Preparations are under way for the League’s 11th annual Innovations Conference, March 2-5, 2008, in Denver, Colorado. Join us for this gathering of today’s foremost education professionals to share expertise and explore the latest developments in the community college. Innovations provides a forum for collaboration among community college practitioners and scholars, and offers participants access to the most inventive programs and the leading community college professionals in the field.

The conference will be held at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in the heart of downtown Denver. Early registration opens November 11, 2007. For additional information about Innovations 2008, contact Stella Perez at perez@league.org or (480) 705-8200.

Bing Thom, Developer, Innovative Learning Spaces, presents Authenticity in an Age of Globalization: The Role of Architecture in Education. Thom is a global thinker who through the strength of his architecture has encouraged communities in Canada and around the world to raise their ambitions and strive to improve their condition. He is an award-winning architect, influential urban planner, teacher, lecturer, researcher, and advocate of multiculturalism.

Irwin Kirsch, Director, Center for Global Assessment, Educational Testing Service presents America’s Perfect Storm: Three Forces Changing Our Nation’s Future. Kirsch is the Director of the Center for Global Assessment at Educational Testing Service. He currently manages several large-scale project surveys including the Adult Education Program Study with the U.S. Department of Education and the Literacy Assessment and Monitoring Program with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Mark Lewine, 2006 Outstanding Professor, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Cuyahoga Community College, presents Our Challenge for the Next Forty Years: Keep the Door Open. Lewine is a Professor of Anthropology at Tri-C, and beyond his recent Carnegie Professor of the Year Award, his work and publications on historical archaeology and stratification in academic culture have earned international recognition and a number of additional commendations.

Sandy Shugart, President, Valencia Community College, presents Big Ideas With Consequences for Teaching, Learning, and Leading in a Community College. Shugart serves as the fourth president of Valencia Community College, one of the nation’s largest two-year colleges, and the second largest producer of graduates in the country. Shugart will focus on Valencia’s learning-centered approach to higher education, award-winning economic development initiatives, and outstanding academic programs.