SIXTEENTH ANUNAL WINTER INSTITUTE, VISCOUNT SUITES, TUCSON, ARIZONA,
JANUARY 2, 1995
SUMMARIES OF PROCEEDINGS
The Institute Officially began yesterday evening, 6pm, with Frank
Christ and Sylvia Mioduski's welcome and orientation to this year's meeting,
including overview of schedule and introduction of mentors: David Caverly,
Southwest Texas University; Frank Christ, CSU Long Beach, Emeritus; Gwyn
Enright, San Diego City College; Gene Kerstiens, Andragogy Associates; Martha
Maxwell, M & M Associates; Sylvia Mioduski, University of Arizona; Rick Sheets,
Paradise Valley Community College; and Karen Smith Rutgers University. Also
introduced was Pat Mulcahy-Ernt, Western Connecticut State University, and
President-Elect of College Reading and Learning Association.
DAY TWO, TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 1995
MORNING SESSION: 9 - 11
Martha Maxwell
Presented historical perspective of how probably the first
learning Center was established at the University of Maryland. The
historical/hysterical account recounted anecdotes concerning the emergence of a
center designed originally to serve WWII veterans and other nontraditional
students. Later she accepted a position at the University of California,
Berkeley, where she was commissioned to initiate a center pricipally concerned
with supplying academic support for minority students and an entirely different
academic, political, curricular environment. Problems and triumphs concerning
these assignments were delineated.
Disucssion following this presentation included concerns about
obtaining, keeping, and training volunteer help; finding an administrative
aegis for the center; getting a balance between technological and other
applications in the budget.
FRANK CHRIST
Discussed nine tenets for starting a center:
l. Have support of the university president.
2. Keep dean data an statistical backup.
3. Maintain high visibility on campus.
4. Enlarge the definition of clients to include all students,
faculty, and staff on campus.
5. Be learner centered.
6. Think resources, not money.
7. Have a commitment to MBO (management by objectives) manage-
ment system.
8. Be as professional as your colleagues: publish, consult,
and present.
9. Do complete follow-up after evaluations.
Discussion centered on the value of keeping data and technologically effective
methods of entering, treating, evaluating, publishing, and presenting results
to evaluate programs and obtain administrative support.
GENE KERSTIENS
Discussed learning assistance systems obtaining in
four models:
DEVELOPMENTAL STUDIES
LEARNING ASSISTANCE
LEARNING RESOURCES
STUDENT DEVELOPMENT,
from the perspective of student needs, the assessment system employed to place
or treat them, and the methods used for intervention, concluding with the
immediate needs for a center that is getting started:
A PLACE
FINEST, FEARLESS FACULTY & STAFF
A PERSON IN POWER TO SUPPORT THE DIRECTOR,
together with a look to the future needs of to be met by a center:
COMPUTERIZED, REPEATABLE, ON-DEMAND ASESSESSMENT/
REFERRAL SYSTEM,
SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION,
ACADEMIC SKILLS COUNSELILNG,
DISTANCE LEARNING -- ESPECIALLY INTERNET..
Ensuing discussion focused on the usefulness of
Internet in staying in touch with professional developments; the problems
occasioned by budgetary cuts; and the need for gatherings and publications by
professional organizations like CRLA; NADE; MLEA; APGA, and COMMISION XVI.
AFTERNOON SESSION: 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
KAREN SMITH, TWELVE KEY QUESTIONS TO ANSWER AND ONE CRITICAL
ISSUE IN DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING A COLLEGIATE LEARNING CENTER.
l. What are the motivating factors behind the decision to
implement a learning center?
2. What are the expectations (demands) of the administration?
3. How can I balance the conflicting expectations which will
arise in the development of the program(s)?
4. Where is the actual power?
5. How will I (must I) assess actual need for academic support?
6. How will the learning center respond to the various needs?
7. What will be the paramaters of each of the learning
center's services?
8. How should the learning center be staffed?
9. What are the qualifications expected (desired, needed) for
each of the staffing positions I have identified?
l0. Where will the center be located oganizationally and
geographically?
ll. How will evaluation / assessment be conducted?
12. How will the learning center be managed?
ONE CRITICAL ISSUE: How do I identify for the learning center and develop a
comprehensive public relations plan?
Following discussion included concerns over staff training,
changes in administrative leverage, changes in priorities for budgeting,
cost-effective assessment and testing, and ways of presenting "dean" data so
that the intended results can be expected.
After participants' meetings with their mentors, the day was concluded except
for ad hoc SIGs.
WEATHER IN TUCSON TODAY WAS SUNNY, THEN OVERCAST WITH A LOW OF 51
DEGREES AND A HIGH OF 72 DEGREES. RAIN EXPECTED TOMORROW, BUT THIS WILL
PROBABLY BEAT THE HELL OUT OF WEATHER IN THE REST OF THE CONTINENT.
TALK WITH YOU TOMORROW. GENE K.
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