The National Academies is convening a two-day summit in October 2006 of approximately 300 educators, employers, and others to explore how institutions of higher education and their faculty can use new information about the process of learning (how people learn) to successfully attract, retain, and prepare a diverse student population for careers at the intersections of agriculture, environmental and life sciences. Background papers are being commissioned for discussion at the summit. These include papers examining the current state of knowledge on cognition and learning; a summary of past and current efforts to connect specific teaching and other approaches with retention of minority students; and a presentation on different approaches to developing so-called soft-skills of interest to employers. Following the summit, a National Academies committee will prepare a report that identifies student and faculty needs for critical skills and training, and describes strategies to improve the educational experience for undergraduates. The report will discuss the steps that institutional leaders must take to assist faculty, and ways to overcome barriers to educational innovation at the institutional, department, and faculty levels. The summit and resulting report provide momentum behind efforts to effect change in undergraduate programs with the goal of producing well-prepared graduates who reflect the demographics of the larger population and who are appropriately skilled, socially responsive, and technically proficient in the workforce.
