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Rethinking Higher Education and Creating Colleges for the 21st Century

Please join WCET’s executive director, Ellen Wagner, as she welcomes Dr. Peter Smith. They will discuss the future of higher learning and the relevance and significance of technology in education in narrowing the educational and economical gaps.

Peter Smith has a unique perspective on the status of higher education and the need for change. His his previous stints include UNESCO, Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, and President of California State University at Monterey Bay. He is now Senior Vice President of Academic Strategies and Development for Kaplan Higher Education.

In his book, Harnessing America’s Wasted Talent, a New Ecology of Learning (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2010), Dr. Smith makes the case the current model for higher education in the United States will continue to perpetuate education gaps unless we start immediately rethink teaching and learning. He points to numerous statistics citing the urgency to innovate so we can educate students that fall through the cracks of traditional education, better serve all learners, and improve student success. In this global economy, he asserts we can no longer rely on traditional models to educate the population, fill the workforce, and remain global competitors.

Consider the following points from the book….

Webcast Resources:

Within ten years, less than 20 percent of all ninth graders in the United States will have earned an associate's degree.
We are the only developed country in which younger workers are less well educated than older workers.
The number of new jobs is growing, with predicted skilled worker shortages of…21 million in 2020.
85 percent of all new jobs require at least some postsecondary education.
The gap between educated people to fill skilled positions will be 50% in 2014.

WCET invites you to join us on September 21 for a free, 60-minute webcast program on this provocative topic.

3:00 PM EDT / 2:00 PM CDT / 1:00 PM MDT / Noon PDT / 11:00 AM ADT / 9:00 AM HST

Presenters

Presenters will include:

Ellen Wagner, WCET executive director.
Peter Smith, author of “Harnessing America’s Wasted Talent, a New Ecology of Learning” and Senior Vice President of Academic Strategies and Development for Kaplan Higher Education.

With generous support from:

WCET is ramping up its commitment to student completion to help institutions improve student success and increase graduation rates. WCET’s Student Retention Common Interst Group is working to establish metrics for completion. Learn more about WCET’s CIGs.

Join us for the next Webcast!

WCET Book Club

The WCET Book Club will be reading “Harnessing America’s Wasted Talent: A New Ecology of Learning” for the fall selection. WCET members are encouraged to read the book and participate in an asynchronous discussion beginning in mid-September. If your institution is not a WCET member, consider joining. The final book club discussion will be offline and in-person at WCET’s 22^nd Annual Conference in La Jolla, CA on Saturday, November 13. Peter Smith will be there to answer questions and participate in the dialogue. WCET members also receive a 20% discount on the book! The code will be sent to all book club members in September.