Proposals due April 18 for November Collaboration Conference Proposals are due Friday, April 18, for the November 2008 conference, “Culture Matters: Designing Learning Environments to Foster Cultural Awareness and Intercultural Competence.” The effects of culture are everywhere in higher education, providing abundant opportunities as well as challenges for strengthening college teaching and learning. They range from the implications of serving an increasingly diverse student population or integrating global learning into the curriculum to the ways each institution and discipline transmits its particular perspectives, values, and practices to new generations. The goal of this conference is to explore the premise that culture, in all of its manifestations, is emerging as a fundamental influence on teaching and learning in the 21st century. Not only must today’s students be culturally aware and interculturally competent to be successful, but efforts to strengthen college teaching and learning can be helped or hindered according to whether cultural differences are taken into account. The learning-centered institution is one where reflection on diverse perspectives is embedded in its work and one where culture matters. We’re seeking a broad range of strong proposals for concurrent sessions for the Nov. 21-22 conference. Proposals should address the conference theme and share successes, highlight innovations, and address challenges. The call for proposals can be found online at www.collab.org. Questions? Contact us at collab@collab.org or (651) 646-6166. -- Anne Kelsch, Director, Instructional Development, oid@und.nodak.edu, 777-3325