The National Science Foundation (NSF) recognizes that there is much uncertainty among ATE grantees regarding how to start or to proceed with your ATE projects during the COVID-19 public health emergency. This webinar is designed to address commonly asked grant management questions to assist the ATE community and will cover such topics as no-cost extensions; supplemental funding requests; changes in project objectives, deliverables, timeline, and scope; budget adjustments; evaluation plans; and annual reporting.

Conducted in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges, Mentor-Connect, and ATE Central, the webinar will feature an opportunity to hear from experienced PIs and from NSF lead ATE program director, V. Celeste Carter. To further support the ATE community, the webinar will be followed by an ATE Central Office Hours, via Zoom, for an opportunity to interact directly with presenters and NSF program directors to continue the discussion.

This webinar runs Wednesday, June 10, 2020 1:00 - 2:00 pm EDT. Those interested in attending should register to participate in advance.

The National Center for Autonomous Technologies is participating in the 2020 STEM for All Video Showcase: Learning from Research and Practice. This showcase is in its sixth year and features over 170 federally funded innovative projects aimed at improving STEM learning and teaching. This is a week-long event (May 5-12) where researchers, practitioners, policy makers and members of the public are invited to view the short (3-minute or less) videos, discuss them with the presenters online, and vote for their favorites.

NCAT’s video “The Future Workforce Begins with a Spark” demonstrates cultivating imagination fueled with fascination, highlighting that innovation requires curiosity-based drive and diverse perspectives and ideas. That is why NCAT believes in student competitions and STEM engagement to inspire students. They strive to open doors for people, leading to a better society and an incredible future. NCAT’s video can be viewed in the showcase using the link above.

If you registered and paid online, go to the registration page for more information and check the HI-TEC conference website often for updates. If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to email the HI-TEC team at swilson@cord.org.

Prior learning assessment (PLA) is a powerful tool for engaging non-traditional students. The task of evaluating requests for prior learning credit often falls to faculty members in community college settings. Some faculty doubt PLA because it removes students from seats in the classroom. Others aren’t sure what to say, or if they should say anything, when they identify a student whose prior work or learning experience may qualify them for PLA. This webinar demonstrates how to use PLA as a tool for building relationships with non-traditional students who are harder to engage, ensuring students are seated in future courses, and adding to successful graduate and completion numbers.

This webinar assists participants in understanding the long-term personal and institutional value of prior learning assessment. After this webinar, participants will be able to identify potential PLA candidates, develop a referral plan, and build their own methods of evaluation to determine if a student should or should not receive credit.

Susan Peek has been a Success Coach and Prior Learning Specialist at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, Alabama for almost seven years and has worked...

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is pleased to announce that the Community College URE Summit Proceedings Report and the report Executive Summary are now available on AACC’s website, along with additional summit resources. To view the report and resources, please go to: www.aacc.nche.edu/URESummit. 

In November 2019, 120 thought leaders, representing community colleges, four-year institutions and higher education organizations, met in Washington D.C. to discuss the role of community colleges in building, implementing, and sustaining undergraduate research experiences (URES) in STEM education and for career preparations. This report highlights the key recommendations and promising practices that came out of those discussions. 

The report and its resulting activities are intended to help expand support for building, strengthening, and expanding UREs at community colleges. ATE community members are encouraged to review the report and to share it with their networks and stakeholders.

The report is also featured in an April 13 Community College Daily article, “Sharing Ideas on Student Research Experiences.”

If you have any questions or comments, please...