AASCU 2025 Summer Meeting for Academic and Student Affairs Leaders
Regional public university colleagues learn from each other’s challenges and successes.
Regional public university colleagues learn from each other’s challenges and successes.
Interfaith America is collaborating with AASCU to gather a set of institutions seeking to become exemplars of campus pluralism.
Apply by Feb. 24
We live in a deeply divided country with rising levels of distrust and isolation, in which religious, cultural, and ideological diversity are often seen as sources of division rather than as a foundation for cooperation. In these fraught times, we need leaders who can foster pluralism as an antidote to rising prejudice and polarization. Institutions of higher education, a treasure of American civic life, are uniquely situated to promote and practice pluralism and serve as models for the rest of society.
University campuses can be places where people from diverse identities and divergent ideologies learn from one another, and places that actively equip students with the knowledge base, mindset, and skillset to serve as bridgebuilders in a divided world. From the admissions process to first-year orientation to the general education curriculum, students should understand that the university seeks to model pluralism and to teach the skills for constructive engagement across differences. When a university president shakes the hand of a graduating student, they should be confident that the graduate is equipped to be a bridgebuilder who can lead effectively in diverse civic and professional settings, including in the most contentious and challenging situations.
AASCU’s partner Interfaith America seeks 8-10 institutions to committed to becoming exemplary campuses in the practice of pluralism. Each campus will receive $25,000 to support their efforts.
The Advancing Campus Pluralism Cohort (AASCU) will consist of eight to ten member institutions. Each will identify a three-person Core Team in the application process, which includes at least one senior administrator appointed directly by the president or chancellor. After acceptance, the Core Team will be responsible for participating in convenings. Each institution in the cohort then creates a five to eight-person Pluralism Working Group that will include at least three senior administrators. This group will be responsible for submitting and implementing the strategic plan.
The Core Teams will participate in a series of in-person and virtual convenings over the course of 2025-2026:
Grant funds may not be used for:
Pre-work for the Pluralism Working Group will include:
IA will provide guiding materials to successfully complete the pre-work. The anticipated time commitment for pre-work is 10-12 hours but will vary. Campuses that have already begun to develop a pluralism infrastructure, for example, may find that they need less time to complete the pre-work. IA will make office hours available in March for campus-specific questions and clarifications on the project.
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Hear about notable activities on Capitol Hill.
An initiative designed to elevate the importance of the course schedule and leverage it to improve student outcomes in higher education.
Contact us to learn more.One of the most essential elements to a student’s academic success is getting the courses they need to complete their degree. Yet, research indicates that at most institutions, the course schedule has become a structural barrier to success.
AASCU received funding from The Ascendium Education Group to improve course scheduling and ensure that access to courses required for degree completion is not a barrier to success, especially for low-income students and students of color.
Created in partnership with Ad Astra, the project included: two convenings, monthly webinars, benchmarking with technical assistance, data coaching, and change management consulting for eleven institutions. These structured engagements supported institutional capacity for data-informed course scheduling and improved scheduling policies and practices.
Through this work, institutions have identified actionable strategies to:
For students starting in Fall 2023, there was an 8% increase in the overall momentum year rate, with rates for Native American, Black/African-American, Hispanic, and Native Hawaiians having an average increase of between 7% and 13%.
The average annual productive credits increased by 1% for students starting in Fall 2023 as opposed to students beginning in Fall 2022.
Had an increase of students taking 15+ credits per semester from 23% in fall 2023 to 45% in fall 2024.
Had 25% improvement in the Overloaded Course Ratio, specifically in first-year (100-level) courses, between fall 2023 and fall 2024.
From fall 2023 to fall 2024, classroom utilization increased by 5%, while Primetime Compression decreased by 11%; in Fall 2024 Off-Grid Waste decreased over two percentage points compared to Fall 2023.
From fall 2023 to fall 2024, overall primetime utilization increased in classrooms while off-grid meeting pattern utilization decreased by 10% and off-grid waste decreased by three percentage points.
The playbook, created as a result of this initiative, is a guide for any institution interested in levering their course schedule as a strategy for improving student success. It introduces project phases designed to drive innovation and momentum, project management strategies, and relevant metrics, to support the teams empowered to do this work.
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A guide for any institution interested in levering their course schedule as a strategy for improving student success.
A call to action for leaders and institutions to foster civic learning and democratic engagement.
AASCU invites submissions to present at the American Democracy Project Summit, happening July 13-14, 2025 in Indianapolis, IN. We seek a diversity of perspectives and experiences, and we especially encourage presentations that include students and feature teams.
Democracy can be frustrating, slow, and contentious. Often, the civic engagement work done on a campus can feel isolated and be un- or under-appreciated. This meeting will change that narrative by showcasing that, through AASCU’s American Democracy Project, there are resources and a community that exists to help build and grow civic engagement within higher education.
Meeting details.Topical Sessions (45-minute sessions): Presentations, which could be led by an individual or a group, designed to share best practices and/or facilitate conversations about the practical application of civic and community engagement projects. If accepted, you may be paired with another concurrent session to share the 45-minute time block.
Ignite Talks (5-minute sessions): Designed for individuals to share compelling, innovative practices on a large stage, ignite talks use 20 slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds and requires speakers to be concise, prepared, and dynamic.
Poster Sessions: Textual and graphical presentations of civic engagement projects or research.
We recognize how interconnected the field of civic engagement is. This topic selection allows us to maintain a diverse portfolio of options.
What are the key features of the thriving democracy we hope to enact and support through our work?
What knowledge, skills, and dispositions contribute to a thriving democracy, and how do we embed this in our work?
How can we build the institutional culture, infrastructure, and relationships needed to support learning that enables a thriving democracy?
Note that you will need to complete this form in one sitting, and we recommend that you prepare your materials in a word document and then copy/paste into the form.
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Join a community that builds and supports civic engagement within higher education.
Explore past initiatives that support a well-rounded education rooted in local and global community.
Opportunities to expand our community and to increase civic awareness and work on campuses.
Explore the history, outcomes, and impact of these ADP programs.
Find tools to support students in the Up to Us Case Competition.
Access resources to promote civil discourse within classrooms and across campus.
Join a cohort of campus leaders committed to operationalizing civic and community engagement.
Learn how the Prison Graduation Initiative transforms the lives of incarcerated students.