27th McKnight Annual Fellows Meeting & 15th Annual Graduate School Conference

HBCU Administrators:



On October 21-23, 2011, over 300 McKnight Fellows and professors will meet in Tampa for our 27th McKnight Annual Fellows Meeting and 15th Annual Graduate School Conference. We invite you to participate as an exhibitor and recruiter at the Conference.


Founded in 1984, today the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program supports record numbers of African American and Hispanic students through innovative practices designed to help fully cultivate their talents and expertise. The Annual Fellows Meeting is just one in a series of conferences* that inform, train, and connect our Doctoral Fellows, complemented by year-round online workshops and an annual research and writing institute. Our continuing efforts to evaluate and refine the Doctoral Program support system contribute to the development of scholars who are among the brightest in the nation, highly motivated and prepared to meet the divergent needs of communities, academia, and industry.


Don’t take our word for it. Come see for yourself October 21st through 23rd.


At this year’s Meeting, we will feature a “Dialogue with Exhibitors” dinner on Saturday, October 22nd. Here you will be able to meet and mingle with potential faculty members and industry experts from the Program’s current doctoral students, recent graduates, and established professionals. Other compelling benefits of this recruitment opportunity include:


• Exhibition space available for the duration of the Conference.
• Multiple networking opportunities, enhanced by:
o entrée to all additional Conference events and plenary sessions and
o receipt of a diskette containing curriculum vitae and resumes of select Fellows and graduates
• The chance to observe our doctoral students and professors during formal and informal discussions that elucidate their research interests, strengths, and expertise.


To receive these benefits, click here and complete the Exhibitor Registration Form, indicating your preferred participation level. Please note, of the three levels described on the form, Plan B includes the most opportunities to interact with Doctoral Fellows.


A summary of the 2011 program will be available shortly. If you have questions, please call us at (813) 272-2772.


*Another McKnight meeting which may interest you is the Mid-Year Research and Writing Conference in February. It is distinguished by its panels of matriculating McKnight Fellows who present their research for critique by established scholars in a public forum. The Mid-Year Conference is smaller than the October Annual Fellows Meeting, and its focus on student research and presentation will provide further opportunities to learn more about our Fellows’ research interests, strengths, and expertise.


If you want more information about attending the 2012 McKnight Mid-Year Research and Writing Conference, please contact us at the number above.


Regards,
Rachael Nickie
Research & Development Coordinator/
Publications Manager
Florida Education Fund
201 East Kennedy Blvd. Suite 1525
Tampa, FL 33602
813-272-2772 x206
Fax: 813-272-2784
www.fefonline.org

27th McKnight Annual Fellows Meeting & 15th Annual Graduate School Conference

North Star News: The Complexity of Black America

September 27, 2911
By Juliette Malveaux


I don't know how many African American people came to Washington for the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference, but there were more than 5000 gathered at the dinner that featured President Obama as a speaker. Though the halls of the Washington Convention Center were full, and it did my eyes good to see people lined up to buy books, some say that the economy may have dampened attendance. To be sure, the corporate presence did not seem as strong as it has been in the past, yet it is always gratifying to see Ingrid Sanders Jones and the Coca-Cola company sponsoring the prayer breakfast, which sizzled this year when the Rev. Freddy Haynes totally threw down.


The high point of the conference may have been President Obama's strident and almost angry speech, challenging Congress to pass the jobs bill, and explaining why it must pass. Watching the President, he appeared to be undaunted, but certainly frustrated, by the legislative gridlock and the total lack of cooperation he has been experiencing from Congress. If those assembled reach out to their legislative representatives, not all of who are CBC members; perhaps it will make some difference.


Another high point of the dinner was the range of wonderful honorees present. They included EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, and also the indomitable Rev. Joe Lowery, who at nearly 90 has as much fire in his belly as he did 50 years ago. He lifted his fist, roused the crowd, and exhorted us to keep fighting injustice. He is an amazing example of a civil rights warrior, and he deserves every honor that is bestowed on him.


That may have been the highest point but, from my perspective, the legislative conference contained many highs. There were more than one hundred brain trusts, panels, or other gatherings both at the convention center and in nearby places, as several organizations also use the legislative conference week as a time to organize their own meetings. The White House HBCU initiative, for example, held its conference on the Monday and Tuesday before the CBC legislative conference. With everything that is going on, the ALC is a cross between a policy conference, a family reunion, with a few evening parties thrown in for good measure.


Somehow the majority press gets away with focusing only on the party aspect of the gathering. The Washington Post printed a piece that talked about the ingredients for a successful CBC party. Ho, hum. Why not a piece about the ingredients for a successful brain trust? Why not some reporting on the range of issues addressed. There were panels on the environment, the foster care system, education, wealth, business development, criminal justice, global affairs and more. A highlight for me was visiting with students from four elementary and high schools that were organized by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX). Our panel's task was to encourage them to consider careers in math and science. With a NASA astronaut, a math educator, an engineer, and this economist on the panel, the students got lots of reinforcement to consider untraditional careers. It was great to see young people gathered and open to learning. Too, Congressman Elijah Cummings always puts together a panel on youth, which is attended by young people from his congressional district in Baltimore. This year, Cora Masters Barry moderated the panel and brought her young people from DC's Southeast Tennis and learning center. Four Bennett students, and hundreds of college students from other campuses, were in attendance. While the cynical may say that the CBC conference is the "same old, same old", it is interesting to view the ALC through the fresh eyes of our young people who are so eager to learn and to make a difference.


Women's issues were well represented. Melanie Campbell convened the Black Women's Roundtable with an overflow crowd. Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-Ca.) convened the International Black Women's Policy Forum to explore the issue of health disparities.


Tony Brown once said that if the ALC were cancelled for just one year, that money could be used to fund significant initiatives in Black America. He may be right. At the same time, I'd like to challenge the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to document some of the outcomes of the ALC, which might include legislation inspired, business deals closed, scholarships funded, students exposed. If the accomplishments were clearly documented, perhaps the mainstream press would talk purpose, not party, when they reference next year's ALC.

North Star News: The Complexity of Black America

Campus Technology: New Study Reveals Student Perspective on Technology Use in Higher Education

By Kanoe Namahoe10/03/11
College students believe that technology has a direct impact on their academic performance, according to findings from a new student-driven study out of the Lone Star College System. In “The National Lone Star Report on Aligning Technology with Student Success,” 78 percent of college students reported that their grades and learning experience are improved when technology is effectively and consistently implemented on their campus.


The Report is a compilation of survey data collected from more than 6,000 students on 36 campuses across the country. Focused exclusively on two-year colleges, the study also included analysis of more than 1.5 million helpdesk inquiries from 55 institutions. The student-led initiative is the first of its kind, according to LSCS vice chancellor and CIO Shah Ardalan.


"'The National Lone Star Report on Aligning Technology with Student Success' will allow college administrators access to the collective voice of American students and it provides invaluable data on students' needs, desires and dreams, and how technology can help them achieve these goals," Ardalan said in a prepared statement.


Key findings in the report reflect students' desire for reliable, effective technology that is used consistently by instructors:


Colleges should not implement technology for the sake of technology;


When technology is deployed, make sure that it works; and


Faculty members need to know how to use the technology and they should actually use it.


While students believe technology is integral to their learning success, the report showed that they do not simply want more technology--they want the right technology. Students want systems and applications that serve their needs, support learning, and work properly "without getting in the way." Students expressed frustration with non-working technologies that waste time and money.


"Technology, when effectively used, strongly impact[s] my ability to learn," one respondent noted. "However, when it is not used properly or [is used] inefficiently it is very much a distraction and annoyance."


The National Lone Star Report was based on interviews and surveys from students at rural and metro-area community college campuses throughout the United States. The report will be produced annually and is available for free download to participating colleges. For additional information, visit lonestar.edu/nationalstudentreport.


About the Author
Kanoe Namahoe is the e-content producer for 1105 Media's Education Group. She can be reached at knamahoe@1105media.com

Campus Technology: New Study Reveals Student Perspective on Technology Use in Higher Education

A List Apart: Reigniting Your Creative Spark

by Denise Jacobs Published in: Creativity

A List Apart: Reigniting Your Creative Spark

The Syllabus Institute

Welcome to the Syllabus Institute, your stomping ground for everything syllabus related!


The Syllabus Institute fosters learning and academic excellence by uniting educators and administrators through the syllabus. We encourage the academic community to share ideas, challenges, and solutions that support better syllabus creation, access, and management. By working together and raising awareness, we can improve more than just teaching and learning; we can redefine efficiency and collaboration in education.

The Syllabus Institute