Seizing the Moment: From Crisis to Opportunity

*Information subject to change

Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, November 14.

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

8:00-9:45 AM Pacific; 9:00-10:45 AM Mountain; 10:00-11:45 AM Central; 11:00 AM-12:45 PM Eastern

Understanding and Facing Current Challenges in Community College Education

The Learning Summit will begin by examining current key issues facing community college faculty, student affairs professionals, and students to provide greater insight and actionable recommendations. Led by our partners from EAB, the opening session will explore three ripple effects impacting community colleges observed through EAB’s research: historic enrollment declines, the student mental health crisis, and pandemic implications for the K-12 pipeline.

• Understanding the Great Opt Out in Community Colleges. Dr. Tara Zirkel will share the newest data regarding the non-consumer phenomenon among young adults, what it means for community colleges, and emerging practices for faculty and student affairs teams to reengage young adults.

• Embedding Belongingness and Mental Health Support in Student Success Initiatives. Dr. Jessica King will lead an exploration of the critical importance of belongingness as part of comprehensive mental health strategy on campus. Together, we will discuss the Continuum of Care framework and institutional imperatives for mental health, with emphasis on faculty and staff serving as connectors within a broader culture of care.

• Ripple Effects: Pandemic (Longer-Term) Consequences for K-12 Learners. Higher education continues to struggle with the long-term disruption brought on by the pandemic, with profound impact on enrollment, student success, and equity. These pandemic ripple effects are only just beginning to be felt, specifically when examining the momentum of K-12 learnings in reading and math. Dr. Ed Venit will lead this session’s exploration of the K-12 pipeline and what’s on the horizon for higher education looking forward.

Presenters: Tara Zirkel, Ed.D., Director of Strategic Research; Jessica King, Ed.D., Strategic Consultant; Ed Venit, Ph.D., Managing Director, EAB

9:45-10:00 AM Pacific; 10:45-11:00 AM Mountain; 11:45 AM-12:00 PM Central; 12:45-1:00 PM Eastern

Break

10:00-11:30 AM Pacific; 11:00 AM-12:30 PM Mountain; 12:00-1:30 PM Central; 1:00-2:30 PM Eastern

Sense of Belonging in the Classroom: Pedagogical Practices

While interventions such as co-curricular programs and first-year experience courses often have an explicit goal of improving students’ sense of belonging, in the classroom, the curriculum is already full, with little or no room for other content. One means of contributing to sense of belonging, however, is through pedagogy: improving the ways in which we interact with students while still addressing the same curricular domains. This is critically important in the community college, where faculty interaction often constitutes the vast majority of connection a student experiences with the college. 

This session will root itself in various theories of students’ social experience, including sense of belonging, mattering, and college attachment. Through understanding the ways in which students’ perceptions of belonging are developed, we can then identify pedagogical practices that effect underlying perspectives and improve students’ connection with faculty, other students, and the college as a whole. Participants will be able to assess their current classroom practices, understand effective strategies to connect with students, and, ultimately, understand how they can contribute to student development.

Presenter: Ross Markle, Ph.D., Founder and Managing Director, DIA Higher Education Collaborators

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

8:00-9:30 AM Pacific; 9:00-10:30 AM Mountain; 10:00-11:30 AM Central; 11:00 AM-12:30 PM Eastern

Do Robots Belong in the Classroom? Building an Intentional Learning Community With Support From Artificial Intelligence.

A robust body of research indicates that quality online discussion can lead to better student interaction, greater faculty satisfaction, and improved course outcomes. Pedagogy that supports intrinsic student motivation—by supporting robust peer-to-peer interaction and helping students formulate open-ended questions—can be especially powerful. At community colleges across the country, instructors are tapping the potential of inquiry-based discussion, powered by artificial intelligence, with the aim of boosting engagement in online classes. What they’ve found is that this approach doesn't just improve participation. It’s also enabling them to build meaningful and engaged communities that keep learning going and help more students persist and succeed in the classroom. 

Presenters: Steven Crawford, Ed.D., District Director, Maricopa Center for Learning and Innovation, Maricopa Community Colleges; Randall Davis, Ph.D., Professor, Anthropology, and Global Studies Program Coordinator, Jefferson Community and Technical College; Kimberly Coffman, Ph.D., Professor, Social Science, Miami Dade College

The following sessions originally scheduled for Wednesday, November 16, have been postponed and will be rescheduled. Individuals who register for the Learning Summit will be automatically registered for these sessions and will be notified when the new dates and times have been confirmed.

Collaborative Strategies to Support Student Success Through Course Sharing 

Academic leaders at community colleges are facing common challenges: the need to retain students, ensure velocity to completion, access qualified faculty and more. Innovations such as course sharing can expand opportunities for students to succeed. In this session, leaders at colleges involved in the League’s course sharing consortium discuss strategies on how to better serve students, increase retention, expand course catalogs, and develop in-demand program offerings.

The Power of And: An Essential Education for All

This discussion centers around the value of fully integrating general/liberal education and workforce preparation, credit and noncredit programming, and organizational divisions that separate these entities. Considering these components as complementary aspects of a holistic education, this approach to student learning and development helps prepare students to “make a good living and live a good life.”

Presenter: Cindy Miles, Ph.D., Professor of Practice, Community College Leadership Program, Kansas State University, and Executive Director, Global Community College Leadership Network