Employers increasingly look for soft skills like creativity and communication when they make hiring decisions. To prepare graduates for a successful entry into the workforce, colleges need to find new ways to incorporate those soft skills into the curriculum.
On August 17, join our 75-minute virtual forum to hear how higher-education leaders are integrating creativity and communications throughout the student experience. We’ll explore big-picture ideas and practical strategies.
AGENDA
2:00 | Welcome
2:05 | Chronicle Presentation: Why Creativity Is Key
Can creativity be taught in college? A panel of experts will take on that question and discuss how their institutions embed creativity and other soft skills into their curricula.
Panelists:
- Jane Hilberry, professor of creativity and innovation and Schlosser professor in the arts at Colorado College
- Khanjan Mehta, vice provost for creative inquiry and director of the Mountaintop Initiative at Lehigh University
- Keith Sawyer, Morgan distinguished professor in educational innovations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2:30 | Adobe Sponsor Segment: Articulating Transdisciplinary Skills Across the Curriculum for All Students
Higher education in general, and the liberal arts curriculum specifically, has always helped students develop the most in-demand abilities and soft skills for a wide range of careers. But it’s arguable that it has done a good job articulating that development. This session will look at recent workforce readiness lists, from sources including the World Economic Forum and Forbes, to point out the kinds of transdisciplinary skills campuses collectively cultivate and the role of digital technologies in that development.
Panelist:
- Todd Taylor, Adobe pedagogical evangelist and professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2:45 | Chronicle Presentation: The Creative Dividend
How does creativity assist students in the workplace? To find out, two recent graduates will explain how it benefits them. Plus: Speakers from the first session will return to discuss what administrators need to know to support faculty members as they embed creativity and communications skills in their classrooms.
Panelists:
- Cassidy Drost, a recent graduate at Lehigh University
- Alexia Preston, program manager at the Agility Lab of the Nature Conservancy
3:10 | Final Notes
Host:
Beckie Supiano, senior writer at The Chronicle of Higher Education
With Support From Adobe.
Suggestions?
Let us know what you would like us to cover in these virtual forums. Email us at ci@chronicle.com.
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