V&C SYNTHESISMURIEL POSTON PITZER COLLEGE

MARIAELENA ZAVALACALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE

Higher Education Landscape

Demographics of students and faculty

Technology as a disrupter and enabler

Data is an important driver

Assessment and evaluation needs in multiple venues

Leadership

Use data to inform decision-making

Leaders can be positional or non-positional

Leaders can react to and anticipate challenges

Leaders leverage resources ($$/space) to incentivize and drive change

Leaders can have a collective impact within and across institutions

The Role of Faculty

Professional development needed: evidenced based teaching; utilization of assessment tools; leadership capacity

Pilot programs: start small and evaluate; build on what you know learn from failures be ready to change and improve

Develop networks for support; external advisors/advocates important

Student Experiences: put students first and the rest falls into place

Student success includes: Engagement: Research experiences

Action research relevant to communities Authentic research: genetics and genomic datasets allow students

to address real world/global problems Tools to excel:

Writing in the discipline Team based projects (interdisciplinary groups) Integration of biology, math, physical sciences

Diverse Pathways: First year courses Different entry points to higher education

Evaluation and Assessment

Gather data but you don’t have to invent the tools for analysis

Use data for predictive modelingPeer review is important, particularly in determining

large or small investmentsAssessment recognized in all 5 theme discussions

and majority of postersNeed for access to Assessment tools

Building Community

Internal and external allies/advocates are importantEnhance connectivity to like minded individualsNetworks important to recognizing what has been

done and to keep things movingTechnology is important for sustaining but not

initiating; F2F is important Scale matters – relevant and place based If too big, people disengage

Gaps: What didn’t we hear?

Impact of Vision and Change on upper division courses?

Scale up across institutions?Leadership Development at institutional level?Broadening Participation?

On the Horizon

Expand our Tribe and connect across boundariesContinue to emphasize the importance of evidenced

based teachingDisseminate and implement assessment practicesStep up to leadershipContinue to drive change in undergraduate biology

education