All-day retreat at Winthrop University

Early this week, faculty leaders at Winthrop University convened all day to "re-imagine higher education," among other charges.

We learned that higher education, the business we're in, needs to be more permeable, lighter and more fluid.

Also, an administrator reminded us that the world we're in demands that we change, and we must respond to changes in our world with "guarded flexibility."

But what changes are essential?

That's a key question.

We also, as professors, need to have goals and objectives for our students that are clear, attainable and assessible.

We heard a ton about assessment and accreditation and re-accreditation.

A colleague of mine remarked (quietly) that we are being "assessed to death."

A group of faculty had been charged earlier this year with ascertaining what all Winthrop University graduates should possess. This is what that faculty group came up with after looking at all the academic programs at our university, as well as programs at other universities:

1. Winthrop graduates should have critical thinking skills.
2. Winthrop graduates should value multiple perspectives--the interconnectedness of the world--(in their work and as they search for truth and meaning)
3. Winthrop graduates should be effective communicators
4. Winthrop graduates should be socially responsible.

Twas an enlightening retreat. Some intellectual fire. Some mind-numbing stats. Much discussion on how to do what we do better or more effectively.

And, as always, we had a delicious lunch.

Time to get started with a new school year--the 125th for Winthrop.

Wonder if they had retreats in those first 25 years?