Association Of American Colleges Research Articles

The convergence of the concepts of academic and inclusive excellence at research universities

Introduction. In the 21st century, there is an active involvement of universities in inclusive processes; however, against the backdrop of increasing diversity, new types of inequality arise in higher education. The processes of transformation of organisational cultures in universities and their research agenda under the influence of inclusion need to be studied.The aimof the present research was to analyse the convergence of concepts of academic and inclusive excellence in foreign universities of the world level, the impact of convergence on their missions, the values expressed in official strategies, the research agenda and the infrastructure of scientific collaborations.Methodology and research methods. The authors conducted a content analysis of three strategies of world-class University associations (the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Association of Universities in Canada, the League of European Research Universities), nine strategies for the development of universities in the USA and Canada, the European Union, and Australia. A scientometric analysis of Web of Science metadata was performed using the VOSViewer software.Results and scientific novelty. The current research confirms the convergence of values of academic excellence and inclusion in research universities. It is revealed that the concept of inclusive excellence of the university is an enriched version of its academic excellence and denotes a set of university strategies and practices aimed at achieving the best results in training, research and services through maintaining diversity and inclusive processes. The world's leading universities are actively involved in the process of creating an inclusive friendly environment and services, which are accessible to all members of the educational process, regardless of their social status and development characteristics. When universities reach academic heights, they recognise inclusion as the next level of their development. In turn, inclusion becomes a factor in the movement of the university towards academic excellence. The key characteristics and contradictions of the convergence of the concepts of inclusive and academic excellence of universities are identified. The local models of inclusive excellence of universities and the contexts, which influence these models, are described. The gaps between educational policies and research agendas of leading universities are revealed. The clusters of international studies on inclusive processes in higher education are highlighted.Practical significance. Russian universities, which implement the federal programme for improvement of international competitiveness based on the values of academic excellence, are developing in accordance with global trends. Therefore, the model of inclusive excellence of the university can be used in practical terms to implement inclusive strategies and overcome social inequality both at the university and outside of it within the framework of a new educational initiative of Russia on academic leadership.

Designing an Instrument to Measure Student Perceptions of Integrative Learning: Operationalizing AAC&U’s Integrative Learning VALUE Rubric

The National Leadership Council for Liberal Education, America’s Promise (2007) proposed integrative learning as one of four areas of essential learning outcomes students should develop during their collegiate experience. Traditional assessment of integrative learning has focused on the evaluation of student work. In this study, we designed a pre- and post-test tool based on the Association of American Colleges and Universities Integrative Learning VALUE Rubric introducing integrative learning to students while measuring prior student experiences connected to this topic. This instrument helps to provide a comparative analysis of students’ integration of learning throughout their participation in a learning community.

A CURE Using Cell Culture–Based Research Enhances Career-Ready Skills in Undergraduates

A course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) using cell culture–based research was developed to allow students to test potential molecules for their ability to prevent the host inflammatory response to implantable biomaterials. This CURE was utilized for lab instruction in cell biology courses over a three-year period at two institutions and was assessed using a modified student assessment of learning gains (SALG) survey and a rubric from the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). The SALG survey analysis showed enhanced essential “hard” skill sets and attitudes important to a future research career using cell culture post–CURE participation. The results from both SALG and AAC&U assessments revealed gains in four of the six most highly valued “soft” skills rated by US employers as essential in their hiring of recent college graduates.

Improving Student Presentation Skills Using Asynchronous Video-Based Projects

Given the central role that excellent presentation skills plays in management, methods for better developing these skills represent an important area of focus in business education. Rapidly evolving distributed (distance) technologies have compelled businesses to reimagine practices in most areas, and presentations are no exception. In the present study, we examine the potential advantages of video presentations—not from the perspective of the audience, but rather from the perspective of the student as immersed in the process of developing individual presentation skills. We crafted a course project where students collaborate to create a video presentation, replacing a more traditional in-class presentation. To test the effectiveness of this new approach, we conducted a study in which measures from multiple course sections using either the new video creation approach or the traditional presentation approach were compared. For the former, we found a significant improvement in students’ presentation skills on five dimensions (central message, supporting material, language, organization, and delivery) as evaluated with the authoritative Oral Communication VALUE Rubric developed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities. We describe the project and the study, and end the article with lessons learned and recommendations for expanding the project’s applications to other courses.

All Are Welcome, Except You: Isolation in a Social Justice Community

All Are Welcome, Except You:Isolation in a Social Justice Community Jody E. Jessup-Anger (bio) and Courtney Howell (bio) Once considered by researchers to be an innovation in undergraduate education, living–learning communities (LLCs) exist today on many campuses throughout the US (Inkelas et al., 2018). In these communities, students live together, take part in shared academic experiences, and engage in cocurricular programming designed to enhance their learning (Inkelas & Soldner, 2011). A growing body of research (Inkelas et al., 2018) illustrates academic and involvement advances for students in LLCs. Overwhelmingly, the published research on LLCs illustrates positive gains, as evidenced by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U, 2007) naming learning communities a research-based high-impact practice. Despite the positive rhetoric about LLCs, Talburt and Boyles (2005) encouraged researchers to explore the potential of learning communities to alienate students. Drawing on their experience advising a learning community, the authors posited that the normative ideals of these communities may "take on a coercive, prescriptive tone rather than one that describes emerging identifications and purposes" (p. 216), and they encouraged researchers to examine the communities more critically. We address Talburt and Boyle's (2005) call for critical analysis empirically, through an in-depth exploration of one student, Sandra, who provided evidence contradict the notion that LLCs improve student engagement and outcomes. Sandra, who self-identified as an out-cast in a social justice–focused LLC, described painful feelings and experiences of isolation. Through our analysis, we learned about the ways in which she felt isolated within a community intentionally designed to support her. [End Page 242] METHOD Theoretical Framework For our larger study, we used a qualitative multiple-case study approach (Yin, 1984) and a constructivist epistemology (Broido & Manning, 2002). To focus on and make meaning of Sandra's experiences as an outlier case, and because of our desire to reexamine the conventional wisdom regarding LLCs as spaces where students thrive, we used frame analysis. Brandwein (2014) explained that a frame "refers to taken-for-granted assumptions and beliefs" that shape an individual's understanding of reality (p. 285). With a frame analysis researchers reconsider the dominant interpretation of reality in the face of new evidence. Data Sources The data for this article were drawn from a larger dataset exploring 36 students' understandings of social justice and LLC involvement across three social justice communities at three private, Catholic institutions (for details, see Jessup-Anger et al., 2020). We interviewed 11 students from the City University (CU) Social Justice Living–Learning Community (SJLLC). We chose to highlight Sandra's experiences, because her story stood in stark contrast to other students' positive experiences and troubled the prevailing assumptions about LLC environments as high impact. She was the only (self-described) outcast in our sample, so we were curious about her experience and wanted to delve further. Jessup-Anger conducted three 45-to-90-minute interviews with Sandra: the first and second at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters while she lived in the community and the third in the spring a year after she left the community. We also obtained Sandra's application to join the community, which included her expectations for the community and her rationale for joining. Finally, we examined the transcripts from the other 10 SJLLC students in our sample to see if their perspectives might shed any further light on Sandra's experiences. Setting SJLLC was a sophomore community dedicated to examining issues of social justice at CU, a large, highly residential, private, Catholic university in the Midwest. Students lived on two floors in a residence hall (one all-male and one all-female) and took two 3-credit courses together (a philosophy course in the fall and a theology course in the spring). They also participated in 3 hours of service-learning each week as part of their coursework. Their service-learning placements were self-chosen from a list of agencies provided by the office of service-learning. The assignments varied, but all LLC participants were placed in agencies working with adults, including recent immigrants, seniors, and those living with AIDS. Finally, students self-selected into peer interest groups to raise awareness about...

Reflecting on COVID‐19 and the Future of Assessment

Reflecting on COVID‐19 and the Future of Assessment

Agility and Assessment in the Age of COVID‐19: How Fast Can a Community College Dance?

Agility and Assessment in the Age of COVID‐19: How Fast Can a Community College Dance?

High-Impact Practices: Evaluating Their Effect on College Completion

Since the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) introduced high-impact practices (HIPs) in 2007, scholars have argued that students’ involvement in these programs is associated with a range of positive outcomes. Namely, participation in HIPs is thought to promote student retention and help close achievement gaps between historically marginalized populations and advantaged peers. However, few have used a longitudinal approach to determine if HIP participation is related to college completion while accounting for pre-college variables. This study used data from the Educational Longitudinal Study (ELS) to analyze the impact of HIP participation on students’ likelihood of completing college within six years, controlling for socioeconomic status, high school math and reading scores, and high school involvement. Results suggested that students involved in HIPs were more likely to complete college within six years compared to uninvolved peers, but found no evidence of compensatory effects among students who were involved with HIPs.

Implementing Information Literacy (IL) into STEM Writing Courses: Effect of IL Instruction on Students’ Writing Projects at an Urban Community College

The purpose of this study was to implement information literacy (IL) into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) writing courses at an urban community college, investigate if students’ information literacy (IL) skills were improved through library one-shot instruction, and determine if there was an association between IL skills and students’ writing performance. Students in the experimental group attended the library instructional class and students in the control group had no library class. Students’ research papers were scored using the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) Information Literacy VALUE Rubric to grade the effectiveness of the library instruction. While the scores of the papers did not differ between groups, data indicated that there was a statistically significant difference (p = .011) in IL scores between students in the experimental group (M = 9.70) and students in the control group (M = 8.73). The results also showed that information literacy skills were correlated positively with students’ grades on research papers (p = .002).

Association Between Sex Composition and Publication Productivity of Journal Editorial and Professional Society Board Members in Ophthalmology

Because women remain underrepresented in leadership positions in medicine, including ophthalmology, knowledge of sex composition of ophthalmic journal editorial and professional society boards seems warranted. To investigate the sex composition of ophthalmic journal editorial and professional society boards and compare the publication productivity and number of citations of male vs female board members. In this cross-sectional study, the SCImago Journal Rank indicator was used to identify the 20 highest-ranked ophthalmology journals. Faculty members from each ophthalmic subspecialty were surveyed within a US academic ophthalmology department to identify 15 influential ophthalmology societies. The 2018 board members of each journal and society were identified from the journals' and societies' official websites, and the sex of each individual was recorded. Information regarding journals and societies was collected from October 1 to December 31, 2018. The Scopus database was accessed in January 2019 and then used to find each member's h-index and m-quotient. The h-index, defined as the highest number of an author's publications that received at least h number of citations, was calculated for each board member. The m-quotient, which accounts for varying lengths of academic careers, was calculated by dividing the h-index by the number of years since first publication. Of the 1077 members of ophthalmic journal editorial and society leadership boards, 797 (74.0%) were men and 280 (26.0%) were women. Among the 24 editors in chief of the 20 journals investigated, 23 (95.8%) were male. Thirteen of the 15 professional society presidents (86.7%) were men. Male board members had significantly higher median h-indexes (male vs female journals: 34 [interquartile range {IQR}, 23-47] vs 28 [IQR, 19-40], P < .001; male vs female societies: 27 [IQR, 15-41] vs 17 [IQR, 8-32], P = .006), median publication numbers (male vs female journal board members: 157 [IQR, 88-254] vs 109 [IQR, 66-188], P < .001; male vs female society board members: 109 [IQR, 57-190] vs 58 [IQR, 28-139, P = .001), and median citations (male vs female journal board members: 4027 [IQR, 1897-8005] vs 2871 [IQR, 1344-5852], P < .001; male vs female society board members: 2228 [IQR, 1005-5069] vs 1090 [IQR, 410-2527], P = .003). However, the median m-quotients for male and female board members were comparable (male vs female journal board members: 1.2 [IQR, 0.8-1.6] vs 1.1 [IQR, 0.8-1.5], P = .54; male vs female society board members: 1.0 [IQR, 0.7-1.4] vs 0.9 [IQR, 0.6-1.3], P = .32). The findings suggest that the sex composition on journal editorial and professional society boards in ophthalmology is consistent with the sex composition of ophthalmologists in the US, as reported by the Association of American Colleges, but that editor in chief and society president positions are male dominated despite the apparent equality in academic productivity.

Build a relationship‐rich institution for increased student success

WASHINGTON, D.C. — “The most important factors in any student outcome that we [as administrators] care about are the quality of peer and faculty and staff relationships,” said Peter Felten, Executive Director at the Center for Engaged Learning at Elon University. Felten was speaking at a session on the importance of creating relationship‐rich institutions for student success at the Association of American Colleges and Universities annual meeting.

For whom are we internationalizing? A call to prioritize second language learning in internationalization efforts

Since the emergence of models and frameworks for college and university internationalization in the early 1990s, post-secondary world language education has remained a core dimension of internationalization in theory (American Council on Education, no date; Association of American Colleges and Universities, 2007; Hudzik, 2011; Rudzki, 1995; Spencer-Oatey and Dauber, 2016). Yet a report by the American Council on Education (ACE, 2017) found that, in actuality, most institutions have afforded little attention to developing students’ second language proficiency despite the considerable benefits of language learning experiences to prepare learners for the challenges of a global workforce in the 21st century. This article argues that developing an informed intercultural mindset paired with proficiency in at least one language other than English is essential for graduates to take advantage of the many professional, societal, and educational opportunities of today’s global community. To this end, we urge internationalizing post-secondary institutions with an interest in providing students with second language skills and the relevant educational experiences for which leading language organizations consistently advocate (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 2015a, 2015b; Modern Language Association, 2007).

Is First-Year Seminar Type Predictive of Institutional Retention Rates?

Is First-Year Seminar Type Predictive of Institutional Retention Rates? Dallin George Young (bio) First-year seminars (FYS) are courses "intended to enhance the academic and/or social integration of first-year students" (Barefoot, 1992, p. 49). Colleges and universities initiate FYS to help first-year students develop a connection with the institution, provide orientation to campus resources and services, foster the development of academic skills, support the learning and developmental objectives of undergraduate education, and retain students from the first to second year of college (Greenfield, Keup, & Gardner, 2013; Young & Skidmore, 2019). Further, they form a connective thread for first-year experiences such as providing an orientation to campus resources, creating a sense of belonging, developing study skills, and serving as a curricular anchor for other high-impact practices (Greenfield et al., 2013; Young & Skidmore, 2019). Frequently, FYS represent what has been termed an extended orientation course, usually named college survival or success (Greenfield et al., 2013; Hunter & Linder, 2005); however, multiple varieties of the form exist (Young & Skidmore, 2019). Barefoot (1992) outlined a scheme that persists as the most widely adopted typology of FYS: (a) extended orientation seminars, (b) academic courses with uniform content across all sections, (c) academic courses with content that varies across sections, (d) preprofessional or discipline-linked courses, and (e) seminars with a focus on basic study skills. Tobolowsky and associates (2008) described a sixth type, hybrid courses, combining elements of the other types. The literature base is replete with evidence that FYS contribute to improvements in academic performance; interaction with faculty; use of campus services; satisfaction with the institution; active involvement in cocurricular activities; positive perceptions of self-as-learner; enhanced lifelong-learning orientation; and development of academic, interpersonal, and communication skills (see Koch, Foote, Hinkle, Keup, & Pistilli, 2007; Padgett, Keup, & Pascarella, 2013; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). Additionally, large-scale reviews of the published research on the effects of participation in FYS have indicated that FYS had at least indirect effects from the first to second year in college (Mayhew, Rockenbach, Bowman, Seifert, & Wolniak, 2016; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Permzadian & Credé, 2016). Notwithstanding these results, recent research has emerged that questions whether FYS have any effect at all on student success (Culver & Bowman, 2020). The flexibility of the FYS to meet the needs of a wide variety of institutional contexts is a feature seen as part of its widespread success (Greenfield et al., 2013); however, the research record is unclear about which seminar types have greater impact on student outcomes. Some researchers found that extended orientation types are connected to improved outcomes (see Friedman & Marsh, 2009; Ryan & Glenn, 2004), while others point to the benefits of [End Page 379] academic seminars (see Swing, 2002; Zerr & Bjerke, 2016). Other studies have found mixed results in outcomes based on FYS type. Permzadian and Credé (2016) found that extended orientation seminars were positive and significant predictors of first-to-secondyear retention, and academic seminars were positive predictors of first-year GPA. Weissman and Magill (2008) reported that the benefits of one seminar type over another were related to the type of student who participated. Confounding the interpretation of the opus of literature linking FYS type and student retention is the fact that the research on the topic comprises only single-institution studies and studies conducted at the student level. Only a limited number of studies have included the influence of institution-level characteristics on student retention or intent to persist. For example, Porter and Swing (2006) found that improved academic engagement in FYS at the institution level was associated with higher levels of students' intent to persist to the second year. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK/JUSTIFICATION FOR THE STUDY In 2008, the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) introduced a list of 10 high-impact practices (HIPs) that had been tested and found to have significant positive influence on student engagement and retention (Kuh, 2008), including FYS and experiences. Kuh and O'Donnell (2013) identified 8 elements of HIPs that explained the educational and pedagogical practices that led to the impact found in HIPs: (a) high performance expectations; (b) significant investment of time and effort by students; (c) interactions with faculty and peers about substantive matters; (d) experiences...

Dialogue: In Conversation with Elizabeth Minnich

At the ISSOTL Conference in Bergen, Norway (October 2018), we were privileged to have heard a lecture by Professor Elizabeth Minnich, on “People who are not thinking Are capable of anything: What are students learning, how are students learning it, and does it make them better people?” As a follow up, in November 2019, Chng Huang Hoon (then-ISSOTL Vice President - Asia Pacific) invited the ISSOTL community to field their questions for Professor Minnich. Questions from four ISSOTL members were received. TLI has provided the platform to enable us to continue that important conversation.&#x0D; The participants are:&#x0D; &#x0D; Elizabeth Minnich, philosopher, author, teacher, Distinguished Fellow (Association of American Colleges &amp; Universities).&#x0D; John Draeger, Professor of Philosophy and Director, Teaching and Learning Center, SUNY Buffalo State, USA.&#x0D; Torgny Roxå, Associate Professor and Academic Developer, Excellent Teaching Practitioner, Centre for Engineering Education, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University, Sweden.&#x0D; Johan Geertsema, Associate Professor (University Scholars Programme) and Director, Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning, National University of Singapore.&#x0D; Chng Huang Hoon, Associate Professor (English Language &amp; Literature), Associate Provost (Undergraduate Education) and Director (Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Centre), National University of Singapore.&#x0D; &#x0D; This conversation is in 3-parts:&#x0D; 1) Part One: Thoughtfulness, Thoughtlessness, Thinking and Teaching &#x0D; 2) Part Two: Thoughtlessness, scholarly reflection, and Outcomes-based teaching and learning&#x0D; 3) Part Three: Intensive and Extensive SoTL

The Capstone ePortfolio in an Undergraduate Public Health Program: Accreditation, Assessment, and Audience.

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) degree program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) was launched in 2007, and was initially accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health in 2009. We admit approximately 40–45 students each fall to the upper division major, through a competitive admissions process. During the junior and senior years, BSPH majors complete a core set of required courses including internship; 18 credit hours of restricted electives; and any minor offered by the university (except public health). During 2014–2015, the Department of Public Health Sciences was one of five campus units supported by UNC General Administration to pilot the use of ePortfolios as a tool to help students integrate learning across the courses that make up the major. The pilot program continued for 2 additional years, to promote enduring faculty efforts. We subsequently outline the development and implementation of ePortfolio pedagogy in the BSPH program at UNC Charlotte, including preliminary assessment of outcomes the past 3 years. The adoption of ePortfolios has been instrumental in students' educational experiences for over 2 decades. The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has advocated that “ePortfolios allow faculty and other educational professionals to help students organize their learning; preserve the variety of forms in which their learning occurs; and reflect upon their learning.” We have learned that effective student ePortfolios do not arise in a vacuum. In collaboration with like-minded campus colleagues including those associated with the university's Communication Across the Curriculum program, we have encountered contributing forces related to the process of “collection, selection, and reflection” including intentional assignments that yield effective student artifacts; and authentic feedback to students through adoption and modification of the AAC&U VALUE rubrics. We conclude that internal and external forces drive the development of ePortfolio content; students embrace opportunities to document learning when those opportunities are structured; the development of the ePortfolio is relational—consistent with student attributes; and ePortfolios enable evidence-based approaches to meet accreditation demands, assessment needs, and workforce expectations.

Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs): Forming a Bridge between College and the Workplace

Employers increasingly indicate the need for employees who have demonstrated proficiency in skills and knowledge that cut across majors such as written and oral communication, teamwork, ethical decision making, critical thinking, and the ability to apply knowledge in real-world settings. The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&amp;U) identifies these five skills as those most highly valued by employers. In addition, AAC&amp;U includes these five skills among the ten essential learning outcomes (ELOs) the organization identifies as outcomes of a liberal arts education. To comply with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business’ (AACSB) assurances of learning standards, Business school faculty must develop, monitor, evaluate, and revise the substance and delivery of curricula and assess the impact of curricula on learners. This article will focus on the ways in which the Stockton University School of Business incorporates alignment of AACSB's assurances of learning with the institution's ELOs as part of its assessment process.

Real-Time Student Assessment: Meeting the Imperative for Improved Time to Degree, Closing the Opportunity Gap, and Assuring Student Competencies for 21st Century Needs by Peggy L. Maki

Reviewed by: Real-Time Student Assessment: Meeting the Imperative for Improved Time to Degree, Closing the Opportunity Gap, and Assuring Student Competencies for 21st Century Needs by Peggy L. Maki Gavin Henning Real-Time Student Assessment: Meeting the Imperative for Improved Time to Degree, Closing the Opportunity Gap, and Assuring Student Competencies for 21st Century Needs Peggy L. Maki Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, 2017, 188 pages, $29.95 (softcover) Peggy Maki argues that the current state of assessment is not fulfilling its intended purpose of improving students’ learning because it is still too frequently motivated by external forces without an internal commitment to improve student learning for current students. Assessment practice must change now to account for the increasing diversification of students on campus, address persistence gaps in degree completion rates for minoritized students, ensure a global citizenry that is educated and can meet the needs of a global economy and solve problems that have not yet arisen. While more colleges and universities are using nationally recognized student outcomes frameworks—such as the Essential Learning Outcomes by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (n.d.) and the Degree Qualification Profile by the Lumina Foundation (2018)—to guide education programs, few institutions are assessing student progress towards achievement of these outcomes in order to benefit current students. Rather, assessment is implemented in a more periodic fashion with the goal of program improvement to benefit future students. Maki argues that what is needed to ensure equitable attainment of the identified student outcomes is continuous assessment that capitalizes on opportunities to identify students who are struggling and addresses, in real-time, the obstacles current students face to help them succeed. This approach is what she terms “real-time assessment.” Recent texts outline how to implement assessment (Banta & Palomba, 2014; Henning & Roberts, 2016; Kuh et al., 2015; Schuh, Biddix, Dean, & Kinzie, 2016; Suskie, 2014, 2018) or discuss specific assessment tools or methods to employ (Barkley & Major, 2016; Massa & Kasimatis, 2017). Maki’s book differs in that it deepens the assessment conversation, providing direction regarding how to implement assessment in the present to improve programs and services to benefit students now. Through the six chapters in the book, Maki provides a guide for real-time assessment. In chapter 1, she articulates why equity matters in higher education by providing evidence to demonstrate disparities in retention and graduation rates for students across demographic categories. She continues by positing the needs for a diverse, educated citizenry who can meet the requirements of a global society. In the second chapter, Maki describes a few nationally recognized outcomes frameworks that provide the foundation for effective assessment practice, and she articulates how these can offer scaffolding for coherent degree pathways for students. Maki provides guidance in chapter 3 regarding learner-centered commitments that institutions must make to develop clear and coherent degree pathways supported and informed by real-time student assessment. These commitments are: [End Page 134] Commitment 1: Shared commitment to close existing achievement and graduation gaps measurably Commitment 2: Agreement on language of outcomes and scoring rubrics to identify patterns of performance and underperformance continuously Commitment 3: Coherence across the curriculum, cocurriculum, and other educational experiences Commitment 4: Alignment of courses, educational experiences, and assignments with outcomes and standards and criteria of judgment Commitment 5: Faculty collaboration with the institution’s network of experts Transitioning from foundational commentary to concrete directions, Maki discusses guiding principles for implementing real-time assessment at the program and institutional levels in chapter 4. The principles she outlines include: Principle 1: Internally driven and motivated Principle 2: Inclusive of internal stakeholders Principle 3: Bolstered by collaboration that harnesses others’ expertise and practices Principle 4: Anchored in continuous reporting and interrogation of assessment results Principle 5: Responsive to students’ needs in the present tense Principle 6: Valued by the institution This chapter includes two institutional and two program case studies, which bring the principles to life by providing concrete examples. Additionally, in chapter 4, Maki provides an instructive table that compares characteristics of real-time assessment with point-in-time assessment approaches. Maki uses chapter 5 to outline types of technology that are useful for implementing real-time assessment, describing the purposes of...

977. An Innovative 3-Year Medical Student Spiral Curriculum in Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infectious Diseases

BackgroundBy 2050, infections due antimicrobial-resistant organisms are predicted to account for 10 million deaths/year worldwide. Physician antibiotic prescribing patterns are a significant factor in the development of antibiotic resistance organisms. Early, continual, and integrated medical student education may help students develop a framework for responsible antimicrobial use as they develop prescribing patterns.MethodsWe designed a spiral antimicrobial stewardship curriculum (defined as revisiting the same concept but with increasing complexity) for medical students in years 2–4. Data provided by the Graduation Questionnaire (GQ) administered by the US Association of American Colleges were used. We compared student responses during the curriculum rollout in 2013–2015 between students at our institution and other schools. We also surveyed graduating seniors in 2015 about antimicrobial stewardship training.ResultsUsing GQ data for the class of 2013 (preintervention), a similar proportion of UCSF medical students compared with other US medical students rated microbiology clinical preparation as excellent (43.6% vs. 45.1%, P > 0.20). For the 2014 class, we developed interactive case-based sessions at the beginning of years 3 and 4. After this first intervention, a higher proportion of UCSF students rated the microbiology clinical preparation as excellent (51.3%) compared with responses at all schools (39.8%, odds ratio [OR] 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–2.3, P = 0.013). For the class of 2015, we added content during the medicine clerkship and 1 week before graduation. For the 2015 class, an even higher proportion of UCSF students rated microbiology preparation as excellent (57.6%), compared with all schools (41.2%, OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.54–3.22, P < 0.0001). From our survey, 88% were very or extremely satisfied with antimicrobial stewardship training.ConclusionA spiral curriculum focusing on antimicrobial stewardship and infectious diseases increases student perception of clinical preparation prior to graduation. As the curriculum was incrementally introduced, students’ knowledge increased indicating a dose–response pattern. Based on these positive results, we plan to introduce more content throughout UME, and link to curriculum for GME and practicing clinicians.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

A Special Section for Majors: Why the Answer May Not Be Undergraduate Research

Having been presented the opportunity to teach a special section of American and Texas Government for new freshman majors, my first goal was to find ways to enhance and enrich the academic and intellectual experience of my students. My thoughts turned right away to undergraduate research and the many benefits it provides, as pointed out by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Council on Undergraduate Research, the American Political Science Association, and the National Collegiate Honors Council, among others. Thinking that my students deserved these opportunities, and that research was important to students majoring in political science, I wrote assignments that seemed right for the course. Now, with two years of experience with such sections, I am sharing lessons I have learned, from the need to be mindful of the time demands one places on new freshmen to recognition that the term research is unfamiliar and lacking in meaning to most students. Teaching the class for majors has been a rewarding experience for many reasons, among them the opportunities it provided for the instructor to gain new insights and understanding.

University Leaders’ Public Advocacy: An Educational Asset in Creating Inclusive Climates

Background While it may appear that university leaders’ public advocacy is somewhat punctuated in today's political environment, campuses have long been symbolic epicenters of civic discourse about contentious social issues in the United States. Scholarly discourse about university leaders’ advocacy has centered on when or how leaders have chosen to use it to facilitate productive interactions with political leaders and other strategic constituencies. Largely absent from these discussions is evidence detailing whether senior campus leaders’ public advocacy has any discernible effects on the campus climate and educational environment. Research Question In this analysis, we ask: Does public and vocal advocacy for educational values by senior campus leaders translate into cultivating a campus climate that corresponds to the values and messages being communicated in the leaders’ rhetoric? What, if any, educational impact results from campus leaders’ public advocacy? Research Design The quantitative data for this analysis come from the Personal and Social Responsibility Inventory (PSRI) that was developed through the Association of American Colleges and Universities’ (AAC&amp;U) Core Commitments initiative. This campus climate survey consists of two parallel and largely parsimonious forms—one for students and one for professionals (faculty, instructors, and student and academic affairs administrators). Data were gathered in 2007. The sample consists of 10,693 responses, three-fourths of which were from students and the remaining one-fourth from professionals. We used OLS regression to generate a blocked model examining the effects of exposure to senior leaders’ public advocacy for particular educational values on the campus community's perception of the climate. Findings/Results Senior campus leaders’ public advocacy for educational values (citizenship, valuing diverse perspectives, moral and ethical conduct, and academic effort) operated as a positive resource for improving the campus climate for diversity. Frequent exposure to leaders’ advocacy for valuing diverse perspectives generated the largest effects on the extent to which the educational climate is viewed as one where faculty teach about the importance of considering diverse views, students are respectful when discussing controversial issues, and campus community members feel safe in holding unpopular positions on campus. Findings also revealed that the extent to which all campus community members felt safe to hold unpopular positions on campus declined when there was greater racial homogeneity among students, academic employees, and service and support employees. Conclusions/Recommendations When campus community members experienced sustained and frequent exposure to administrative leaders who publicly discussed educational values, a campus can expect to experience positive gains in aspects of the psychological, behavioral, and structural dimensions of the campus climate for diversity. This study also suggests that in order to create an environment where diverse discourse is more likely, campuses need to be attentive to the demographic composition across the entire organization, therefore seeking ways to cultivate compositional racial diversity among all members—students, academic employees, and service and support employees.