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2023 Transforming Institutions Conference Takeaways


Posted: Aug 15 2023 by

Casey Wright
Western Michigan University
Casey Wright, Western Michigan University

Change Topics (Working Groups): Guiding Theories, Change Leaders, Assessment, Communication, Policy, Costs and Benefits, Equity and Inclusion, Faculty Evaluation
Target Audience: College/University Staff, Non-tenure Track Faculty, Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Institution Administration, Teaching/Learning Assistants, Graduate Students, Post-doctoral Fellows
Program Components: Professional Development:Accessibility, Diversity/Inclusion, Institutional Systems:Incentive/Reward Systems, Evaluating Teaching, Supporting Students:Student Engagement, Learning Communities

The 2023 Transforming Institutions Conference was held June 12-13, 2023, in Minneapolis, MN. With this most recent convening, we are proud to have brought together change researchers and change agents for 12 years. The meeting was made possible by the efforts of a conference planning committee consisting of 10 change agents convened by NSEC (Network of STEM Education Centers) and ASCN (Accelerating Systemic Change Network), supported by 40 reviewers from the systemic change community. Now that the dust has settled, we would like to share some key takeaways, attendee feedback, and future conference plans to continue to build momentum for our community to thrive with change. More

From Civic Engagement to Civic Courage—Science Education's Next Chapter


Posted: Jun 8 2023 by

Eliza Jane Reilly
National Center for Science and Civic Engagement
Eliza Jane Reilly, Executive Director, National Center for Science and Civic Engagement

Change Topics (Working Groups): Guiding Theories, Equity and Inclusion
Target Audience: College/University Staff, Non-tenure Track Faculty, Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Institution Administration, Graduate Students, Post-doctoral Fellows
Program Components: Professional Development:Diversity/Inclusion, Pedagogical Training, Supporting Students:Student Engagement, Outreach:Inter-Institutional Collaboration

It is hard to escape the fact that the relationship of evidence-based or scientific thinking to civic life in a democracy--which had been acknowledged by the science advocacy community for over a century--has attained a new urgency in the age of fake news and alternative facts. Recently a colleague remarked that the project I helped found and now lead, Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER) "was ahead of its time," and I've been reflecting on that idea. Historians love to quote the philosopher Kierkegaard who observed, "we live forward, but understand backward." And I've spent a lot of time this year trying to "understand backward" the broader cultural and educational context that produced SENCER to consider whether SENCER was indeed "ahead," or more accurately an embodiment of the best thinking available in its own time.[1]  I'm especially concerned with considering what elements of our collective past can support a future of civically and socially-engaged learning in science, despite a dramatically altered academic landscape. This changed landscape includes the precarity of faculty status and autonomy, the contraction of institutional finances, unprecedented student needs and expectations, and frankly, the decline of administrative leadership in the face of political pressure, which has provided much less space for creativity and academic innovation. More

Transforming Institutions Takeaways


Posted: Jun 24 2021 by

Rachel Renbarger
Western Michigan University
Rachel Renbarger, Western Michigan University

Change Topics (Working Groups): Guiding Theories, Change Leaders, Assessment, Policy, Costs and Benefits, Equity and Inclusion, Faculty Evaluation
Target Audience: In-Service K12 Teachers, College/University Staff, Non-tenure Track Faculty, Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Institution Administration
Program Components: Professional Development:Diversity/Inclusion, Cultural Competency, Institutional Systems:Interdepartmental Collaboration, Supporting Students:Professional Preparation, Outreach:Policy Change, Inter-Institutional Collaboration

Last week concluded the 2021 Transforming Institutions Conference that marked the 10th year of convening like-minded change leaders. The event was a rousing success; we had over 250 participants from at least 3 continents with over 40 concurrent presentations, 60+ posters, and 4 workshops containing research-based strategies for improving higher education. What did we learn from such an amazing event? More

Departmental Change: Engaging in a Change Initiative


Posted: Mar 17 2021 by

Joel Corbo, University of Colorado Boulder; Courtney Ngai, Colorado State University; Gina Quan, San José State University; Sarah Wise, University of Colorado Boulder

Change Topics (Working Groups): Guiding Theories, Change Leaders
Target Audience: College/University Staff, Non-tenure Track Faculty, Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Institution Administration
Program Components: Professional Development:Curriculum Development

The Departmental Action Team (DAT) Project supports departments as they make changes to their undergraduate programs. In previous posts, we described the principles that underlie the DAT Project and the initial stages of DAT formation. In this post, we'll share some of what DATs and facilitators do as they engage in a change initiative together. If you are interested in learning more, we are leading a free interactive webinar (Tuesday, March 30, 12-1:30pm EST) about facilitating change using the DAT model. Register for the webinar. More

Join an ASCN working group!


Posted: Feb 19 2020 by
Kate White
Temple University
Kate White (Western Michigan University), ASCN Research Director
Change Topics (Working Groups): Guiding Theories, Change Leaders, Assessment, Costs and Benefits, Equity and Inclusion, Faculty Evaluation
Target Audience: Pre-Service K12 Teachers, In-Service K12 Teachers, College/University Staff, Non-tenure Track Faculty, Tenured/Tenure-track Faculty, Institution Administration, Teaching/Learning Assistants, Post-doctoral Fellows
Program Components: Professional Development:Diversity/Inclusion, Leadership, Institutional Systems:Incentive/Reward Systems, Evaluating Promotion and Tenure, Physical Infrastructure

Have you been considering joining one of our working groups, but aren't sure where to start? Here you'll find updates on what each of our groups is working on and more information on how to get involved in 2020. You can join any of our working groups by filling out this short form. Keep reading to learn more about how we're exploring theories of change; the costs, benefits, and impact of change; change leadership; equity and inclusion in systemic change; aligning faculty work with change; and learning spaces. More

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