Aligning with PebblePad’s own values of furthering higher education with innovation to support student achievement, AAC&U’s flagship Conference on Learning and Student Success (CLASS) and Forum on Digital Innovation was an incredible event to connect with those just as passionate about the future of higher ed in the United States.
The future is bright for higher education in America; at least that was PebblePad’s key takeaway from attending AAC&U’s CLASS event in San Juan, Puerto Rico this April. Supporting student success during times of uncertainty is nothing new for higher ed professionals in the U.S., but this year has been particularly tumultuous with education under pressure from the new White House administration. AAC&U’s event felt like a breath of fresh air, serving as a reminder of the resilience and promise of higher education. From thought-provoking plenaries and inspiring breakout sessions to meaningful one-on-one conversations during networking hours, the PebblePad team left AAC&U’s event invigorated and with a renewed sense of hope about the state of higher ed in America.
Building communities
Hundreds of deans and department chairs; senior campus leaders; student and academic affairs professionals; program directors; diversity professionals; and others dedicated to the higher education mission attended AAC&U CLASS. The feeling of a community coming together was palpable, especially during the opening plenary session entitled, ‘Beyond Rankings: Reimagining Teaching, Learning, and Student Success in Turbulent Times.’
The dynamic panel discussion highlighted how institutions can create inclusive learning journeys in and out of the classroom to prepare students for lives of purpose with panelists encouraging us to move away from collegiality and towards collaboration. Meeting students where they are by democratizing change and prioritizing accessibility; being willing to make communities more dynamic through inflection; and seeing education as being about connection instead of exclusion were all strong themes throughout the opening plenary.
‘Moving from silos to systems’ was the focus of Dilcie Perez’s contribution to the panel discussion. As Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs at The California State University, Perez emphasized the critical importance of both two-year community colleges and universities. She urged us to get real about the fact that our institutions are often not designed for the students we serve—they are designed to weed them out—her words acting as a stark reminder of the systemic issues we face in higher education.
“One of the most impactful points for me was Perez’s concern about losing students without understanding why, when, or where,” says PebblePad’s Marketing Director Ali McHugh. “She worries that we are becoming desensitized to the students we lose, which is a serious issue. Her goal was to close the equity gap, but instead, it has widened. This was a sobering realization that despite our efforts, we are still losing students, particularly at the critical second-year mark.”
Future-ready students
Career readiness and preparing students to enter the workforce is always a hot topic in higher ed, but the content of presentations throughout CLASS highlighted its importance now more than ever. ‘Preparing a Career Ready Workforce through Interdisciplinary Faculty Collaborations’ was one such breakout session featuring presenters from the University of Connecticut’s Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills.
The Center’s Director, Nancy Blimes, and Career Readiness Program Designer, Kaitlyn Anderson, highlighted the importance of faculty embedding employability skills directly into the classroom. With support from career services integrated into course curriculum instead of just sending students to the career department, students are more likely to engage in career readiness activities.
One way this is being accomplished at the University of Connecticut is by embedding NACE competencies in the classroom. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has identified eight key skills that employers look for and that predict career success. These skills are often taught in classes, but students might not realize it or know how to talk about them to employers.
As Blimes and Anderson shared in their presentation, clearly highlighting these skills in courses and giving students chances to practice and talk about them can help learners become more prepared for their careers and feel more confident. Importantly, this approach also promotes fairness and a sense of belonging among students.
ePortfolios and folio thinking
One transformative practice to prepare students to enter the ever-changing workforce is the use of ePortfolios. When done well, ePortfolios and folio thinking make a discernable impact on the success of a student’s learning journey. PebblePad experts shared how five institutions across three continents are leveraging high impact practices (HIPs) alongside ePortfolios during its breakout session, ‘Proving that ePortfolios are HIP—and a Secret Sauce to Empower the Integrative Elements.’
Tracy Penny Light, Vice-President of Academic Affairs and Provost (Interim) at Capilano University, shared how high-impact faculty development initiatives are reshaping teaching and learning. Session attendees also heard from Missy Beers, Senior Director of GE Bookends at The Ohio State University, who shared how OSU employs the large-scale use of ePortfolios across its General Education Bookends Program to enhance the student experience in and out of the classroom.
PebblePad founder and Chief Academic Officer, Shane Sutherland, and Director of Learning Partnerships, Gail Ring, then led a global tour of case studies. They started with the University of Edinburgh to explore PebblePad’s undergraduate research and scholarly activity model and how it’s been adopted by institutions worldwide, including at the University of Waterloo.
Next, there was a look at Griffith University in Australia with Sutherland and Ring sharing how pioneering programs at the university prepare students for both career success and global citizenship. An interactive and engaging Q&A session concluded the session with attendees expressing excitement about how PebblePad can support their own HIPs strategies.
Bright times ahead
Although tensions are high and many pillars of higher ed in the US are being challenged, AAC&U’s CLASS event served as a much-needed beacon of light. It showed us all that there are still so many educators putting in the work, embracing innovative thinking, and supporting the real value of an education—helping students grow personally, academically, and professionally.
Most importantly, the event reminded us that our resilience will see us overcome any challenge to ensure the future success of our learners remains protected.
