Alison Morrison-Shetlar, dean of Elon College, was the keynote speaker at the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students (NISTS) held in Ashveille, N.C., Sept. 12-14, 2010.
Speaking before faculty, staff and administrators from across the U.S. and Canada, Morrison-Shetlar discussed the multiple entry points of students into the academy (high school, two and four year colleges and universities), financial and time to degree implications of students attending multiple institutions to earn a degree, and the strong collaboration required of student and academic affairs to enable student success. With a focus on developing external funding opportunities, Morrison-Shetlar talked about faculty development to deal with a diverse and changing student body, the importance of providing experiential learning opportunities to students throughout their academic career, ways to encourage undergraduate scholarship opportunities with faculty in and out of an institution, and the importance and challenges of curriculum alignment, advising and peer, faculty and staff mentoring for student success.