Academic Affairs Resources

"Millennial Learners"

"Prepping for job market: College vs. technical training"

"Are You Being Rigorous or Just Intolerant?"

"Liberal Arts at War"

"Teaching in the Time of Google"

An interesting essay about teaching during the information age.

"Classroom practice – Effortless learning is a dangerous illusion"

An article was discussed at an Academic Administrator’s meeting. We thought it may be of interest to you.

"When Students Say Grades 'Matter,' Give Them a Choice"

An article on the use of grade contracts as a way of increasing student responsibility for the grades they receive caught my attention. I have used them in the past and found them a useful tool for negotiating the amount of effort students were expected to put forth in order to reach a certain standard (i.e. receive a specific grade). Trickier is negotiating the quality of the work you receive as a result of the effort.

"Grant Boosts 'Early College' High School Effort"
A review of Dual Enrollment/Early College.

"Evidence of Remediation Success"

A review of a study about remediation success in Tennessee

"La Salle vs. Jolliet: A Rivalry for Trade and Colonization in the Illinois Country"

Written by our own Mark Walczynski and published by Le Journal. It examines the relationship between Joliet and La Salle.

"The New Canon"
A discussion about the significance of teaching the nature of evidence as a topic in your course

"A Forgotten Field Could Save the Humanities"

An article from the Chronicle about the role of philology in saving the humanities that caught my attention. As was pointed out to me, J.R.R. Tolkein was a philologist…

"Waiting for Us to Notice Them"

I came across this article that talks about a “pedagogy of presence”. I can’t tell you how much I like that phrase and the conceptual framework it hints at. While the article doesn’t spend enough time developing particulars, I am intrigued by the possibilities of what a “pedagogy of presence” could look like here at IVCC.

"How college students think they are more special than EVER"

An article passed along by Rebecca Donna with research findings about the nature of this generation of students.

"Seeking and Learning"

Dr. Corcoran’s article about IVCC's Honor’s Program,

"College Students Feel Prepared for Jobs. Employers Aren't So Sure"

Addresses a report by the organization Assoc. of Am. Colleges & Universities on the opinions of U.S. executives and U.S. college seniors and graduating community college students on job preparation.

"In an Evolving Career Landscape, How Should Colleges Prepare Students?"

Finally, I visited with our new full-time faculty members during their first orientation session this past week. I’m really excited about the energy they bring to us and can’t wait to watch them grow. Our brief visit centered on the role of community colleges. Overall, I think the biggest challenge is we are asked to do everything, and everything is the first priority. This was underscored by the articles I’ve attached from editions of this week’s Chronicle of Higher Education. The common thread is that those with college degrees should be able to “apply” what they know in the working world. How many of us could do that at 20? Isn’t that what we learned to do as we gained experience? What I have been grappling with for a long time is an apparent contradiction: Who, exactly, is the end user of the education we deliver? Our students? Or their employers? Based on this tension, what is an educator to do?

"I Owe It All to Community College."

Bob Hunter shared this article written by Tom Hanks on his two years at Chabot College.

"How, and Why, You Should Have Students Assess Themselves"

"The Coddling of the American Mind"

I’ve included a longer reading for this week. I’m curious if you see these trends with your students.

"3 Reasons Why Internal Communication At Small Schools Is So Hard"

I received this link about the challenges of internal communication within institutions of higher education. I was especially drawn to the connection between effective communication and levels of trust among institutional levels and departments. Please know you have my pledge to continue my efforts to build these institutional relationships.

"Make Yourself Immune to Secondhand Stress"

Lauri Carey shared this article with me. I thought it was worth sharing.

"These Videos Could Change How You Think About Teaching"