Project Kaleidoscope Leadership Transition

Association Of American Colleges And Universities, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The project supports the sustained efforts of a working group that is guiding the transition of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) from a largely volunteer, independent organization into one that has a strong connection with the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), a national organization representing a wide range of universities and colleges. Since its founding in 1989, PKAL has been one of the leading advocates in the United States for building and sustaining strong, inquiry-focused undergraduate programs in the STEM fields. This new affiliation is working to foster and build a stronger national constituency to support activities that combine the best contemporary STEM practices for all students with transformative teaching in order to identify an empowering constellation of approaches that define academic excellence in twenty-first century STEM research, teaching, and learning. The working group, which includes members from a variety of institutional types, ensures diversity of people, place and experience. It is producing a series of white papers, outlining future directions and priorities for PKAL in its new institutional context and under its new leadership. A summative evaluation of PKAL's success at the close of the transition period is being coordinated through AAC&U's nationally-recognized Office of Quality, Curriculum, and Assessment and is measuring the effectiveness of the grant and, indeed, of PKAL's movement into its new role.