Conference Addresses the Liberal Arts and Inclusive Excellence
ST. JOSEPH/COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. (PRWEB) May 29, 2018 -- After an inaugural conference in 2016, the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University will again host Liberal Arts Illuminated, from July 9-11, in St. Joseph and Collegeville, Minnesota. The conference theme is “Reframing the Narrative: Leadership Toward Inclusive Excellence,” and will be hosted by Presidents Mary Dana Hinton of CSB and Michael Hemesath of SJU.
“This conference provides an opportunity to continue dialogue about the ways the liberal arts can guide us in addressing the world’s most critical and relevant issues by making a liberal arts education inclusive, relevant, accessible and successful for all students,” Hinton said.
This year’s conference will bring together higher education leadership, faculty and trustees for a conversation about the future of the liberal arts. Designed to provide participants with insights, ideas and partnerships, attendees will return to their campuses having explored critical questions through formal and informal interactions with other leaders, trustees and faculty members.
The conference features leading experts in higher education for four workshops that will include a plenary speaker, panel discussion and practice session. Keynote speakers include:
- Rich Karlgaard, Forbes publisher and global futurist, economic leader, entrepreneur and author;
- Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, president of The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC);
- Adam Weinberg, president, Denison University;
- Lynn Pasquerella, president, Association of American Colleges and Universities;
- Brandon Busteed, executive director, Education and Workforce Development, Gallup;
- L. Lee Knefelkamp, senior fellow, Office of Integrative Liberal Learning and the Global Commons, Association of American Colleges and Universities.
The dynamic conference agenda, will explore the following questions:
- How do liberal arts colleges move away from an exclusionary economic model?
- How do liberal arts colleges develop curricula and pedagogies that support learning for all students?
- How do liberal arts colleges consistently achieve positive student outcomes?
- How do colleges tell the liberal arts story in a way that values the liberal arts and its relevance for all students?
- How do colleges disrupt the traditional narrative about the liberal arts to state boldly our value?
Participants are encouraged to attend Liberal Arts Illuminated in teams in order to have the most engaging and collaborative experience and take the most practical learnings back to their campuses.
“Educational leaders and policy makers will share their ideas on curriculum, structure and leadership, and participants will have the opportunity to interact with colleagues and counterparts from a wide range of institutions,” Hemesath said. “Our goal is to share important information and affect positive change in both attitude and practice.”
“The outcomes achieved by liberal arts institutions like Saint Ben’s and Saint John's demonstrate the value of the liberal arts, regionally, nationally and globally,” Hinton said. “We seek to provide a venue for leaders, trustees and other stakeholders to share ideas about the role of the liberal arts in developing an educated and engaged citizenry.”
CSB and SJU founded and hosted the Liberal Arts Illuminated: Pathways, Possibilities, Partnerships conference in 2016. More than 200 higher education colleagues from around the country attended the conference and provided an overwhelmingly positive response regarding the conference content, format and outcomes.
The conference is hosted by the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University. The official corporate sponsor is U.S. Bank. Additional funding is provided by Credo, College Board, CentraCare Health, Clifton Larson Allen, The Lawlor Group, Lumina Foundation and TIAA; with support from the Association of American Colleges and Universities, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, The Council of Independent Colleges, Academic Impressions, St. Catherine University, American Academy of Arts & Sciences and Minnesota Private College Council.
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Follow the conference on Twitter at #whylibarts
Link to conference website: liberalartsilluminated.com
Michael Hemmesch, College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University, http://www.csbsju.edu/, +1 320-363-2595, [email protected]
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