WELCOME and THANK YOU for reading! This newsletter covers what happened in December and will give you a heads up on what to look for in the months following.

In this issue (please note the links below will only work when viewing this newsletter in a browser):

All Academy members are invited and encouraged to join our annual online Winter Meeting on January 4th.

The meeting will begin at 16:00 UTC (11:00 am Eastern).

The estimated concluding time is approximately 21:00 UTC (4:00 pm Eastern).

The agenda for the meeting includes:

• Welcome (5 minutes)
• Opening Brainstorm
• How might we strengthen participation in the Academy? (20 Minutes)
• Conference planning (90 minutes)
  • Location & Dates: UIndy
  • Theme
  • Financial Costs/Housing
  • Featured Activities & Scheduling/time line
  • Technology Plans: In-Person, On-Line
  • Planning Team roles/Responsibilities
  • Planning team meetings
• Nutrition Break – (20 minutes)
• Strategic Goals discussion (100 minutes)
  • Brief review of status of 2020- 2025 Goals (10 minutes)
  • Brainstorm Discussion of Potential new Goals (90 minutes)
    • Taking the Academy Global
    • New member recruitment
• Concluding Comments (10 minutes)
  • Next Steps / Priorities?
  • Thanks for your participation.

Once you register, you will automatically receive
the Zoom information for attending the meeting.

Did you know that only Australia, Canada and the United States use a 12-hour clock?

All other countries use a 24-hour clock, or what people in the US may refer to as “military time”: 17:00 instead of 5:00pm. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), formerly known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), is the way the world, except three countries, deals with time zones; US Eastern is UTC-5, for example.

To reflect that the Academy is now the International Academy of Process Educators, UTC will be shown as the primary time, with at least one US time zone included as well. For the jet lagged or time unsure Academy member, https://www.timeanddate.com/ may be a helpful resource.

The observant reader of Academy Newsletters will have noticed that the header no longer contains seasonal motifs, just a plain logo. This is because when it’s winter in Norway, for example, it’s summer in New Zealand. And some countries or regions, or individuals for that matter, do not practice Ramadan, Thanksgiving or Remembrance Day. Less fun for the webmaster and less eye candy for the readers, but more inclusive. We will find other ways of adding interest, including sharing information about celebrations and seasonal practices around the world!

Upcoming Events

This is our regular monthly board meeting.

All board members and directors are welcome!
February 4

11:30 - 13:00 UTC

6:30 - 8:00 pm Eastern

Zoom information is available on the Member’s site

How can Process Education encourage compassion?

Colleagues, I wish you well as the fall academic season concludes, the holidays approach and the New Year approaches. As I write this message, my heart is heavy with the shattering school gun violence citizens of Madison, Wisconsin felt in the past 48 hours. I suspect none of my fellow citizens or educators expected to be dealing with such a tragic invasion of their school. It fills me with grief, sadness, and anger. That the violence took place in a school, sends me reeling. But it highlights that no place in America is safe from this scourge. This type of tragedy repeatedly continues to invade the hallowed ground of our educational institutions. You might ask “Why is this the center piece of my message to you?” I’ll tell you why.

According to our website:

“The Academy of Process Educators believes that EVERY person has a right to a safe, healthy community where they can learn and grow without fear of hatred, discrimination, or prejudice. While working tirelessly to support the growth and success of all people, the Academy condemns all acts of bigotry, hatred, violence, and discrimination on any basis. The Academy calls on global citizens to support every person's right to a supportive and safe environment in which they can live, grow, and flourish.”

I believe in these aspirations and our shared commitment to these goals.

As educators we know that words mean something, but only when supported by actions. From an early age we teach students about respect and support for community, family, and all citizens.  As Process Educators we support the idea of Self-Assessment and the belief that any individual no matter their learning capability can improve their learning capability. Clearly, we live in a fractured world that continues to deny this very message, spewing anger, hatred, and disrespect. The question becomes how can Process Educators hold true to our aspirations? What must we do in the face of loneliness, despair, and hate that spawns this violence? Is this concern reflected in PE practices? The answer seems clear to me. We need to adhere to our stated goal to “Support every person's right to a supportive and safe environment in which they can live, grow, and flourish.”

As the new year dawns, I encourage you to take care of yourselves and one another during this time. The pain, fear, and overwhelming emotions that these incidents elicit are real. Please check in with loved ones, students, and colleagues. To that end, the Academy will hold our annual online check-in Winter Meeting on January 4. All of you are welcome to join in this effort. This gathering will solidify our plans for our annual Conference in June and refocus our Strategic Goals for the next 5 years. Additional details, the agenda and the Zoom link are in the accompanying article.

The Academy of Process Educators 2025 Conference will be held for the second straight year in Indianapolis, Indiana on the University of Indianapolis campus this year June 2 – 5.

The Conference theme and schedule are currently being developed as a part of our annual Winter Meeting on January 4. As in past years, there will be a preconference event on Monday, June 2, focused on specific PE interests of faculty. The Conference itself will kick off on January 3 with a Keynote presentation related to our theme. Followed by 2 ½ days of a mix of provocative experiences centered around our theme. As we continue to transition to an international organization, we will specifically invite academic colleagues from throughout the United States and beyond. Academy members will be able to attend the Conference in person (best if possible!) or on-line.

The call for proposals will feature Practitioner and Research Workshops, along with the Hall of Innovation (a Virtual Poster session). All current members are welcome to propose a session relevant to the theme. Additional information will be available on our website later in January concerning registration, the Call for Presenters, costs, information about accommodation, and other details. This same information will be shared in the February Newsletter and on the Academy Website. Air, ground, and other modes of transportation are widely accessible.

The University of Indianapolis (UIndy) is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was founded in 1902 as Indiana Central University and was popularly known as Indiana Central College from 1921 until 1975. In 1986 the name was changed to University of Indianapolis. The main campus is located on the south side of Indianapolis at 1400 East Hanna Avenue. UIndy has invested in excellent reliable presentation technology and strong Internet connectivity in the School of Engineering facility where we will meet.

Please mark your calendars and set your sights on joining us in the Academy Conference experience. It’s an excellent way to discover or deepen your understanding of Process Education, experience new teaching methods and technologies while connecting with like-minded colleagues from throughout the world of higher education. As Academy President, I urge all current and past members to join us as we focus on effective teaching practices that address the learning needs of todays’ students,

The “Going Global Committee” currently consists of Chaya Jain (President Elect), Peter Smith (Finance Officer and Historian), Durel Crosby (Project Management Director), and Denna Hintze (Communications Director). We remain focused on developing the strategy to capitalize a multitude of advantages for our organization. Beginning with the debut emblem announcing the International Academy of Process Educators in September 2024 Newsletter, plans are underway to add a section to the Academy member site. This will serve as a repository for our progress including goals, objectives, and meeting minutes. We will also be asking for ideas to open the Academy to a wider talent pool, increase global network, and enhance knowledge sharing and outreach. In addition, we have plans to explore and incorporate ways to improve competitive advantage and revenue streams and increase exposure to diverse perspectives across different regions and cultures, in hopes of ultimately fostering innovation and professional growth within our organization.

Summary of Dec 4 Board Meeting

2025 PE Conference Planning Progress.

• The first week of June, 2025 at University of Indianapolis (UINDY)
• We will use the same conference hotel as last year
• Further updates at the Winter Meeting, including theme. One possible theme is “How do we support faculty members in today’s higher education environment?”

Agenda for Winter Meeting

• Review Planned Agenda: Identify leaders for each segment, Encourage attendance by other members. ID who we should target.
• 2 hour session in the morning focused on the Conference preparation, a break, and then a 2 hour session focused on the strategic plan. Suggested weaving three other items into these two topics.

Board supporting PD projects

• Discussion: How to increase the attendance at PD events

Finalize Spring semester Meeting Dates

• First Wednesday each month February – May
• 11:30 - 13:00 UCT (6:30 – 8:00 pm Eastern)

The DRAFT minutes from the December Meeting are available HERE.

Including (BUT NOT LIMITED TO)
workshops you'd like to attend!