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INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS, SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO IMPROVE LEARNING BY ALL STUDENTS EARNS IUPUI RANKING AS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTION

The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has recognized IUPUI for its visionary campus-wide innovations in undergraduate education.

Conducted under the auspices of the Association's Greater Expectations Initiative, a rigorous national search identified IUPUI and 15 other colleges and universities that have put in place stimulating educational experiences for students.

Dubbed "Leadership Institutions" for their role as models of best practice, the honored campuses will become part of the Greater Expectations Consortium on Quality Education.

"Naturally we are pleased to be included among the nation's leadership universities," said William Plater, Executive Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Faculties at IUPUI.

"Because of the extraordinary work of our faculty in many schools and especially University College, we bring to Central Indiana one of the best undergraduate programs in America," Plater said. "We are very proud of Dean Scott Evenbeck and his colleagues."

"IUPUI's award is important recognition for faculty leadership at IUPUI in dealing with student learning," Evenbeck said. "The Principles of Undergraduate Learning focus on what students learn, and the articulation of the Principles within each school, often in the context of professional accreditation, is our common affirmation of student learning at IUPUI. The development and assessment of learning communities across the campus are other initiatives at IUPUI garnering this national recognition."

"In their applications - corroborated by thorough campus visits - the Leadership Institutions demonstrated strong commitment to a liberal education relevant for our contemporary world," said Andrea Leskes, vice president at AAC&U and director of Greater Expectations. "Each offers innovative programs and a systemic approach to improve learning by all students."

"We were impressed with the attention to higher achievement at every one of the seventy-three applicant campuses," remarked Carol Schneider, president of AAC&U and one of the team of campus visitors. "Further, we were deeply inspired by the evidence that liberal learning is being reconfigured at all manner of colleges and universities across the nation."

The selected schools were characterized by extensive innovations in their curriculum, pedagogy, and organizational structure. At all of them the campus culture supports undergraduates both within and outside the classroom. Many have linked the liberal arts and preprofessional study. Others offer students the opportunity to "learn by doing" through off-campus work in community projects or internships. Most strongly emphasize critical thinking about complex problems, effective communication, and the ability to contribute to a diverse society as important outcomes of a powerfully lasting undergraduate education.

Other colleges and universities chosen as Leadership Institutions are: Central Connecticut State University, Colgate University, Duke University, Evergreen State College, Hampshire College, King's College (PA), Prince George's Community College, Richland College, State University of New York-Stony Brook, United States Air Force Academy, University of Hawai'i-Kapi'olani Community College, University of Michigan, University of Nebraska, University of Southern California, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

"The Consortium will provide national leadership - its members will be role models - as Greater Expectations becomes a resource to help all colleges and universities raise every undergraduate's performance," added Leskes. Joining the newly selected campuses in the Consortium will be the six recipients of the Pew Leadership Award for the Renewal of Undergraduate Education (Alverno College, Babson College, Eastern New Mexico University, Mount St. Mary's College, Portland State University, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). In bestowing its award, The Pew Charitable Trusts recognized the significant achievements of these campuses in transforming themselves to better educate undergraduates.

Formation of the Consortium on Quality Education, with its mandate to broadly share successful teaching practices both within higher education and with high schools, will advance AAC&U's commitment to ensuring the advantages of liberal learning for all students.

Greater Expectations: The Commitment to Quality as a Nation Goes to College is a far-reaching, multi-year initiative to define outcomes of a 21st century undergraduate education and to discover strategies for achieving them. The Pew Charitable Trusts and Carnegie Corporation of New York have underwritten the work.

AAC&U is the leading national association devoted to advancing and strengthening liberal learning for all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career.

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