Rhode Island Higher Education Executive Symposium

A special invitation-only event for Rhode Island leaders in

Information Technology and Teaching and Learning

to be held on

Friday, October 5, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

at

New England Institute of Technology, East Greenwich, Rhode Island

Hosted by New England Institute of Technology, East Greenwich Campus

Sponsored by AAEEBL

Register for the RI Symposium

Up to five top-administrators and faculty in the areas of teaching and learning (T & L) and IT from Rhode Island public and private colleges and universities will convene at NEIT on Friday, October 5.  This free symposium is by invitation-only and will include up to 50 attendees who will spend 5 hours together addressing key IT and T & L questions that face higher education today.   The event’s goal is for participants to better understand how other campuses are addressing essential questions related to IT and T & L.  Given the interaction during the day, participants will benefit from connections made with neighboring institutions.  In order to facilitate the achievement of these goals, a retreat-like setting will be provided for the five attendees from each Rhode Island institution.  Plan to arrive at 8:30 a.m. and to spend the entire day engaged in the symposium.  If you are not able to dedicate the day to participation, it is suggested that another attendee from your institution be appointed.

Symposium Leadership

• Tom Thibodeau, Assistant Provost, NEIT
• Trent Batson, President/CEO, AAEEBL
• James Griffin, Assoc. Provost, Johnson & Wales University
• Judy Williamson Batson, Vice President, AAEEBL
  

8:30 – 9:00	Registration. Meet and greet.  Pick up badges and handouts.
9:00 – 10:00	Welcome and Opening Remarks Thomas R. Thibodeau, Assistant Provost, New England Institute of Technology  Dr. Thomas Wylie, Provost and Senior Vice President, New England Institute of Technology Trent Batson, AAEEBL, President/CEO Judy Williamson Batson, AAEEBL, Vice President Plenary Panel: Moderator: James Griffin, Associate Provost, Johnson & Wales University Linda Beith, Roger Williams University Glenn Clark, Salve Regina University, Catherine Zabriskie, Brown University Panel Focus Questions: Why technology? What are the newest intersections of technology and teaching and learning?
10:00 – 10:15	Break
10:15 – 11:30	Table discussion #1 – Focus question: What are essential IT trends that must not be ignored?
11:30 – 12:00	Table feedback and whole group discussion
12:00–12:45	Lunch – Feel free to change tables or stay at the same place.
12:45 – 1:30	Table discussion #2 – Focus question:  Who should be the drivers around technological innovation on campus?
1:30 – 2:00	Table feedback and whole group discussion
2:00 – 2:15	Break
2:15 – 2:45	Table discussion #3 – Based on the brief “community reading” that was emailed to you: Given what Bransford asserts about how people learn, identify some IT trends that enable faculty to facilitate the learning process rather than the product. Reference: http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/teaching-guides/pedagogical/how-people-learn/
2:45 - 3:15	Table feedback and whole group discussion
3:15 – 3:30	Closing comments by symposium leadership team
3:30 – 3:45 for those who can stay a little longer	Developing a process for creating symposium proceedings. Next steps?

Framing Reflection

All of higher education faces fundamental challenges today provoked by pervasive technology.  Technology now manages much of the essential operations of our society.  Technology has not only changed the playing field for teaching and learning but also for the world that students encounter after graduation.

The very nature of life after graduation has changed as well.  It is now possible, for example, with services such as Amazon Web Services and Rackspace, to start a two-person company and compete nationally and even globally. Our GDP is 80% service economy with start-ups providing a large share of new jobs in this economic sector.  The shift from an industrial economy to a service economy has been stunningly rapid. The skills demanded of a graduate do not fit well with the traditional legacy-teaching model. College graduates of traditional age will change jobs seven times before they are 38, on average. 

While one could assert that the Internet and Web prompted or exacerbated many educational challenges, one could also look to the Internet and Web along with IT services and tools, for innovative solutions.  More than just a neutral management tool, technology now offers potentially transformative spaces. 

Symposium Leader Bios

Tom Thibodeau is current president of the New England Faculty Development Consortium and is active in designing and enhancing learning spaces at the East Greenwich Campus of NEIT.  This new campus is a completely renovated corporate headquarters for Brooks Pharmacy that was built but never used by Brooks.  The building has retained its corporate look and high-end construction features with extensive attention to creating spaces for optimal teaching and learning.

Trent Batson, President/CEO, is the founder of AAEEBL, a Rhode Island-based international professional association.  He was a faculty member or an IT director at seven different universities.  He was Director of IITS at URI before moving to MIT.  In its fourth year, AAEEBL continues to grow with 104 institutional members and14 Corporate Affiliates.  A non-profit organization, focused on providing services and connections for those engaged in pedagogically innovative uses of technology, AAEEBL’s mission is to develop learners and transform institutions with eportfolios.  AAEEBL offers five conferences a year in the U.S. and also promotes conferences abroad and is pleased to help facilitate this gathering of higher education leaders in its home state.

James Griffin, Assoc. Provost, Johnson & Wales University,  is a member of the Provost’s team and has oversight of institutional research, university policy, and several key academic initiatives related to the University’s strategic plan. He serves or has served on the University President’s Senior Management Committee, University Retention Team, the University Dean’s Committee and the Regional Accreditation Steering Committee. Before joining the Provost’s team, Griffin served eight years as vice president and dean of academic affairs at the Denver Campus of Johnson & Wales University.  His research interests lie in experiential learning and reflection, assessment, and faculty training and development. He has presented on these topics at regional, national, and international conferences. Griffin earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Johnson & Wales University. He holds a doctorate in education from Boston University.

Register for the RI Symposium

Registration deadline: October 4, 2012. 

Note: To secure your place at this symposium, register through AAEEBL. Up to five individuals from your institution may register separately for this event.  Although this event is free, and there is no registration code, only those who are leaders in information technology or teaching and learning at Rhode Island institutions are eligible to attend.  Each person needs to fill out the registration form on his or her own. 

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If you have questions, contact Judy Williamson Batson.  Use the email subject header AAEEBL-NEIT Symposium.