This year, the University of Rochester will host the 33rd annual New York State Association for College Admission Counseling conference, bringing more than 600 high school guidance counselors and college admissions professionals from across the state to campus from June 7 to 10. The conference explores topics including education reform and contemporary issues in higher education.
"This year's conference schedule offers professionals more education sessions than ever before," said Kent Rinehart, president-elect of NYSACAC and chair of the conference steering committee. "We believe the broad offering of workshops will provide our members with valuable learning opportunities for professional development and networking."
Jonathan Burdick, Rochester's dean of Admissions and Financial Aid agreed.
"We are thrilled to be hosting this year's conference," he explained. "New York State's mix of city, suburban, and rural school professionals will foster a diverse learning environment; all can contribute and all—including our students—can benefit from the time we will invest."
Steve Peifer, co-founder of Kenya Kids Can, will deliver the keynote address at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8. Peifer, with his wife, Nancy, launched Kenya Kids Can as a part of their ministry with Africa Inland Mission in Kijabe, Kenya. Peifer will discuss the work his organization does to provide meals and educational opportunities to children; the group feeds nearly 18,300 students at 34 schools each day and has established computer centers in remote areas of Kenya, where students learn computing skills from Kenyan teachers.
New to the conference this year are a series of "Mega Sessions" that will focus on three distinct areas: contemporary issues in higher education, the impact of cyberbullying, and examples of reform in secondary school education. All three sessions, which run concurrently at 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 9, are led by influential educators recognized in academia and on the national stage for their research and contributions to education.
- Mega Session A: Reform in Secondary School Education
A panel discussion about education reform features Tim King, founder, president and CEO of Urban Prep Academies in Chicago, Ill.; Mitch Kurz, academic dean at the Bronx Center for Science and Math and former director of New Visions for Public Schools and current director of the Harlem Children's Zone; and Judy Kiyama, professor at the Warner School of Education, whose research focuses on college access, outreach, choice, and retention. The session will explore educational reform and successful models developed to improve the quality of education for students and increase college-going rates.
- Mega Session B: Cyberbulling and Its Impact
The session includes a lecture by Sheri Bauman, director of the School Counseling program at the University of Arizona, and author of Cyberbullying: What Counselors Need to Know. She will lead a discussion that focuses on the growing problem of cyberbulling and its impact on secondary schools and colleges and universities.
- Mega Session C: Contemporary Issues in Higher Education
Scott Jaschik, editor and founder of Insidehighered.com and former editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education, will discuss trends and challenges facing secondary schools and higher education.
Conference participants can choose from more than 100 workshops all held on the River Campus. The topics include post-secondary admissions issues, community-based organizations, student issues, college admissions requirements, policies, and procedures, career and staff development, and national and state issues related to admissions and higher education. For a complete list of workshops, visit the conference registration booklet.
As the New York State chapter of the National Association of College Admission Counseling, the organization provides leadership and professional development. The group is committed to develop, strengthen, and support the professionalism of those who provide the information and counseling regarding post-secondary opportunities. The organization also provides services to students and their families as they transition into college.