2010 National Symposium

Conference Topic
In his classic study of College: The Undergraduate Experience in America (1987), Ernest Boyer concluded that colleges in the U.S. had lost sight of the moral and civic purpose of education. Through the years, others have acknowledged (and some have bemoaned) the trends cited by Boyer: confusion about mission, obsession with vocationalism, faculty who focus exclusively on disciplinary expertise and technical skills, a rift between academic and student affairs divisions, the widening gap between colleges and universities and the larger world.

Recently, however, new opportunities for civic education have presented themselves. The financial meltdown and the election of the first African-American president in late 2008 have captured the attention of college students nationwide. Moreover, some faculty and staff at our colleges have begun to devise ways of tapping this new student awareness (and their impulse toward volunteerism) so as to engage students in the community and the world.

The 2010 National Symposium will examine how colleges and universities can effectively reclaim their vital role as educators of individuals and citizens who are knowledgeable, civically engaged, and morally and socially responsible for others - in the community and across the world. The Faculty Resource Network at New York University is pleased to announce the 2010 National Symposium on Engaging Students in the Community and in the World. The symposium will be held on November 19-20, 2010 in Washington, D.C. We invite proposals on the topics listed below in the form of:

• Individual papers for panel presentations. [Panels organized on the topics listed below will run 60 minutes and will feature 3-4 papers allowing 15-20 minutes for each presentation followed by 20 minutes for Q&A.]
• Breakout session discussions organized by a group of 2-4 individuals. [Breakout sessions will run 60 minutes. The organizers will offer a 40-minute conversation followed by 20 minutes devoted to audience participation and discussion.]
• Poster session

Topics
Topics that may be explored as part of the symposium include (but are not limited to):

1.How experiential learning can engage students with the community

• Service projects embedded into courses from across the curriculum
• Internships and applied research projects emanating from academic programs
• Volunteer projects organized by student affairs, campus ministry, honor societies, fraternities and sororities, etc.

2. Creating reciprocal and mutually beneficial partnerships between college and community

• Forming partnerships with religious, nonprofit, social service, and governmental sectors
• Assuring service to the underserved in the community
• Aligning college service initiatives with real community needs
• Building bridges between the campus and diverse populations in the broader community

3. Internationalization - enhancing global awareness and intercultural competencies by engaging students with the world

• Service and research projects abroad
• Study and travel abroad
• Effective use of resources for internationalization on campus: international students, international faculty, curriculum, clubs
• Promotion of post-graduate opportunities abroad: Fulbright Scholarships, Peace Corp, teaching English abroad, volunteer opportunities abroad

4. Faculty and staff development

• Effective ways to inspire, encourage, support, assist, and reward faculty and staff to design experiences that engage students in the community and the world
• Moving beyond the comfort of one's discipline: how can faculty learn to nurture the moral and civic education of their students?

5. Examples of successful funded projects and collaborative ventures

• Projects funded by the Learn and Serve American Higher Education Grant Program of the Corporation for National and Community Service
• Campus Compact
• Project Pericles
• American Council on Education Internationalization Collaborative
• Other

6. Effective means of creating informed citizens

• Bringing news and current events to our students
• Creating life-long habits of an informed citizenry
• Ongoing collaboration with citizens from the community: alumni, trustees, advisory boards, etc.

7. Pedagogy

• How can we deliberately connect course material with social issues of the day (local and global)?
• Can technology (internet, social network sites, on-line teaching, video-conferences and joint teaching with global partners) help?
• In the liberal arts tradition, how do we awaken intellectual excitement, challenge assumptions, and foster new ways of understanding the world?
• How can we create ethical, committed, knowledgeable, and engaged human beings?
• How can learning inside and outside the classroom enable students to embrace diversity on campus and in the community?

8. Transforming institutions: making moral and civic education an institutional priority

• Effective shaping of institutional mission statements and strategic plans
• Transforming the institutional culture and ethos so that all members of the community comprehend, embrace, and act on the goal of engagement with the community and the world
• The role of faculty and college officials as public intellectuals
• Tools for engaging the entire community - the big read project, convocation, public affairs symposia, summer reading, etc.

9. Assessment and self-improvement

• How can we test, measure, and know if our institution (or specific learning experiences) are effective in engaging students and educating citizens?
• What can we learn from past practices?

Guidelines For Submission of Proposals:

• Identify your name, title, institutional affiliation, and contact information.
• Indicate whether you are proposing (1) a paper for a panel presentation, (2) a breakout session, or (3) a poster. [Note: breakout session proposals must be submitted by a group of 2-4 presenters. Be sure to identify the organizer and to include the names and institutional affiliation of all members of the group.]
• Provide a topic heading or title for your proposal. A proposal can address one or more of the suggested topics.
• Prepare a one-page abstract of your proposal.

Abstracts can be sent as an email attachment to frn@nyu.edu, faxed to 212.995.4101, or mailed to the Faculty Resource Network:
Faculty Resource Network
Attn: National Symposium 2010
194 Mercer Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10012

Abstracts must be submitted to the Faculty Resource Network by Friday, April 9, 2010. Presenters will be selected and notified by June 1, 2010.

Contact information:

Please direct inquiries to the Faculty Resource Network
(frn@nyu.edu or 212-998-2090). For additional information about the Faculty Resource Network and our member institutions, please consult http://www.nyu.edu/frn

.