I hope everyone made it home from the CAP 2010 conference safe and sound. I will blog more on the conference in a couple of days. I want to take this opportunity to comment on the vitality of the organization and the membership. Within this organization, there are amazing people who are dedicated to accelerated programs in design and in practice at their home institutions. I am so pleased to be Chair for the 2010-2011 year as we move our cycle around to an Annual Meeting in the Summers.
Mark your calendars now for the 2011 Conference on August 4, 5, & 6.
Also, I am pleased to announce that CAP is financially stable. We are moving forward with plans to become an louder voice for Accelerated Programs in the U.S. Join the chorus! Accelerated Programs are here to stay and grow. The Commission for Accelerated Programs is here to stay and grow!!
Royce Ann,
ReplyDeleteAs a west coast university, how best can we become proactive in fighting against this antiquated approach? Most of the action seems to be on the east coast for this. Very few of our local institutions are even talking about this issue right now.
GJ
Excellent Comment.
ReplyDeleteThe federal regulations will affect all institutions. First, I suggest that you stay apprised of your state Department of Education and any new standards that may behind the scenes presently. Second, write your congress persons and senators in Washington, D.C. They can question what the Department of Education is mandating for all institutions. They are your voice at the moment. Third, make sure you know the definitions and standards of your regional accrediting body. If one changes, there will probably be a domino effect through the others simply because of the pressure from the Department of Education. Fourth, start the conversation with your colleagues. I have already heard from one institution where the financial aid office is demanding number of contact hours for the programs. We must be able to explain the proposed language to our colleagues within our institutions. They may only read part of the regulations or go completely on what someone "told" them. Fifth, collect data on your learning outcomes for each degree program and be ready to present your findings.
Excellent question!
Thanks Royce Ann, I so appreciated your challenge at the conference to be proactive with this and other issues impacting our programs. You have a follower!!
ReplyDelete