Members of the steering committee for ACE's new Learner Success Lab met for the first time last month to provide insight and guidance as the program takes form leading up to its launch next fall.
The Learner Success Lab is an expansion of ACE's transformation lab offerings based on the model of the Internationalization Laboratory. It is designed to guide institutions through a strategic planning process to maximize student persistence and completion and ensure that learners acquire the skills necessary for success in today's workforce. The pilot cohort is expected to begin work in October 2020 and is supported by a grant from the Strada Education Network.
During the meeting, ACE President Ted Mitchell and Senior Vice President Philip Rogers took the opportunity to welcome the diverse array of educators, employers, students, and other higher education stakeholders that make up the steering committee and lay out its responsibilities. The committee members are:
- Gardner Carrick, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, National Association of Manufacturers
- John Fink, Senior Research Associate, Community College Research Center
- Dallas Kratzer, Student Success Coach/Faculty, University of Louisville
- Kevin Kruger, President, NASPA—Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
- Dane Linn, Vice President, Business Roundtable
- Spencer Niles, Dean of Education, The College of William & Mary
- Sophia Norcott, 2018 ACE Student of the Year, Southern New Hampshire University
- Lynn Pasquerella, President, American Association of Colleges & Universities
- Anthony Pinder, AVP of Academic Affairs—Internationalization & Global Engagement, Emerson College
- Jose Rodriguez, Re-Entry Coordinator—Prison Education Program, College Unbound
- Pete Rogan, Director of Product Development, SOPHIA Learning
- Yves Salomon-Fernandez, President, Greenfield Community College
- Jason Tyszko, Vice President—Center for Education and Workforce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The committee will meet again at ACE2020, ACE's 102nd annual meeting March 14-16 in San Diego, and for a final time in July 2020. Between meetings, they will communicate and provide feedback on program materials, the participant selection process, and the preliminary literature review through ACE Engage®, ACE's peer-to-peer online community and learning platform.