ACAD 100: Freshman Seminar

This course introduces first-time community members to AEFIS Academy as the center of communities of practice, a cultural, and intellectual experience. In short, AEFIS Academy is a new way to learn and lead.

Through this course, we will review the underlying purpose of AEFIS Academy, how to contribute to the community, participate in and access its various resources, and provide a toolset that can be used with colleagues at member institutions and within the AEFIS Academy community.

Background
We loved connecting in person on campuses, at conferences, chatting over coffee. But when COVID-19 hit, these connection hubs went away and we were sent home. This accelerated our need to remain connected, despite the distance. AEFIS Academy seeks to bring higher education leaders together to support and learn from one another. 

Focus on Communities of Practice
We know we are better together and AEFIS Academy brings us together, to share stories, best practices, and to determine new ways of doing things! . AEFIS Academy encompasses the components of Communities of Practice (CoP), (Wenger, 1998). We do this through four main practices: Learn, Teach, Collaborate, and Innovate, which are accessible as menu items when you log onto aefisacademy.org. Through this course, we will help you leverage these practices to support your goals and learning needs.

Outcomes
As a result of this course, community members will:

1. Design their community profile to better connect with other community members
2. Review the purpose of Communities of Practice as it relates to membership in the Academy
3. Discover how to contribute to the four main practices that encompass AEFIS Academy
4. Reflect on how AEFIS Academy can support their professional learning and assessment needs