Campus News

Westminster President Selected to Join New 'Presidents' Trust' to Advance Liberal Education

Eighty two college/university leaders to work together to build public understanding of the value of liberal education outcomes for students and American society

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Krista DeAngelis (801) 832-2682

Dec. 10, 2009

WASHINGTON D.C. – The Association of American Colleges and Universities recently selected Westminster President Michael Bassis to join the new Presidents’ Trust. President Bassis and an esteemed national group of 81 other college and university leaders from around the country are forming the group to strongly and collectively make the case for liberal education and its value in today’s world.

The Presidents’ Trust is a leadership group within AAC&U’s national initiative, Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP): Excellence for Everyone as a Nation Goes To College.

Members of the LEAP Presidents’ Trust are leaders from all sectors of higher education and are committed to advocating for the vision, values, and practices that connect liberal education with the individual and societal needs of the twenty-first-century. Through regional and national meetings and their own advocacy efforts, Trust members will engage with campus members and those outside of higher education about the core purposes and practices of liberal education. They are all also providing leadership for advancing reforms in the practice of liberal education both on campus and with other groups and organizations with which they are affiliated.

In 2009-10, the core priority areas for the Presidents Trust include:

· Making the economic case for liberal education
· Making—and fulfilling—the civic case for liberal education
· Engaging first-generation families and new Americans with the meaning and value of liberal education
· Integrating liberal arts and professional preparation on campus
· Charting a new direction for assessment and accountability

“As the nation is setting new goals for increasing college attainment, we need to focus like a laser beam on the kinds of learning that build both economic vitality and civic commitment,” said AAC&U President Carol Geary Schneider. “Members of the Trust, including President Bassis, are helping to redirect the national dialogue to address these critical issues. In this new global century, President Bassis’ leadership will help ensure that all college students in all majors receive the kind of excellent education they deserve—one that provides them with broad knowledge, sophisticated intellectual and practical skills, a well-developed sense of personal and social responsibility, and the capacity to apply learning to new problems.”

About AAC&U:
Association of American Colleges and Universities is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises 1200 member institutions--including accredited public and private colleges and universities of every type and size. Information about AAC&U membership, programs, and publications can be found at www.aacu.org.

About Westminster:
Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience. For more information visit http://www.westminstercollege.edu or follow @WestminsterSLC or @WestminsterPR on Twitter.