VP Horvath hosts "Can We Talk?" for academic division

Can We Talk?

An All Academic Affairs Meeting
Thursday, May 19
10:00 - 2:30 (includes light lunch)
Fenton 105

2:30 Closing Reception
Fenton 127 (English Reading Room)

Memo from Vice President Ginnie Horvath to faculty and staff

Before heading into summer, let's make time for those who are interested to join conversations about a number of topics of the past year. All are welcome to join in this opportunity to breathe a collective sigh of relief, reflect on some of what we've learned this year, and identify areas to consider for the summer and beyond. At the close of the day, we'll have a short reception to recognize and thank members of our division who are stepping down from their current roles.

We will have very brief presentations on these areas, followed by opportunities for small-group discussion and providing ideas and feedback:

• Red Balloon Book Dialogues: What ideas did the selected books and George Mehaffy's visit in March generate? What makes sense for Fredonia? How useful was this process for initiating conversations about issues in higher education?
   
• Fredonia Students in the 21st Century: Jacky Swansinger, Coordinator of Campus Assessment, will lead a discussion of the skills and knowledge we think Fredonia students should have.
   
• General Education: What have we learned from the work undertaken by the CCC Committee this year and its subcommittees? What lessons or ideas have been prompted by participation in state-wide and national discussions? What ideas should inform and guide Fredonia's team at the AAC&U Institute on General Education and Assessment in June?
   
• Blended Courses: The AASCU Academic Affairs meeting this July--the next stage in the Red Balloon Project--will focus on models for blended courses: courses that use some shared content and perhaps some independent components blended with meaningful, face-to-face interactions and instruction. Our discussion will be an overview of what is meant by "blended courses," what the AASCU project could mean for us, and who might want to participate in further discussions.
   
• Next Steps: What should be done to prepare for the Middle States Monitoring Report next winter? How might ideas from today's conversation fit with the drafting of the next Fredonia strategic plan?