Convener: SUSAN LANE, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Respondents: MARY L. NICHOLS, University of Minnesota; LINDA GLESSNER, Senior Associate Dean, The University of Texas at Austin

      The third module in this year’s Deans and Directors Institute will focus on six “WOW” programs. The six programs selected by the Institute Planning Committee all met the following criteria: a response to a state, regional or local need; a programmatic response involving innovation, collaboration, and/or new models of delivery; a response that had a positive impact on the lives of students and the community served by the program.
      This session will consist of six brief program presentations, followed by respondents’ comments and an open forum with the Institute audience.

Leadership Institute for Nonprofit Executives (LINE)
Presenter: CARROLL SCHERER, Rice University

      Nonprofit organizations serve vital functions in the Houston area. From homelessness to health care, from education to art, the range of issues addressed by Houston’s nonprofits is evidence of their commitment to a brighter future for all who call Houston home. The new Leadership Institute for Nonprofit Executives (LINE), offered by the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University, has been designed specifically to meet these development needs. The LINE program consists of seven core courses, two electives, and a practicum. The entire program can be completed in less than a year.

B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science
Presenter: JEFFREY H. ROSEN, Loyola University Chicago

      The B.S. in Clinical Laboratory Science, offered in collaboration with the Loyola University Health System in Maywood, IL, prepares individuals for advanced careers in medical care technology and allied health care. Clinical laboratory technologists are in high demand, due to a workforce shortage and new, emerging technologies. Loyola’s program is ideal for career changers with some clinical experience; those who hold a bachelor’s degree in the health sciences or sciences, but who lack clinical experience; and mid-level technicians possessing an associate’s degree. The degree can also serve as a foundation for future master’s level training.

The Socially Responsible Apparel Business Certificate Program
Presenter: JAMES K. BROOMALL, University of Delaware

      The University of Delaware, Cornell University, and Colorado State University have teamed together to develop a set of graduate level courses that address labor and environmental issues in the global supply chains for the apparel, textile, and footwear industries. The courses provide a foundation of knowledge needed to manage international production and sourcing of apparel, textiles, and footwear in ways that are socially responsible and sustainable. The competencies and skills that are expected outcomes of the courses were developed based on research and interviews with industry leaders and professionals who lead nongovernmental organizations and civil society groups with a stake in the global apparel business.
      The ten, one-credit courses, each lasting five weeks, are offered through the Internet. The course format and Internet delivery allow students to mix and match the courses depending on their interests and to participate from any location in the world.

Leader to Leader Symposium
Presenter: JAMES P. PAPPAS, University of Oklahoma Outreach

      University Outreach sponsored the “Leader to Leader Symposium” at the University of Oklahoma’s Norman campus October 18-19, 2007. This event was the first effort to bring together the leaders of Oklahoma’s 37 federally recognized Native American tribes with members of the Oklahoma State Legislature. A number of statewide elected and appointed officials also participated. The Symposium dialogue focused on four subjects: Health, with an emphasis on diabetes; Business, with attention to profitability on Indian land; Sovereignty, with emphasis on long established legal precedent; and Education, with emphasis on higher education and tribal opportunities.

Educational Opportunity Center and Millard Fillmore College are ONE
Presenter: SHERRYL D. WEEMS, State University of New York at Buffalo

      In an effort to promote institutional access for non-traditional learners, the University at Buffalo has combined two longstanding units—the Educational Opportunity Center and Millard Fillmore College—under one Division. The new Division of Continuing and Professional Studies offers a full complement of credit and enrichment programs leading to certification and/or licensure. This strategic collaboration capitalizes on the existing strengths and resources of each unit and enables the new Division to reach a broader, more diverse student population than before.

LUCHA™ Program
Presenter: JUDY COPELAND ASHCROFT, The University of Texas at Austin; FELIPE T. ALANIS, The University of Texas at Austin

      LUCHA (Language Learners at the University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Hispanic Achievement) is an innovative K-16 Education Center initiative designed to help Hispanic English Language Learners transition into public schools, thereby helping them to achieve success in school, college, and life.
      Children immigrating to Texas from Mexico and other Latin American countries often face academic failure. Not only do they confront a language barrier but also most schools do not have the resources to determine appropriate grade placement, diagnose mastery of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or train personnel to recognize and address the challenges faced by immigrant students.
      LUCHA seeks to increase the graduation rate for Hispanic English Language Learners and to provide Hispanic English Language Learners the opportunity to transition into Texas schools without losing instructional time and credits while learning English; pass the state-mandated performance exams and receive a high school diploma; and build a foundation for successfully completing a postsecondary education.