On many campuses, continuing education units take pride in playing the role of quiet revolutionaries by providing students with innovative opportunities to advance their careers through education. By opening doors and widening access, we lead our institutions to:
embrace novel and revolutionary ideas about higher education;
access new networks by radically expanding the range of people we serve;
conceive and adopt solutions that challenge age-old norms.
We proudly trumpet that revolutionary spirit as the UPCEA Mid-Atlantic Region’s rallying cry this fall. Fittingly, we will convene at Rutgers University, where Alexander Hamilton hastily assembled cannoniers in 1776 to allow George Washington’s ragged army to live to fight another day.
This year’s conference is revolutionary not only from a historical perspective, but also from a 21st-century perspective. The conference will provide opportunities to develop and share new IDEAS with colleagues. It will help us build NETWORKS of new allies, peers, and partners to help meet the challenges facing continuing, online, and professional education today. And finally, we’ll return to our campuses with SOLUTIONS to implement as we solve these challenges going forward. Ideas, Networks, Solutions, to revolutionize our units as we move into a new future.
Hosted by Rutgers University, this year’s conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, New Jersey on October 4-6, 2017. Established in 1766, Rutgers University is the eighth oldest higher education institution in the United States and just celebrated its 250th anniversary.
Located at a crossroads between New York and Philadelphia and known as the Hub City, New Brunswick sits on the banks of the Raritan River in central New Jersey, about 30 minutes from Newark Liberty International Airport. It has been home to Johnson & Johnson, the world's largest health care products manufacturer, since the Johnson brothers opened an adhesive tape and gauze mill in the city in 1885.
Today, New Brunswick boasts a vibrant theater district and enticing multinational dining options complemented by a growing craft beer scene. For the sinfully inclined, New Brunswick’s local purveyors will tempt you with decadent chocolates, gut-busting strombolis and artery-clogging “Fat” sandwiches served by a fleet of unexpectedly artful “Grease Trucks” that help define the Rutgers student experience. Broadway and the lights and shops of New York City are less than hour away by train.
The conference will also incorporate solutions-based workshops to give participants the opportunity to develop practical solutions that they can implement when they return to their institutions. Presentations for individuals in front-line, mid-level and senior leadership roles are aligned with UPCEA’s networks. The conference theme reflects UPCEA’s focus on revolutionary, innovative thinking, creating the future in higher education as members experiment and innovate, providing colleges, universities, and institutions with opportunities to develop, test, and assess new educational models, platforms, and outcomes.
The service project this year will provide support to Vets4Warriors, whose mission is to provide 24/7 confidential, stigma free peer support by veterans to Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve service members, Veterans, Retirees, and their families/caregivers.
The conference will also launch the sixth cohort of the Mid-Atlantic region’s Emerging Leaders Program. This year-long program begins with a pre-conference workshop at the 2017 conference, continues with a year-long collaborative cohort project, and culminates with a presentation at the 2018 Mid-Atlantic conference. These activities provide participants with the opportunity to collaboratively explore the theory and practice of professional, continuing, and online education leadership with peers from across the Mid-Atlantic region. The program is designed to prepare the next generation of the region’s leaders to be revolutionary professionals and educators. Interested in joining or learning more about the Emerging Leaders Program? Contact Nicole Westrick at tue86052@temple.edu or Ana-Rita Mayol at anamayol@sas.upenn.edu.
We are also delighted that our host, Rutgers University, is sponsoring a reception on Thursday evening at The Zimmerli Art Museum. Founded in 1966, the museum is one of the largest and most distinguished university-based museums in the country, with more than 60,000 permanent works in its collection. It boasts a wide range of media and includes a survey of Western art from the fifteenth century to the present. The Zimmerli has particularly strong holdings in: Nineteenth-century French art, particularly prints and rare books and American art, especially prints. Selections from these holdings, along with focused presentations of European art, art inspired by Japan, ancient Greek and Roman art, and American illustrations for children’s books, are always on view at the Zimmerli. The Zimmerli's American, European, and Russian works are included on Google Art Project.
Join us in New Brunswick this year - you will leave ready to start your own revolution!
Sincerely,
Lorelee Isbell
Chair, Mid-Atlantic Region
Click here for the Mid-Atlantic Interest Form
Click here for the Mid-Atlantic Leadership Flyer
Click here for the Mid-Atlantic Officer Nomination Form
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