Education is a dynamic journey among learners, teachers and researchers that requires a successful communication of knowledge and ideas and a transformation of listener into thinker.
That’s the foundation underneath an ambitious set of “raising the bar” recommendations presented in May to President John Peters, Provost Ray Alden and the Council of Deans by members of NIU’s two strategic planning task forces.
Among the largest proposals is to create an Office of Engaged Learning that would interact with the university’s general education program, provide support systems for a collaborative teaching-learning environment and advance learning through state-of-the-art technology.
Foremost among the recommended move forward, however, is a shift in attitude and action and a cooperation to change together. That will require “buy-in” by the faculty and administration, said David Changnon, who chaired the Task Force on Curricular Innovation.
“If you’re going to have great students and great engagement, it begins with the faculty,” Changnon said. “We have to encourage faculty to recognize that teaching is as important as research, if not more important. Excellence in teaching is something we really want to be known for.”
What should result is an NIU that is strong, caring and engaged, said Carolinda Douglass, who chaired the Task Force on Student Success. NIU will become a school of first choice in Illinois that provides students with a genuine education – not just a set of experiences for a resume but the tools of critical thinking and the ability to communicate what they know and can do.
— Mark McGowan, NIU Public Affairs