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An Academic Vision for Mitchell College. Why an Academic Vision? Pathway Through Whitewater: Intense Competition Price Inelasticity Indistinct Profile Brand inflexibility and student draw Why not programs? No sweet spot Generic fields owned by publics and for-profits
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Why an Academic Vision? • Pathway Through Whitewater: • Intense Competition • Price Inelasticity • Indistinct Profile • Brand inflexibility and student draw • Why not programs? No sweet spot • Generic fields owned by publics and for-profits • Technical fields owned by the community colleges • Short windows of dominance
Whither Mitchell? • Think: • Alverno (Assessment-based Curriculum) • Deep Springs (Study/Work balance) • St. John’s, MD (Great Books) • Evergreen College (Collaborative learning) • All are known beyond their range. • Mitchell can be known beyond its range for its teaching model.
Parameters of the Vision • Collective Commitment • Long-term Commitment • Guidance for • Academic program development • Review • Professional development • Future appointments
Six Statements to Frame a Vision • A collective model of teaching/learning at Mitchell, driven by… • The belief that the goal is the achievement of learning and that the pathways our students may take will vary by their needs
Six Statements to Frame a Vision • A collective model of teaching/learning at Mitchell, driven by… • The belief that the goal is the achievement of learning and that the pathways our students may take will vary by their needs • A living/learning model that backs each student’s learning goals
Six Statements to Frame a Vision • A collective model of teaching/learning at Mitchell, driven by… • The belief that the goal is the achievement of learning and that the pathways our students may take will vary by their needs • A living/learning model that backs each student’s learning goals • A classroom culture that nurtures learning, supported by a student-owned contract that empowers their inquiry, calls all of us to an honor code, and regulates disruptive behaviors
Six Statements to Frame a Vision • A collective model of teaching/learning at Mitchell, driven by… • The belief that the goal is the achievement of learning and that the pathways our students may take will vary by their needs • A living/learning model that backs each student’s learning goals • A classroom culture that nurture learning, supported by a student-owned contract that empowers their inquiry, calls all of us to an honor code, and regulates disruptive behaviors • Major outcomes that “demonstrate” or “speak to”
Six Statements to Frame a Vision • A collective model of teaching/learning at Mitchell, driven by… • The belief that the goal is the achievement of learning and that the pathways our students may take will vary by their needs • A living/learning model that backs each student’s learning goals • A classroom culture that nurture learning, supported by a student-owned contract that empowers their inquiry, calls all of us to an honor code, and regulates disruptive behaviors • Major outcomes that “demonstrate” or “speak to” • The professional development to make the model live
To Realize the Vision, We Need To • Assure that the Mitchell expectation of what needs to be learned in each content area reaches the same level of achievement • Identify the student pathways we will embrace and create an instructional toolbox • Implementation Will • Be a multi-year process • Occur in increments as we reinvent parts of courses and programs • Be supported
Some Toolbox Options • Digital Tools • Video tutorials • Portfolios • Adaptive learning software • iTunes University, et al • Pedagogical Tools • Mastery learning • Project-based learning • Dual-format assignments • Flipped classroom formats • Learning-disability-sensitive techniques • Contracts • Team-centric learning • Peer models • Honors-enriched curricula
Next Steps • Full-time Faculty Commitment • Spring 2014: Each FT faculty member will implement one toolbox innovation into at least one course • Will allow MC to plant a public stake • Expectations of Students • Contract • Extended First-Year Seminar • Initial Planning for Adjuncts to Participate
The Vision, When We’re There • A multiple-learning-style college for top performers and the learning challenged • A communitarian college where student-to-student support is incentivized and valued • A college where full-time and extended faculty partner to propagate learning across the campus