NDSU faculty and staff are planning the 5th North Dakota General Education Summit, which will be held at Microsoft’s Fargo Campus on Friday, April 29.
The summit brings together representatives from public, tribal and private higher education to promote general education in the state. It is organized by the North Dakota General Education Council, whose purpose is to foster discussion and collaboration in reviewing general education practices, assessment and outcomes across institutions of higher learning in North Dakota. The council brings together a variety of institutions with different missions to improve the preparation of North Dakota college students by providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful professionals and engaged citizens in the 21st century.
The focus of this spring’s summit will be on what higher education leaders and employers think about the future of general education in the state and what North Dakota graduates need to know and be able to do to have successful careers and be engaged citizens. After a welcome and brief comments from NDSU President Dean L. Bresciani, Microsoft’s Don Morton and North Dakota University System Chancellor William Goetz, the summit will feature three panels.
The first will be North Dakota higher education leaders from the North Dakota University System Office, United Tribes Technical College, Jamestown College and the University of Mary on the future of general education in North Dakota. The next two panels will be employers who represent the diversity of careers North Dakota graduates pursue, whether they earn associate’s or bachelor’s degrees. The first employer/career panel will have representatives from Land O’ Lakes, Microsoft, Marathon Oil and Sanford Health. The final employer/career panel will have representatives from Dakota Prairie School District, Ellendale School District, the Fargo Police Department, Gate City Bank and the State of North Dakota Human Resource Management Services.
NDSU faculty and staff involved with planning include LaDonna DeGeldere, Marion Harris, Robert Harrold, RaNelle Ingalls, Virginia Clark Johnson, Char Myhre, Lisa Nordick, Larry Peterson and Carolyn Schnell. At least 100 representatives from the 11 North Dakota University System campuses, North Dakota’s Tribal Colleges, University of Mary and Jamestown College are expected to attend.
The NDSU faculty and staff organizing the summit extend a large thanks to Microsoft, which is sponsoring the summit by providing space for the event, as well as a continental breakfast, lunch and snacks for all the attendees. “There could not be a better environment for a summit focusing on what higher education leaders and employers think about the future of general education in the state and what our graduates need to know and be able to do to have successful careers and be engaged citizens,” Peterson said.
For more information, contact Larry Peterson at 1-8824 or larry.r.peterson@ndsu.edu. Participants can register at www.ndsu.edu/enrollmentmanagement/generaleducationsummit.