Voluntary Collaborationin

LEAP States & Systems

Susan AlbertineVice President

AAC&U

What Is the LEAP States Initiative?

• LEAP as a framework for large-scale collaboration and alignment in states and systems—transformational change

• advancing liberal education for success of all students: Making Excellence Inclusive

• offering practical advice and materials• providing a national voice for states,

systems, regions in LEAP

What Does LEAP States Do?

• Fosters communication• Builds capacity to make change• Works to transform the curriculum• Helps to develop policy• Works with essential learning outcomes &

assessment & accountability in general and liberal education

• Encourages collaboration for inclusion, equity, and quality of learning

LEAP SystemsWorking on Behalf of States

• The University of Wisconsin System• The California State University• The Oregon University System• The State Council of Higher Education for

Virginia• The Utah System of Higher Education• The North Dakota University System

Give Students a Compass:A Tri-State Partnership for College Learning, General Education, and

Underserved Student Success

• The California State University

• The Oregon University System

• The University of Wisconsin System

How to LEAP in Systems• Put student learning at the center• Lead with faculty• Honor campus and system identity• Make Excellence Inclusive• Network across divides• Scaffold multiple HIPS across the

curriculum for all students• Gather and study evidence of success• Connect to Big Goals of states

How to LEAP in Systems

• Communicate clearly internally and externally about the value of essential learning outcomes for all students

• Connect to big goals of states by building coalitions of advocates (e.g. P-16 educators, business leaders, civic and policy leaders)

Multi-dimensional Perspective

• Top down

• Bottom up

• Outside in

• Inside out

Systemic Strategies

• Common framework of ELOs, nationally visible

• System-wide and campus-based leadership development

• Authentic evidence of student learning, disaggregated by populations

• High-Impact Practices

A Big Question

How can different "systems" join campuses to strengthen student learning, address external calls for assessment and accountability, welcome partnership between public and private institutions, and be true to themselves?

Examples

• Utah: Have fun turning the thing on its head

• Wisconsin: Go for equity-mindedness and action

• California: Prompt affinity and networking

• Oregon: Lead with faculty

• Virginia: Learn to love rubrics

• North Dakota: Get everyone to the table

• Utah: Get the business community involved

• Oregon: Think and act P-16

• California: 2-yr/4-yr

Discussion

Designs for learning that embed high-impact practices throughout the curriculum--for all students, making excellence inclusive--are proving to be successful, a significant discovery of our shared work.

Discussion

• How to ensure quality in the push for "more," i.e., more students, more degree-completion?

• How to navigate the tension between increased accountability and quality (i.e., accountability for the things that really matter)?

Discussion

How to do this work in hard times?