American Council On Education

CONSENSUS LEADER ON HIGHER EDUCATION ISSUES & COORDINATING BODY FOR UNITED STATES HIGHER ED.

ADULT LEARNING AND EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIALS: ACE LEARNING EVALUATIONS (LE) DEMONSTRATES ITS COMMITMENT TO ADULT LEARNERS AND POSTSECONDARY CREDENTIAL ATTAINMENT THROUGH A WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES THAT SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS. THIS INCLUDES ASSISTING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES GRANT CREDIT FOR WORKPLACE LEARNING AND TRAINING TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO AND SUCCESS IN POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION. ACE VALIDATES A WIDE VARIETY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS FROM COURSES TO EXAMINATIONS, INCLUDING LANGUAGES, CERTIFICATIONS, AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. THROUGH A CONTINUED CONTRACT WITH DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, ACE VALIDATES MILITARY TRAINING AND OCCUPATIONAL EXPERIENCES TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL MILITARY EDUCATION AND POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION WHILE ENHANCING GOVERNMENT AND POSTSECONDARY DATA SYSTEMS AND VIRTUAL TECHNOLOGY. ASSOCIATED SUPPORT SERVICES CONNECT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND EMPLOYERS TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC MOBILITY FOR INDEPENDENT LEARNERS TO OBTAIN ACADEMIC CREDIT FOR FORMAL COURSES, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCES TAKEN OUTSIDE TRADITIONAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. THIS WORK ENSURES THE VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF NON-TRADITIONAL LEARNING AND PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR UNDERSERVED STUDENT POPULATIONS IN COLLEGE AND THE WORKFORCE.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: ACE HAS A LONG HISTORY OF PROVIDING LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAMPUS LEADERS, INCLUSIVE OF PROGRAMS, SERVICES, AND RESEARCH. ACE'S EDUCATION FUTURES DIVISION (LEADING THE COUNCIL'S PROGRAMMATIC WORK) OFFERS A SUITE OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT ENRICH THE CAPACITY OF INSTITUTIONS AND INDIVIDUAL LEADERS TO INNOVATE, ADAPT AND PROMOTE HIGH QUALITY PRACTICE WITHIN HIGHER EDUCATION. THE UNIT SERVES INDIVIDUAL LEADERS AND INSTITUTIONS BY LEVERAGING A SUITE OF BLENDED SOLUTIONS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ACE'S TRANSFORMATION LABS AND ACE FELLOWS. ACE'S TRANSFORMATION LABS GUIDE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS THROUGH A STRUCTURED, CAMPUS-WIDE PLANNING PROCESS TO ADDRESS PRESSING STRATEGIC GOALS. CURRENT TRANSFORMATION LABS FOCUS ON LEARNER SUCCESS AND CAMPUS INTERNATIONALIZATION. LABS ARE FUNDED THROUGH GRANTS AND/OR PARTICIPANT FEES AND INCLUDE CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT WITH ACE LASTING FROM THREE MONTHS TO TWO YEARS. ACE FELLOWS OFFERS AN IN-DEPTH YEAR-LONG IMMERSION IN HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP. A COHORT OF 30 TO 50 LEADERS ARE SELECTED EACH YEAR TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, WHICH INCLUDES A SERIES OF RETREATS FOCUSED ON ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, EXTENDED MENTORING BY EXECUTIVES FROM A HOST CAMPUS, COMPLETION OF SPECIAL PROJECTS AND ASSIGNMENTS TO TRANSFORM AND ENHANCE BOTH THEIR HOME AND HOST CAMPUSES, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH AND LEARN FROM A WIDE ARRAY OF CAMPUS LEADERS. PARTICIPATION IN THE FELLOWS PROGRAM IS SUPPORTED BY PROGRAM FEES, GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS. ACE'S COMMUNITY STRATEGY AND ENGAGEMENT UNIT FOCUSES ON FOSTERING PARTNERSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS AND ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS THE ACE WOMEN'S NETWORK AND THE ACE COUNCIL OF FELLOWS. THE COUNCIL OF FELLOWS COORDINATES THE ACTIVITIES, EVENTS, AND FUNDRAISING EFFORTS OF THE ACE FELLOWS PROGRAM ALUMNI. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1965, OVER 2,000 INDIVIDUALS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE ACE FELLOWS PROGRAM. THIS DIVERSE NETWORK OF ALUMNI ARE AN ONGOING SOURCE OF SHARED EXPERTISE AND SUPPORT FOR ONE ANOTHER AS THEY NAVIGATE CHALLENGES FACING THEIR INSTITUTIONS AND PROACTIVELY ENGAGE TO ADVANCE HIGHER EDUCATION'S OVERARCHING MISSION. THE ACE WOMEN'S NETWORK IS A SYSTEM OF STATE-BASED NETWORKS WITH THE GOAL OF SUPPORTING AND ADVANCING WOMEN LEADERS IN HIGHER EDUCATION. ANNUALLY THE STATE NETWORKS REACH APPROXIMATELY 10,000 WOMEN AND SUPPORTS THE OVERARCHING VISION OF DIVERSIFYING THE HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP PIPELINE. THROUGH PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES AND WITH THE SUPPORT OF ACE STAFF, THE STATE NETWORKS ENGAGE IN A SHARED MISSION OF IDENTIFYING, DEVELOPING, ENCOURAGING, ADVANCING, LEADING AND SUPPORTING WOMEN IN HIGHER EDUCATION CAREERS. EACH OF THE AFOREMENTIONED UNITS EMPLOYS ACE ENGAGE, ACE'S DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT TOOL, TO ADVANCE PRODUCT DISSEMINATION AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERS. ACE ENGAGE IS A RESOURCE TO FOSTER VIRTUAL PEER TO PEER NETWORKING AND LEARNING, AND OFFERS INDIVIDUAL LEADERS ACCESS TO A RESOURCE LIBRARY, WEBINARS AND ONLINE WORKSHOPS WITH EXPERTS.

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS: COORDINATES AND PUBLICIZES THE EFFORTS OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY IN REPRESENTING ITS POSITIONS AND CONCERNS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. ACE'S DIVISION OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS (DGR) COORDINATES THE EFFORTS OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY IN REPRESENTING ITS CONCERNS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. STAFF MEMBERS PREPARE TESTIMONY FOR CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS, COMMENT ON PROPOSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS, AND FILE AMICUS CURIAE BRIEFS ON COURT CASES WITH IMPORTANT IMPLICATIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, AMONG OTHER ACTIVITIES. FOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POLICY MAKERS, THE DIVISION ACTS AS THE CENTRAL SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND COUNSEL ON HIGHER EDUCATION ISSUES. DIVISION STAFF MEMBERS ALSO COMMUNICATE INFORMATION ON RELEVANT EDUCATIONAL CONCERNS AND ACE POLICY POSITIONS TO THE MEDIA, COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. ANOTHER MEANS OF DISSEMINATION OF THIS INFORMATION IS THE ACE ANNUAL MEETING, WHICH IS AN IDEAL SETTING FOR NETWORKING WITH COLLEAGUES AND ADDRESSING FUTURE CHALLENGES OF HIGHER EDUCATION, INCLUDING IN THE PUBLIC POLICY ARENA.THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS WORKS TO MAINTAIN THE COUNCIL'S PRESENCE AS A TOP SOURCE FOR MEDIA ON HIGHER EDUCATION ISSUES AND POLICY, ENHANCE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF A WIDE RANGE OF HIGHER EDUCATION TOPICS, ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF ACE MEMBERSHIP ON KEY ISSUES, AND PROMOTE THE IMPORTANT WORK OF ACE PROGRAMS.