Ashford University is among 14 other institutions that have been selected to attend the American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Engaging Departments Institute at the University of Pennsylvania from July 7-11, 2010. The Ashford University team will include deans William “Curt” Lowe, Charlie Minnick, Joen Rottler and Barb Philibert and Director of Assessment Gary Deckard. 

“AAC&U’s 2010 summer institutes are designed to address, in a variety of ways, the central challenge facing higher education – ensuring that all students achieve the high quality liberal education they need and deserve,” said AAC&U president Carol Geary Schneider. “Each year, we are inspired by the exciting and innovative ways these institutions are tackling the challenge of improving liberal learning outcomes for all their students.” 

Now in its second year, AAC&U has designed the Engaging Departments Institute for deans, department chairs, and faculty working together in teams to improve and assess learning outcomes essential for all students. The purpose of this institute is to advance integrated and engaged learning practices in and across disciplines, and to assess broad student learning outcomes within individual department majors. This Institute is part of ongoing work in Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP), and is supported by the Teagle Foundation. 

All AAC&U institutes offer campus teams a time and place for sustained collaborative work on a project of importance to their campus along with a curriculum focused on important trends, research and best practices, and a resident faculty of educational experts. For more information on AAC&U meetings and institutes, visit www.aacu.org.

About Ashford University

Founded in 1918, Ashford University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahlc.org). The University offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs online and at its Clinton, Iowa, campus. The University is known for its high quality yet highly affordable online and on-campus programs. For more information, please visit www.ashford.edu or call Shari Rodriguez, director of Public Relations, at 858.513.9240 x2513.