12th Learning and Teaching Conference Features Sustainability Educator
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 5, 2006
Kathleen McPartland
530-898-4260
Regional and Continuing Education
530-898-6105
12th Learning and Teaching Conference Features Sustainability Educator
California State University, Chico's 12th annual Conference on Excellence in Learning and Teaching will be held on campus Wednesday, Oct. 11; Thursday, Oct. 12; and Friday, Oct. 13. The conference is open to all regional educators and CSU, Chico faculty, administrators and staff.
The keynote speaker will be Geoffrey Chase, PhD, dean of the Division of Undergraduate Studies at San Diego State University, who will present "Sustainability and Civic Responsibility: Engaging Students for the Future" during the Awards Luncheon on Friday, Oct. 13. In addition, more than two dozen workshops are available to conference participants.
Chase is the co-editor of "Sustainability on Campus: Stories and Strategies for Change," published by MIT Press (2004). He currently serves on the Board for the American Council of Academic Deans and the Board of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. His chief academic interests include student learning, undergraduate curricula and sustainability in higher education.
Chase received his PhD in American literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1981 and then taught for 11 years in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies at Miami University. He joined Northern Arizona University in 1992 as the director of English Composition. At NAU, he redesigned the composition curriculum to give it an environmental focus and became a leader of the Ponderosa Project, a faculty development project aimed at helping faculty from throughout the university integrate issues of environmental sustainability into their courses. The Ponderosa Project has since served as a faculty development model that has been instituted at other colleges and universities nationally.
The conference offers a variety of workshops, ranging from "Academic Rigor: Can It Be Measured?" to "Black People Don't Ski, Skateboard, or Camp and Other Insightful Things We Learned at the First African American Excellence and Success Retreat" to "The Challenges of Greek Life and Culture at Chico State." Other topics include creating learning communities in residence halls, integrating concepts of sustainability in the curriculum and service learning.
On Friday, a complimentary buffet lunch for participants will be held in honor of CSU, Chico's Outstanding Teacher, Robert Thomas, and the Outstanding Academic Advisor, Larry Hanne. The lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. in the BMU Auditorium.
The conference is sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT), Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. CELT is also responsible for awarding grants and sponsoring other conferences.
The mission of CELT is to reward and promote the ability of faculty to teach well, to find ways to improve the learning process, and to provide support, training and mentoring.
The deadline for registration for the conference is Oct. 10. For registration and a complete schedule and list of workshops, go to the conference Web page at www.rce.csuchico.edul/celt or contact the Office of Regional and Continuing Education at 898-6105.
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