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CONTACT:

Office of the Provost
610-466-6666 Ext. 3397

Investment in Tomorrow’s Education

FalconPlex

Digital Commons

College-Wide Accessibility

Adaptive Learning Technology


FalconPlex

Aspiration & Impact

The FalconPlex is a new state-of-the art athletic facility that will enable us to recruit student athletes more effectively, host tournaments, and rent space to community athletic organizations.  Positioned facing the Hamilton Bypass, the FalconPlex will enhance Cedar Crest College’s visibility in terms of its athletic program, refuting the commonly held belief that women’s colleges cannot have robust athletics. Given that many student-athletes are accustomed to playing on turf fields from their high school teams, the FalconPlex should enhance our efforts to recruit student-athletes who expect turf fields. Its lighted field will enable practices to happen in the evening, removing the need for students to miss practice in order to go to class.

Key Components

  • New, lighted turf field
  • Fieldhouse with a training room and changing rooms for home and away teams as well as referees
  • Press box and VIP box
  • Viewing stands
  • Patio for events

Progress

Implementation Launched:

Press Release: Cedar Crest College to Cut Ribbon on the FalconPlex

Digital Commons

Aspiration & Impact

This initiative seeks to create an innovative learning environment through “the seamless integration of pedagogy, technology, and space, empowered by a supportive professional development program” (College Planning and Management, Feb. 2016). The Digital Commons will support the synthesis of teaching and learning across the disciplines of the arts and humanities that can lead to creative social and technological innovation. The success of Apple and other tech sector companies have shown that the arts and humanities are crucial to the most significant technological developments in our society. Creating a Digital Commons will promote greater student engagement with the arts and humanities, student success in a workplace that demands technological competency, and the ability to adapt and respond creatively and critically to challenges. We also expect the Digital Commons to enhance the recruitment of students, who already come to the college understanding the central place technology holds in terms of their experiences with arts, culture, and literature.

Key Components

The completed Digital Commons will contain:

  • A collaborative classroom space
  • A digitally enhanced “third space”
  • A digital gallery
  • A performance space that is flexible enough to support performing arts productions that incorporate technology, as well as interdisciplinary performance art
  • A media library for student use.

Progress

Implementation Pending

College-Wide Accessibility

Aspiration & Impact

This initiative seeks to ensure access to the entire campus for students with varying needs in order to provide an inclusive and welcoming educational experience. Accessibility to physical spaces across campus as well as to all elements of the teaching environment will be assessed and improved as required. A fully accessible campus, both physically and virtually, will meet the diverse needs of all of our students and will enhance the accessibility of our campus to faculty, staff, alumnae, and community members

Key Components

  • Renovations to existing spaces will be made to increase their accessibility
  • Faculty and staff will be trained in the use of Universal Design practices in the teaching environment

Progress

Implementation Launched

 

Adaptive Learning Technology

Aspiration & Impact

Adaptive learning technology assesses students’ abilities and knowledge in real-time, providing adaptive lessons tailored to individuals as they progress through an assignment. Students benefit from such technology by having assignments and learning experiences suited to their individual abilities. Faculty can benefit from such technology through dashboards that quickly show a class’s range of ability and knowledge. Adaptive learning in placement exams will improve our ability to start students in courses suited to their entering knowledge and skill set, while better enabling them to prepare for college-level course work.  As Cedar Crest’s student body comes from a greater range of ages, regions, and identities, the College will benefit from such instructional technology that enables us to more accurately assess, place, and ensure the success of such students in degree persistence and completion. By providing real-time personalized assessment and instruction, along with appropriate course placement, student success should be enhanced, leading to greater rates of persistence to graduation.

Key Components

  • Implementation of ALEKS Placement, Preparation and Learning Technology for placing students appropriately in math classes such as MAT 102, 107, 110, 140, 141 and 142
  • Use of Connect-Math ALT in math courses identified by math faculty
  • Use of Connect-Spanish ALT in introductory Spanish courses (SPA 101 and 102)

Progress

Implementation Launched:

  • ALEKS – Adaptive Math Placement Assessment
    • Administered for first time in fall 2018, with initial sections of MAT 113 offered for student to use the system to practice math skills on “just in time” basis.
    • 89% of students who took ALEKS earned a passing grade in their math course, versus 79% of students of students who did not.
    • Students who enrolled in placed courses passed at a higher rate (90%) versus those who enrolled in courses above their placement (75%).
  • PORTFOLIUM –Integrative Learning ePortfolio
    • Through fall 2018 semester, 41% of students have created an account with 21% of students active in Portfolium on a monthly basis.