is one of most sincere thanks to the ACHE 2011 Conference Planning Committee. The program, now on the conference website, is filled with sessions, keynotes and activities. Clare Roby provides outstanding leadership in weaving a thematic conference filled with important takeaways in the spirit of Sustainable Leadership. Presenters are enthusiastically preparing sessions to provide all of us with information, research and ideas that can be practically applied and considered in our respective places of work. Keynotes anchor the event, and thoughtfully link to the President’s Panel so we will leave the conference better prepared and informed to address the interesting opportunities and challenges that lie ahead of us as continuing educators.
As details fall into place, Jeffery Alejandro is working with the Local Arrangements committee and Terry Ratcliff with Exhibitors as we prepare for our arrival in Orlando. Our Home Office—Ynez, Rebekah and Ruth—provide stellar program oversight, and David Grebel is most instrumental as our conference “Finance Director Extraordinaire.” The last many months, and increasingly these last several weeks, have been filled with phone calls, meetings and emails with and from a committee that is exceptionally committed to ensuring a meaningful, productive and creative experience. You will see the implementation of many new ideas for our professional benefit. For all of these folks, I am grateful. Thank you!
As the 2011 Conference unfolds, ACHE officers and the Home Office continue to work on important, strategic initiatives for both our membership and our field. To this end, we will be partnering on the Summit on the Future of Online Learning, September 15-16, 2011, in Chicago. ACHE is jointly cosponsoring this event with UPCEA. The intent of this Summit is to bring together continuing education leaders to learn cutting edge developments in the field and to engage in active dialogue and planning about the role of continuing education with online learning. Since our members and many of the professionals in our field have either primary or secondary responsibilities for online learning, the content and discussion about the issues will be critical for us and our future.
This Summit promises to be an exciting forum. We have invited a number of knowledgeable presenters.
Panelists will include Frank Mayadas, Senior Advisor, Sloan Foundation; Ray Schroeder, Director, Office of Technology & Enhanced Learning, University of Illinois Springfield; Diana Oblinger, President & CEO, EDUCAUSE; Todd Leach, President of Granite State University; Sylvia Manning, President of the Higher Learning Commission; George Mehaffy, Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change, American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU); Martha Kanter, Undersecretary, US Department of Education (unconfirmed); and, Russ Poulin, Deputy Director, Research and Analysis, WCET. The theme of the Summit is looking back and looking forward at online learning. See the section "Words From the Home Office" below for addtional information.
Other important items that address both our current and future opportunities and challenges can be found in updates on our Strategic Plan and Council on Past Presidents. Immediate Past President Roxanne Gonzales will be meeting with our other past presidents at Orlando to discuss how they will be working together on future initiatives. Also coming soon will be feedback from our member survey. We have much going on!
Well-wishes as we approach a new Academic Year!
See you soon,
Tish
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 Members of ACHE and UPCEA will be meeting September 15 & 16 in Chicago for our first joint initiative, "The Summit on the Future of Online Learning." The Summit will be held at the Gleacher Center at the University of Chicago Graham School of Business. This joint event is intended to bring together continuing education leaders to learn cutting edge developments in the field and to engage in active dialogue and planning about the role of continuing education with online learning.
The impetus for this year's Summit has been ongoing dialogue between ACHE's and UPCEA's leadership. Much of this dialogue has centered on ways in which we can cooperate on issues and programs that will benefit our respective memberships and our shared field of adult continuing education. Throughout such discussions, we have considered similar areas of programming designed to help members develop strategies to manage and address professional challenges.
We anticipate that the Summit will lead to action steps we can take back to our respective organizations to ensure that continuing education remains in the forefront of the online learning evolution. High participant involvement is expected, and we are allowing considerable time for audience reaction to the presenters. All participants will be engaged in action step recommendations.
Registration for this event is being capped at 70 participants, 25 of which will be ACHE members. Given this fact, registration will be on a first come, first served basis. If you are interested in attending, please visit the Summit website. Registration is $299. A block of rooms has been reserved for us at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers at $189 per night. Questions? Please contact Ynez Walske at the ACHE home office by email at ywalske@acheinc.org or at 800-807-2243.
Call for Resolutions
Each year during our Annual Conference, we take a few minutes to recognize ACHE members who have retired or passed away since our last meeting. Please let us know about anyone we should add to this year's resolutions. Contact Ynez Walske at ywalske@acheinc.org with any information you may have.
ACHE Welcomes...
Along with Mary Rose Grant (profiled below), we would like to welcome the following new members to ACHE:
New Professional, Student, and Retiree Members
- Lynn Trinko
- David Waldherr
- Robert McManus
- Sean Bates
- Hsiao-wen Huang
- Edward Owens
On behalf of our membership, Board and Home Office, we look forward to knowing you, and thank you for choosing ACHE as your Network of Leaders in Continuing Higher Education. We look forward to meeting you all our upcoming annual conference or at one of our 2012 spring regional conferences! |
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Submitting to Five Minutes
If you have something to contribute to Five Minutes on topics of interest to continuing educators, please let us know. This is a great opportunity to share what you know with the membership of ACHE! – how to submit...
We are always interested to hear about success stories in continuing education, things that your units are doing to change the lives of adult students. In addition, we are always looking for articles on the following topics:
- Experiences in marketing a continuing education program
- A profile of a unique continuing education program at your institution
- Experiences as a professor in adult continuing education
- Article or book reviews
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Keynote speakers announced!
Joining us in Orlando as our keynote speakers:
- Dennis Snow, who will bring over 20 years experience with Walt Disney World Company in his talk Creating & Sustaining Leadership Excellence: Lessons from the Mouse
- Kristen Betts, Armstrong Atlantic State University's first Director of Online Learning. Dr. Betts’ expertise is in higher education, leadership, and online and blended education, and she will speak on Bold Thinking about Innovation & Collaboration
- Jim Wexler, Executive Vice President at BrandGames, will speak on How to Engage the Next Generation Student. Wexler consults educational institutions and corporate clients on "Gamification" – how to drive engagement, change behavior, and build customer relationships using game mechanics.
Find out more information about our keynote speakers and their topics
Session details have been updated
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Concurrents, Workshops & Roundtables
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Session tracks will include:
- Online Programming
- Student Services
- Program Development
- Leadership/Research
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- Faculty Development
- Marketing
- Budgeting
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New this year! Certification tracks to be offered
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**New** Certification tracks! |
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ACHE has partnered with the Habit Change Company and the Commission for Accelerated Programs (CAP) to offer two certification tracks. Note that both of these opportunities require additional registration.
Habit Change Coaching Workshop ~ The Habit Change Company is offering you the chance to complete 6 hours of a 42-hour foundational course. After completing the pre-conference day course, you then have the option to complete the full certification online.
Excellence in Accelerated Program Administration Certificate ~ The Commission for Accelerated Programs (CAP) is offering a certification program specifically designed for those who lead, or wish to lead or administer, an accelerated program in higher education. This certification, offered in three phases, is entitled Excellence in Accelerated Program Administration.
Please check here for additional information.
Join us poolside for our Opening Reception...
 Break out your pool wear for this year's Opening Reception as we gather poolside at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. During our meet and mingle reception, chat with old friends and make new ones as you enjoy a menu featuring great regional flavors and a banana split station. Don't miss it!
When: Thursday, October 13 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Expected Weather: Highs in the 80s, lows in the 60s |
Welcome New Members
We are taking some time in each edition of Five Minutes this year to profile ACHE members who joined the association during the last year. We're excited to learn a little bit about these new faces and hope you will be as well.
Name: Mary Rose Grant, Ph. D.
Title: Associate Dean, UMSL Online
Institution: University of Missouri, St. Louis
Personal/Professional Interests: Emerging Trends in Online Teaching and Learning, Adult Learners in Virtual Environments, Generational Learning Styles, Service Learning Online, and Servant Leadership in Academe
My personal interests include spending time with my family, traveling and running; I have completed in seven marathons including the Boston Marathon.
Areas of Responsibility: I currently oversee the Office of Online Learning, UMSL Online, at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. This newly created office is charged with centralization of the processes and procedures for design and development of all new online courses/programs and the faculty who teach online. We are responsible for ensuring the quality of online courses and ultimately for improving student access and learning.
Thoughts on ACHE: I attended my first ACHE conference in 2001 and have participated as a conference presenter ever since… I didn’t know I wasn’t a member until I switched jobs last summer, and in my new position at UMSL, was added to the membership. So maybe I am just a born again member of ACHE! No matter, over the years I have learned a lot about adult learning and adult learners, as well as about the mission we are called to support in our institutions. The connections and partnerships forged because of this association have been extremely beneficial to me. I have been able to keep abreast of the trends and future of Continuing Higher Education across many arenas. It amazes me how so many people and organizations, coming from multiple perspectives, share experiences and collaborate to continually expand this learning community and the vast body of information and expertise that exists within it. |
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Summer Academe editorial board announces call for submissions
Submission deadline: September 1, 2011
The editorial board of Summer Academe: A Journal of Higher Education is pleased to announce a call for submissions for their 2012 edition. Summer Academe will be published annually in an online format with the first issue of the "renewed" journal expected in early 2012.
Summer Academe is a professional journal published jointly by
The North American Association of Summer Sessions (NAASS), along with the Association of University Summer Sessions (AUSS), the North Central Conference on Sumer Sessions (NCCSS), and the Western Association of Summer Session Administrators (WASSA). It has provided university and college administrators,
deans and directors of summer sessions, and faculty involved in teaching and programming in
summer sessions with a source of current research and best practices in summer session
administration and pedagogy since 1998.
Click to view submission requirement and details.
17th Annual Sloan-C International Conference on Online Learning
November 9-11, 2011
“Online Learning, Teaching, and Research in the New Media Ecology”
November 9-11, 2011
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, Lake Buena Vista, FL
The theme of this year’s conference is “Online Learning, Teaching, and Research in the New Media Ecology.” It’s clear we are witnessing rapid and ongoing changes in how we communicate and represent ideas and these changes have profound consequence for how we know, learn, think, and teach in higher education and beyond. The dizzying pace of change is evident as established conventions of online education are now challenged by emerging means of access, such as mobile and cloud computing, new forms of communication such as video streaming and real-time information networks, and innovative modes of participation represented in new social media. Millions of online students are at the forefront of this evolving landscape and it’s crucial we gain a clear understanding of pedagogies, policies, and practices that leverage the new media ecology to support our students learning.
Our understanding needs to be rooted in solid research that can promote best practices. We are confident that this year’s conference will create opportunities for learning, networking, and sharing that will make this a reality. Our keynote and plenary speakers each have a unique perspective on the promises and pitfalls of the new media ecology. Lee Raine, Director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project has vast experience in studying the impacts of the digital age on the citizens of the United States. His insights on topics ranging from the digital divide, health, safety, gaming, teens, and social networking in the age of the internet will provide breadth in our investigation of the new media ecology for learning.
Additionally, Cable Green, Director of eLearning and Open Education for the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges will help us to focus in depth on the new Open Educational Resources movement which inevitably leads to discussions of the crucial topic of the economics of higher education. Cable’s participation also marks the opening of a new track in the 2011 conference dedicated to issues surrounding Open Educational Resources.
Adding another dimension to our theme is cognitive neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf, author of Proust and the Squid, who will share with us her research on the transition from a reading brain to an increasingly digital one. This work holds promise in illuminating the evolution of human intelligence, and the choices we might face in shaping that future through online education.
We eagerly anticipate your participation in this year’s meeting. We firmly believe that the theme and speakers we have identified are timely and essential and we look forward to your contributions. The many forums for participation include both face-to-face and online modes. Our new venue, the award-winning Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin featuring the Mandara Spa, 17 spectacular restaurants and lounges, five pools, a white sand beach and much more promises to be a well-appointed backdrop to the stimulating conversations at this year’s event. We urge you to attend the premier annual gathering of professionals concerned with the future of online education.
The conference strongly encourages presentation and workshop proposals that reflect the implications for the field of specific e-learning experience and practices. We are looking for proposals that are innovative and cutting edge and will provide important take-aways for participants. Proposals that address blended learning, issues of diversity, international applications of online learning, open educational resources, social networking, online learning and community colleges, and/or K-12 online education are especially encouraged. Last year’s conference attracted 1200+ onsite and over 250 virtual participants to more than 230 presentations, as well as 60 exhibits, 40 vendor showcase sessions, 18 total pre- and post-conference workshops, keynote and plenary addresses, and a variety of other special events.
Conference tracks highlight and demonstrate research, application and effective practices in the following areas:
- K-12 Online Education
- Faculty and Professional Development and Support
- Open Educational Resources*
- Learning Effectiveness
- Technology and Emerging Learning Environments
- Student Services and Learner Support
- Leadership, Values and Society
(* The OER track is a new addition to the 2011 Program.)
For additional information on the conference, visit our website at www.sloanconsortium.org/aln , call (781) 583-7561, or email conference@sloanconsortium.org.
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