AAC&U

#AACUSTEM mid-conference keynote speakers Robin S. Broughton and Isaac Agbeshie-Noye close by asking participants to decide one thing they want to declare for themselves in how they show up in the workplace and one thing they can do to make that desire real.

Scientific communities are often built around the discipline, not the individuals. Mid-conference keynote speaker Isaac Agbeshie-Noye challenges #AACUSTEM participants to think about who people are outside of the lab and to center feelings of belonging and mattering.

Established norms in STEM are being challenged, revisited, and reworked, which can feel destabilizing for those doing the work of science. In this time of uncertainty, mid-conference keynote speaker Robin S. Broughton reminds #AACUSTEM participants to remember the values that remain constant and the importance of discovery.

How do you create organizations that can weather change, prepare people for change, and respond as the environment around it shifts? During the mid-conference keynote at #AACUSTEM, Robin S. Broughton and Isaac Agbeshie-Noye, co-hosts of the podcast Real Work Chat, discussed the idea of the academy as a workplace and how to prioritize well-being in an age of disruption.

In a time of cultural and political pressure on science and education, David Asai left #AACUSTEM attendees with a powerful reminder: “Our joy is our protest.” Centering curiosity, discovery, and community in STEM learning may be one of the most powerful acts of resistance educators can take.

How would you reimagine STEM? #AACUSTEM keynote speaker, David Asai, believes one of the most powerful leverage points is with introductory STEM courses. Reimagining these courses—clarifying purpose, leading with discovery, and prioritizing curiosity over memorization—could transform the STEM pipeline.

“Inclusive excellence is a stance. It is a process.” For #AACUSTEM keynote speaker, David Asai, building inclusive STEM learning environments is not a single initiative but an ongoing commitment that must shape classrooms, departments, and institutional culture.

#AACUSTEM opening keynote speaker, David Asai, warned against the “zero-sum thinking” that has long shaped STEM education. When competition is overvalued, grading is curved, and introductory courses act as gatekeepers, students can receive a powerful message about who belongs and who does not.

What will it take to transform undergraduate STEM education? During the opening keynote at #AACUSTEM, David Asai challenged educators to rethink the culture of STEM learning, especially the role of introductory courses in shaping who stays in STEM and who leaves.

APT Words, a new substack by AAC&U’s Advancing Public Trust in Higher Education initiative, shares a poem by South African academics Curwyn Mapaling, Nadia Mukadam, and Nghililewanga Hashali Hamukuaya discussing the legacies of apartheid in #highered. 🔗: bit.ly/4dt6DqW

Applications are open for AAC&U’s Institute on Experiential Learning & Engaged Dialogue (July 14–17, online). Bring a campus team and leave with an actionable plan to strengthen experiential learning and dialogue across difference. Apply by June 5: aacu.org/event/ieled #HigherEd #ExperientialLearning #CivicLearning

What does it take to sustain STEM reform across systems? Kamau Bobb will close the AAC&U Transforming STEM Higher Education Conference, drawing on experience across higher education, industry, & public policy. Attend online from March 18 to 20. There's still time to register: aacu.org/stem #AACUSTEM

AAC&U’s Institute on Community Transformation supports campus teams in building communities rooted in belonging, trust, and shared humanity. Applications close April 10. Learn more: aacu.org/ict

Did you know? 83% of employers think recent grads have the needed skills for entry-level positions, and 66% believe colleges should be preparing students to become informed citizens. Get more insights from AAC&U's latest employer survey: bit.ly/4bpamTP #LibEdMag

AAC&U President Lynn Pasquerella has been named as a member of the National Leadership Council to Advance Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement for All, convened by @AmericanU. Alongside #highered and #philanthropy partners, the council will work to make civic learning a core part of every student’s college experience. bit.ly/4cChApP

How do identity, belonging, and scientific discovery shape STEM education today? David Asai explores this and more during his opening keynote address at the AAC&U Transforming STEM Higher Education Conference on March 18. Register: aacu.org/stem #AACUSTEM

Under pressure to show results without losing sight of student learning? AAC&U’s online Institute on Authentic Assessment, June 8–12, helps teams align assessment with pedagogy and improvement. Apply by April 24: aacu.org/iaa

How can #highered rebuild public trust? We can start, write Scout Meredith Best and @jeremycyoung, by reexamining our relationship with rural America. Read more on APT Words, a new Substack from AAC&U’s Advancing Public Trust in Higher Education initiative. bit.ly/4sE9tOh

“The beauty of CitrusTV is that the entire endeavor is built and sustained by students. Inside the studio walls, college journalists pass down skills from one generation of students to the next,” writes Luke Welch, a senior at Syracuse University, for #LibEdMag. aacu.org/liberaleducati…

Join the 2025 Delphi Award winners April 1 for “Institutional Transformation to Support VITAL Faculty,” a free webinar discussing proven strategies and practices to support and engage VITAL, or contingent, faculty members. Register now: bit.ly/47zMprG