Wittenberg was recently named one of 54 institutions selected to participate in the through the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U).
Co-directed by AAC&U and IBM, this virtual institute will focus on supporting campus efforts to strengthen connections between college learning and workforce preparation, and to develop productive campus-industry partnerships. The institute, which will kick off on August 11 and run through December 16, is another step in Wittenberg鈥檚 continued commitment to excellence in career and vocation preparation for students.
Over the course of the fall semester, teams from the participating institutions will develop projects focused on co-curricular alignment, defined learning and skill development, and high-impact experiences, as well as assessment and change management strategies. Wittenberg鈥檚 team will include Interim Provost and Professsor of Education Brian Yontz, Assistant Vice President and Senior Associate Dean of Students Jon Duraj, Executive Director for Career Engagement and Professional Development Brittany House Conrad, Assistant Professor of BusinessRoss Jackson, and Associate Professor of Art Alejandra Gimenez-Berger.
鈥淭his institute will be a powerful tool to ensure Wittenberg鈥檚 liberal arts education continues to equip students for lifelong impact in their career fields,鈥� Duraj said. 鈥淭his work will enhance our efforts in career and vocation preparation to focus deeper on campus-industry partnerships, and is exciting for our students, alumni, and faculty.鈥�
Teams will have ongoing access to leading experts from higher education and industry who serve as institute mentors. The approach to innovation emphasizes design thinking, broad and inclusive interdisciplinary perspectives, collaboration across stakeholders, and systemic commitments to equity that prepare students to seek purpose across an array of career paths.
鈥淭he Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute offers a unique opportunity to nurture and spread new approaches to curricular design that promote equity and student success through meaningful career preparation,鈥� said AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella. 鈥淲e look forward to working with our colleagues from IBM to support and advance the innovative work of the participating institutions.鈥�
Other Ohio institutions joining Wittenberg in the Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute include Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Lorain County Community College, Muskingum University, and the College of Wooster.
鈥淭he overwhelmingly positive response to the Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute signals a great desire among campuses to do more than simply heed calls for career preparation. Our aim with this institute is to find the sweet spot between higher education鈥檚 ability to meet the needs of a rapidly changing workforce and the desire of each campus to supply that career preparation in a meaningful way that is authentic to its mission and context,鈥� said Ashley Finley, AAC&U Vice President for Research and co-director of the Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute.
The Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute focuses on supporting campuses of all types to more fully link college learning with workforce preparedness and develop productive campus/industry partnerships.
To learn more about Wittenberg鈥檚 career and professional development efforts, click or for more information on the Curriculum-to-Career Innovations Institute, visit .
About AAC&U - The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the vitality and democratic purposes of undergraduate liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions in more than twenty-five countries as well as other organizations and individuals.
