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Professional Development Conference
Click here to be directed to the Professional Development Conference registration page.
ACCSC Professional Development Conference
September 14-16, 2009
Westin Gaslamp Hotel San Diego, California
Monday, September 14, 2009
Three full-day, interactive workshops will be held on the following topics:
9:00 am - 4:30 pm
On Monday evening, ACCSC is pleased to offer a special event for all conference attendees and guests. Join your colleagues to watch San Diego's Major League Baseball team, the Padres, challenge the Arizona Diamondbacks at beautiful Petco Park, located in downtown San Diego. Separate registration of $45/person is required. Fee includes a pre-game buffet dinner, soft drinks, domestic beer (food and beverage service will conclude when the game begins) and ticket to the game.
Click here to register for the event
Click here for more information about the San Diego Padres and Petco Park
Click on the titles to display the session descriptions
Tuesday, September 15th
9:00 am – 10:30 am |
Executive Director Welcome and Annual Report |
10:45 am – 12 noon |
3 Concurrent Breakout Sessions
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12 noon - 1:30 pm |
Lunch and Treasurer’s Annual Report |
1:45 pm – 3:00 pm |
3 Concurrent Breakout Sessions
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3:15 pm – 4:30 pm |
3 Concurrent Breakout Sessions
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5:30 pm – 7:00 pm |
Awards Ceremony and Reception |
Wednesday, September 16th
Full-Day Workshop Descriptions:
Becoming a Higher Achieving Institution
Michale McComis, Ed.D., Executive Director, ACCSC
High achieving institutions first discover and then implement the best practices that contribute to the high levels of success to which they aspire. This interactive workshop (i.e., come prepared to share and discuss) will cover areas and best practices that lead to those higher levels of institutional and student success. Topics include leadership in a school setting, establishing partnerships and finding your place in your community, and committing to institutional assessment and improvement using multiple approaches.
Developing New Programs Through Community Engagement & Resources
Leah Matthews, Director of Institutional Compliance & Development, ACCSC
Juanita Gurubatham, Associate Director of Institutional Development, ACCSC
More than any other time in the recent past, communities are looking to the for-profit sector for educational offerings that prepare students for gainful employment. The market analysis needed to reach a decision to develop a new program can be daunting. This session offers helpful insight into the program development process with an emphasis on how to gain access to, and partner with, community resources to develop new programs and market analysis strategies. The session also covers the planning aspects associated with the implementation timeline for substantive change applications in order to help meet your planning goals.
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A Blueprint for Success: Strategies and Techniques to Maximize Institutional Effectiveness
Christopher Lambert, Director of External Affairs, ACCSC
Building on the success of the Commission’s Monograph Series, this highly interactive workshop provides a forum for representatives from ACCSC accredited institutions to come together to share best practices in areas critical to institutional success. Participants will be provided with an opportunity to discuss the strengths and challenges of being a high performing institution, communicate their vision for the career college sector, and to share proven strategies that have effectively served students, graduates, and employers.
The workshop also provides an opportunity for participants to gain a better understanding of the Commission’s expectations regarding technical accreditation requirements including: institutional assessment and improvement plans, faculty development plans, program advisory committees, and learning resource systems.
Maximizing Community Engagement – Maximizing Graduate Placement
With postsecondary enrollment up dramatically in recent months due to the recession, the challenge of placing students in jobs has never been greater. This session offers first-hand insight into how institutional accountability in job placement and community outreach is critical to the continued growth and the future of the career college sector. Each speaker brings their unique perspectives of outcomes assessment and how they address the challenges of placing students in ways that promote innovation, community engagement, and best practices within the career college sector.
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Distance Education - Building a Community of Learners
As online education continues to evolve, institutions offering distance education are being challenged to provide meaningful and dynamic learning engagement opportunities in order to establish a deeper connection with their online students in the hopes of increasing participation, retention, and success. This panel discussion will include a LIVE demonstration of how technology is providing opportunities for community building and social networking activities which are designed to make today’s distance education students feel that they are not just logging in and absorbing content, but that they are in fact valued members of a community of learners.
The Higher Education Opportunity Act: Implications for Accreditors and Schools
The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 established several new rules for accreditors to follow in order to serve as gatekeepers to federal financial aid. This of course will translate to new accreditation standards and new rules, processes, and procedures for accredited institutions. Join Michale McComis from ACCSC, Ronald Blumenthal from Kaplan Higher Education, and Marshall Hill from the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education for a discussion of the federal rulemaking process that stemmed from the passage of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, new rules agreed upon between the negotiators during this process, and the implications for ACCSC-accredited institutions.
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Creating Effective Presentations with Electronic Documents
This session starts off with the fundamentals of preparing electronic materials for submission to ACCSC and techniques for working with PDF documents. After covering the basics, such as bookmarks and links, the session will go on to focus on the incorporation of more advanced elements, such as graphics and video files, to make the most of your electronic presentations. This particular session is for those responsible for designing and creating electronic documents for presentation to the Commission. Presented by an ACCSC staff member, Team Leader and Commissioner, this session will provide detailed information about preparing electronic documents for On-Site Evaluation teams as well as Commission Review.
Ten Traits of Highly Effective Instructors
This session presents a culmination of over 500 instructor presentation reviews that drills past the bread and butter ideals of "good" instruction. Even more interesting and somewhat shocking, these traits are not the ones typically gound in "Teacher 101" training guides. The traits defined in the presentation can be used by teachers and administrators to identify excellence in instruction as well as just plain poor instruction. Each trait will be explored in detail with real examples of how to measure and improve instruction.
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How to Wield Technology to Increase Student Performance
Recent advances in technology have significantly impacted higher education, particularly for the ACCSC community of schools and the students they serve. Institutions are finding it critical to adapt their communication strategies to meet the diverse needs of the next generation of student learner, and are turning to technology. Please join this diverse panel of representatives from the ACCSC community as they provide examples on how institution’s can further utilize technology in order to increase motivation, bolster retention, and maximize student performance.
Student Services – A Student-Centered Retention Improvement Plan
A comprehensive student services program has long been an approach utilized by the ACCSC community of schools to address issues of student performance. In higher education today, institutions are beginning to refocus and refine the delivery of their services to not only increase retention, but to increase student satisfaction and maximize graduate employment opportunities. Please join this panel of representatives from the ACCSC community for a open dialogue which will provide participants with a series of best practices on adaptive retention efforts that have been designed to meet the individual needs of students.
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Articulation Agreements – Partnerships that Strengthen Student, Community and Institutional Connectivity
Beyond high school, more students than ever before are adopted a “cafeteria” approach to their education by taking classes at multiple institutions before obtaining a credential. Establishing policies that relate to transferring credits and coursework between schools make it easier for students to transfer their credits from one institution to another. This session highlights articulation agreements that are in place between ACCSC institutions and other institutions bearing either national or regional accreditation and features speakers who have experience with developing these agreements and implementing them within their communities of learners.
A Call to Service – The Benefits of Volunteerism in your Community
Volunteerism is a unique part of the American culture that provides both intrinsic satisfaction and extrinsic benefits. Schools that strive to give to their community tend to be more accepted within that community and seen as positive and contributing members. In addition, the positive feelings and intrinsic motivations that are generated by those students, faculty, and administrators engaged in the volunteering efforts can also translate into positive energy at the school leading to better performance and a greater drive to succeed. This session will showcase the efforts of three schools – students, faculty, and administrators – to volunteer within and give to their communities as well as the impact these volunteer efforts have had on the schools and their students.
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Building a Community of Peers – Volunteerism and Accreditation
The accreditation process is only as strong as those who participate. Accreditation as a peer review process relies heavily on its volunteers to serve as on-site evaluation members, committee members, task force participants, and of course Commissioners. ACCSC appreciates all that its volunteers give to the agency and the added value their service gives to the membership. Learn about volunteer opportunities at ACCSC and hear about the benefits of service from those who currently volunteer their time, energy, and expertise serving the Commission and the ACCSC membership.
ACCSC Strategy Session: Accountability in a New Economy
The state of our national economy is having a profound impact on career colleges and the students they serve. With a greater emphasis on institutional accountability by accreditors, state regulators, and the U.S. Department of Education, institutions across higher education are being challenged to demonstrate success in an increasingly complex economic landscape.
This strategy session will provide a unique perspective on how institutions can effectively communicate their success from an accreditation vantage point by addressing questions regarding program viability, student and graduate success, and overall institutional performance.
You Can’t Educate 21st Century Students with 20th Century Resources - Integrating eLearning Tools Into Your Learning Environment
If utilized effectively, eLearning tools can make your programs more successful and efficient. In this session, you’ll find out how you can increase recruitment, retention and student learning outcomes with eLearning tools. Whether you are a novice with technology or more experienced, you will leave this session with a better understanding of the benefits of incorporating eLearning into a traditional, on-ground educational environment. Topics include increasing student access, preparing student for job placement, enhancing the student learning experience, and providing retention tools for faculty and administrators. Discover the key to providing a more powerful and engaging learning environment for your students.
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