None of Us is as Smart as All of Us

What a great kick off for the 2018 Teaching and Learning conference! The sessions were engaging, informative, and loaded with great information! When I think about the overarching themes for the sessions I attended I came up with two that stood out to me:

1. Connectedness

2. None of us is as smart as all of us

The two themes seem very timely to me as we are in a very transformational period for both Ashford University and Bridgepoint Education. As Ashford University returns to its roots as a non-profit university and Bridgepoint Education moves to an OPM it is imperative that we stay connected to a common mission and purpose of not just having students but having graduates and that we continue to work together to positively impact the educational lives of each and every student who comes to Ashford University. Below is my reflections and thoughts on the sessions that I attend today.

Dr. Jeff Borden’s opening keynote address was a great way to kick off the conference! He talked about the importance of working together and avoiding silos as we interact with our students to help them accomplish their goals. He also talked about how we need to look holistically at how our students learn and that learning is just not transactional in nature. He stressed how importance connectedness in our daily work. His important message was a great way to set the tone of TLC 2018!

The session on how students, faculty, and programs benefit from online student organizations was a great testimony to the importance of collaboration and having a common purpose and focus. It was clear that both the faculty and the students garner great value from being part of the various student organizations! The three ideas that resonated with me from their session were equity, diversity, and inclusion. If we can keep these three ideas at the forefront of our minds as Ashford and Bridgepoint move forward together we will remain strong student focused organizations.

The last session I attended was the session on early academic intervention. What a great presentation on a topic of great importance to all of us here! The common goal of having graduates not just students broke down silos and brought together faculty and advisors to have important discussions on how best to serve our students and our university. The results have been promising and I know great things lie ahead!

I thoroughly enjoyed the sessions I attended today and am excited for the next two days which I am sure will have equally engaging sessions! I truly believe that connectedness and having a mindset that none of us is as smart as all of us will allow us to make a positive difference in the lives of each and every Ashford University student for many, many years to come!

Dr. Charlie Minnick

President, Clinton Campus

Ashford University