Agenda for EWA’s 2019 Higher Education Seminar

Sunday, Sept. 22 – Pre-conference

Unless otherwise indicated, all Sunday pre-conference activities will be held in the Petit rooms of the Sheraton Ann Arbor Hotel (3200 Boardwalk Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48108). 

Be a Master Moderator: Public Speaking Training for Journalists  (Petit Room 1)

3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Moderating a discussion in front of a live audience can feel daunting. How do you keep panelists from rambling? What if the discussion gets tense? What’s the best strategy for intervening during the audience Q&A segment when audience members give speeches instead of asking succinct questions? Two reporters-turned-media-trainers help you improve your moderating strategies, and practice your new skills in mock panels.

• Terry Oprea, MCCI Integrated Marketing
• Jennette Smith Kotila, MCCI Integrated Marketing

‘Roadtrip Nation’ Screening and Student Q&A (Petit Room 2)

6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

The bulk of today’s college students aren’t the stereotypical 18- to 22-year-olds living in campus dorms. During this screening of a documentary about alternative education paths, learn how “nontraditional” undergraduates balance work and school and navigate educational paths that, often, aren’t designed for them. Stick around for a discussion with one of the film’s featured students, alongside other adult students who discuss their unique education paths.

• Nicole Woodworth, Roadtrip Nation
• Bernita Bradley, The Village PCL Prime Community Links
• Beth Feldkamp, Washtenaw Community College
• Leona Keller, University of Michigan
• Liz Willen, The Hechinger Report (moderator)

Monday, Sept. 23

Unless otherwise noted, all activities for Monday, Sept. 23, will be held at the University of Michigan’s Palmer Commons building, located at 100 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109.

Breakfast (Great Lakes Room, Palmer Commons)

8:00 a.m.

Welcome  (Forum, Palmer Commons)

8:30 a.m.

• Caroline Hendrie, Education Writers Association
• Elizabeth Moje, University of Michigan

The Demographic Forces Shaping Higher Education (Forum, Palmer Commons)

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

While more students of color are attending colleges today, stubborn achievement gaps continue to plague the higher education landscape. What are the reasons for these gaps? How are selective colleges such as public flagships responding? Which institutions are improving both access and completion for black, Latino, Native American, low-income, and other historically marginalized communities? And what steps can colleges take to support one often-overlooked group of students: those with kids of their own.

• Lorelle Espinosa, American Council on Education
• Barbara Gault, Institute for Women’s Policy Research
• Kedra Ishop, University of Michigan
• Steve Drummond, National Public Radio (moderator)

The Political Forces Shaping Higher Education (Forum, Palmer Commons)

10:15 – 11:15 a.m.

As Americans have become increasingly politically polarized, so too have attitudes toward higher education. Panelists discuss the evolving politics of higher education and the implications for state funding and federal policy.

• Neal McCluskey, Cato Institute
• Michael Mitchell, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Kim Hunter Reed, Louisiana Board of Regents
• Eric Kelderman, The Chronicle of Higher Education (moderator)

What Works: Lightning Talks on Programs Proven to Improve Higher Education Access and Attainment (Forum, Palmer Commons)

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Recent studies suggest that universities and foundations have spent millions of dollars on well-intentioned but ineffective “reforms” to improve students’ access to and success in higher education. But a few initiatives have been proven to help. Hear about them from some of the nation’s top higher education researchers and leaders.

• Michael Bastedo, University of Michigan
• Susan Dynarski, University of Michigan
• Keith Harmon, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Laura Perna, University of Pennsylvania
• Chris Quintana, USA Today (moderator)

Lunch (Great Lakes Room, Palmer Commons)

Reporter Caucuses (Starting at Forum, Palmer Commons)

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

• Audio reporters and wannabe podcasters
• Freelancing for fun and profit
• Journalists of color

Student Loans: What to Do About America’s $1.5 Trillion Educational Debt Burden (Forum, Palmer Commons)

2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

Student loans have become a hot topic on the campaign trail and in the news. Journalists have to be careful about repeating widespread but false assumptions about who suffers the most from debt and what effects various proposed “solutions” are likely to have. Hear from a leading student debt researcher, the CEO of the nation’s biggest income share agreement company, and two veteran education reporters who have conducted extensive research into student debt.

• Tonio DeSorrento, Vemo Education
• Susan Dynarski, University of Michigan
• Josh Mitchell, The Wall Street Journal
• Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, The Washington Post (moderator)

Transparency, Fact-checking, and ‘No Surprises’ Journalism: Why and How to (Re)build Trust with Your Audience (Forum, Palmer Commons)

4:15 – 5:15 p.m.

Every day, you toil away at trying to find things out and explain them clearly and honestly. Yet politicians and citizens attack you for disseminating “fake news.” Hear from experienced journalists about techniques you can take back to your newsroom to demonstrate to your audience your hard work and dedication to the truth.

• Lorie Hearn, inewsource
• Eric Stirgus, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• Jamaal Abdul-Alim, The Conversation, (moderator)

Scott Jaschik’s Top 10 Higher Ed Stories You Should Cover This Year (Forum, Palmer Commons)

5:45-6:45 p.m.

• Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed

Dinner (Vandenberg Room, Michigan League building, 911 N University Ave, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48104)

7:00 p.m.

Reception (Petit Ballroom, Sheraton Ann Arbor, 3200 Boardwalk Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48108)

9:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 24

Unless otherwise indicated, all events for Tuesday, Sept. 24, will be held in the Whitney Auditorium (Room 1315) of the University of Michigan’s School of Education building, 610 E. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109.

Breakfast (outside the Whitney Auditorium, School of Education)

8:15 a.m.

The Economic Forces Shaping Higher Education: How Changes to the Job Market Are Transforming Colleges (Whitney Auditorium, School of Education)

8:45 – 9:45 a.m.

Because a high percentage of undergraduates are focused on using higher education to improve their job prospects, colleges are having to adjust to the new realities of the job market. Hear from a labor market expert, an instructor at a college adjusting its curriculum to serve employers, and a student who’s participating in the redesigned program.

• Victoria Denise Ojeda, Central New Mexico Community College
• Todd Scott, Central New Mexico Community College
• Michele Weise, Strada Education Network
• Matt Krupnick, The Hechinger Report (moderator)

How I Did The Story – and What I Learned (Whitney Auditorium, School of Education)

10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

From balancing the demands of the daily beat to digging into long-form investigative projects, reporters share tips and ideas from their recent work.

• Jodi Cohen, ProPublica
• Stephanie Daniel, Northern Colorado Public Radio
• Claire McNeill, Tampa Bay Times
• Scott Smallwood, Open Campus (moderator)

Training Module 1
11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

• Data Training – How to find and use the federal College Scorecard’s new program-level data. (Whitney Auditorium, School of Education)
  • Brian Fu, U.S. Department of Education
  • Jill Barshay, The Hechinger Report (moderator)
• Financial Aid Letter Training – How to analyze the clarity and fairness of a college’s communications with students about price and aid. (Whitney Auditorium, School of Education)
  • Alejandra Acosta, New America
  • Kim Clark, EWA (moderator)
• How to Tell If Your College Is Going Broke – A beginner’s guide to analyzing a college’s budget. (Brownlee Room, School of Education)
  • Sue Menditto, National Association of College and University Business Officers
  • Dawn Rhodes, Chicago Tribune (moderator)

Lunch (Room 1840, School of Education)

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

How Technology Is Reshaping the Modern College Classroom (Whitney Auditorium, School of Education)

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

How is technology changing the college classroom? How effective are online courses? Hear from experts and an educator on how new technologies are being integrated into the curriculum,  connecting students and instructors, and affecting learning.

• John Katzman, Noodle Partners
• Sandy Baum, Urban Institute
• Peter Foltz, Pearson/University of Colorado
• Kodor Farhat, Meridian Health
• Natalie Schwartz, Industry Dive (moderator)

Training Module 2
2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

• Data Training – How to find and use the federal College Scorecard’s new program-level data. (Whitney Auditorium, School of Education)
  • Brian Fu, U.S. Department of Education
  • Jill Barshay, The Hechinger Report (moderator)
• Financial Aid Letter Training – How to analyze the clarity and fairness of a college’s communications with students about price and aid. (Brownlee room, School of Education)
  • Alejandra Acosta, New America
  • Kim Clark, EWA (moderator)
• How to Tell If Your College Is Going Broke – A beginner’s guide to analyzing a college’s budget. (Whitney Auditorium, School of Education)
  • Sue Menditto, National Association of College and University Business Officers
  • Dawn Rhodes, Chicago Tribune (moderator)