WELCOME and THANK YOU for reading! This newsletter covers what happened in August 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):

The next board meeting is September 10, 2025

6:00 to 7:30pm Eastern

(23:00 to 00:30 UTC)

As always, ALL board members and directors are welcome!

Zoom information is available on the Member’s site

Process Education through the Lens of Generative Learning:
A Catalyst for Self-Growth

As we continue advancing the mission of the Academy, I’m reminded of our July meeting when

Board Member Denna Hintze (Norway) referred to active learning as a way to describe the Process Education (PE) philosophy. Her framing resonated deeply, especially considering PE’s rich evolution—from its foundational concepts of Learning and Learning-to-Learn in the early 1980s to its current integration with artificial intelligence.

This perspective also sharpens one of my shared objectives: inviting non-member readers to consider how joining the Academy can support their personal and professional growth goals. To clarify this connection, let me briefly elaborate on the what, why, and how.

At its core, Process Education empowers individuals to become self-growers—capable of continuously developing their learning skills through intentional assessment and reflection. 

Generative learning complements this mission by encouraging learners to actively construct meaning, integrate new knowledge with prior understanding, and engage in deep cognitive processing.

Unlike traditional learning, which often emphasizes passive reception and memorization, generative learning strategies—such as teaching (inside or outside of classrooms), creating concept maps, or generating analogies—require learners to organize, elaborate, and personalize information. These strategies foster the very habits of mind that PE seeks to cultivate: self-assessment, metacognition, and lifelong learning.

By integrating generative learning into our instructional design, we reinforce our shared commitment to:

• Continuous skill development
• Intentional use of assessment for growth
• Empowering learners to take ownership of their learning

Our growing collaboration between Process Education and generative learning—combined with the diverse and thoughtful contributions from our broad global membership—continues to accelerate deeper understanding and strengthen the transformative processes that define meaningful learning. A natural outcome of this synergy is the emergence of multifaceted rewards, including exciting opportunities for collaborative research, documentation of scholarship in the Academy’s journal, The International Journal of Process Education (IJPE), and an accessible dissemination venue at the Academy’s annual conference.

Once again, I extend a warm invitation to all readers—especially those who are not yet members of the Academy—to join us in this mutually rewarding pursuit. Together, we can find feasible solutions that support all learners, regardless of status, identities, or distinctions.

The 2026 PE Conference will be hosted by West Coast University at their La Palma location in Anaheim, California. Stay tuned for further details, but look forward to hitting the west coast next summer!

West Coast University
2411 West La Palma Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92801

Academy becomes Assessment Institute Partner

During the August Board meeting, President-Elect Josh Morrison introduced the Center for Leading Improvements in Higher Education, including the Assessment Institute. The Center is led by Dr. Stephen Hundley, Founding Executive Director and Professor of Organizational Leadership at Indiana University Indianapolis. 

The Assessment Institute is an annual conference in Indianapolis, routinely bringing 1000+ attendees. It is designed to provide opportunities for (1) individuals and campus teams new to higher education assessment and improvement to acquire fundamental knowledge about the field; (2) individuals who have worked as leaders in assessment and improvement to share and extend their knowledge and skills; and (3) those interested in assessment and improvement at any level or in any collegiate context to establish networks that serve as sources of support and expertise beyond the dates of the Institute. The conference is of interest for faculty, chairs, program directors, deans, assessment professionals, and student affairs staff.

At the invitation of Dr. Stephen Hundley, the Academy will become a partner of the Assessment Institute, and will be listed on their website. This partnership launches a deeper engagement with the Center and Assessment Institute that is planned, including recording an episode of the Center's podcast, a pre-conference session at the 2026 Assessment Institute, a submission to the bi-monthly journal Assessment Update, and potentially an edited book in the Assessment and Improvement in Higher Education book series. Academy members interested in contributing to these efforts are welcome to reach out to Josh directly at jmorrison@uindy.edu.

The engagement with the Center and Assessment Institute will further the Academy's goals to expand the reach of Process Education, with the strong potential to grow interest, membership, and engagement in the PE community. More details of this engagement will be shared in upcoming newsletters as it becomes available.

Episode 2: Architect Your Life: Mastering Self-Growth with Mindset, Consciousness, and Motivation

Choose where you'd like to listen...

For those deeply invested in the scholarly pursuit of personal and professional advancement, the Process Education (PE) framework presents a compelling and meticulously articulated approach to self-growth. This framework critically distinguishes itself from conventional 'growth mindsets' by emphasizing intentional and autonomous transformation as foundational to an individual's journey.

At the heart of the PE framework lies the Four-Anchors Model, a structured conceptualization designed to guide this transformative process. This model comprises four essential components: insightful reflection, envisioning an ideal self, intentional action planning, and growth capability development.

The framework further delves into the profound influence of mindset, consciousness, and motivation, meticulously detailing how these dynamic factors interact with and shape each of the four anchors. To elucidate these complex interactions and provide practical strategies for personal development, the PE framework offers twelve illustrative narratives.

Ultimately, the PE framework is engineered to demystify and reduce the inherent complexity of self-growth practices. It posits that by fostering a harmonized approach to self-improvement, individuals can significantly enhance their quality of life and refine their capacity to achieve deeply held aspirations.

Josh Morrison generated this podcast with Google's Notebook LM (and our deep gratitude!). Its content and quality were approved by the article's authors.

 You're Invited:

Be Part of Designing the Academy’s Future

Event: Designing for Growth – Strategic Innovation for Academy Engagement

Date: Tuesday, September 24

Time: 6:00 PM ET

Where: Zoom (link provided upon registration)

Are you passionate about the future of the Academy—or perhaps looking for a meaningful way to re-engage? Join us for an energizing 75-minute session where members will collaborate in small groups to design innovative strategies for increasing membership and conference participation.

Whether you're a longtime contributor or just curious about getting more involved, your voice matters. This is your chance to shape where we go next—while building connections and walking away with one practical action you can take in the next 30 days.

Prep work: study the IAPE home page and create a draft of your own answer to the question “What does the International Academy of Process Educators do?”

Summary of the August 13 Board Meeting

. . .

• Action item 1: Academy’s Collaboration with Center for Leading Improvements in Higher Ed (Josh)

Reached out and shared AoPE initiatives with Steven Hundley (IU Indianapolis)

Had a short meeting, and they are willing for us to be an affiliate organization.

Do we want to be an affiliate? No cost. That org has ~1000 members and is willing to engage with us.

Start with a podcast, describe AoPE (6 seasons)

Have us host the following October (2026)

Follow up article for “Assessment Update” (Wiley) 6x per year

Provide support/work with edited volume, co-edit a book.

• Action Item 2: Newsletter mailout challenges and proposed resolution

Mail sending was a problem since bounces are not handled gracefully.

May want to move to the more sophisticated email sending service.

We use WordPress for our newsletter.

On the old mail server there was no problem; with the Google mail server, bounces were not treated gracefully.

Let’s approve the $50 per year

• Treasurer’s Report: Matt Watts (10 min)

2025-2026 Annual Budget Plan

Matt showed the budget for the new fiscal year.

Matt enumerated the anticipated expenses for the 2026 conference and described each “other” expense.

• Directors & Chairs Report 

Professional Development

Tris describes PE initiatives

Save your Wednesdays!  Most of these will be on Wednesday afternoons/evenings

PE in a nutshell has been rewritten with more accessible language

Academy 5-yr goal workshops

Possible additional sessions on core PE topics

All Wednesdays are PE Wednesdays.

Conf Planning

We definitely set the campus to be West Coast, La Palma

Yuqin will consult with Will and confirm catering 

Outreach

Posts from the newsletter for Linked In.

9 new faculty at UIndy will join in the institutional membership

Chaya: sent an invite to 70 peers with conference details. Please everyone to bring three members. New members!

The DRAFT minutes from the August 13 Board Meeting are available HERE.

In order to act effectively, we need to be informed. What follows are several sources and resources I've found, read, and recommend. Please use what you can and stay safe.

“From time to time instances will arise in which the society, or segments of it, threaten the very mission of the university and its values of free inquiry. In such a crisis, it becomes the obligation of the university as an institution to oppose such measures and actively to defend its interests and its values.” (The University of Chicago’s 1967 Kalven Report)

‘Everyone is coming into fire’: students return to US campuses bruised and changed by Trump’s assault https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/23/us-college-campuses-trump-funding-protests

Tracking Trump's Crackdown on Higher Education https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/trumps-higher-education-crackdown-visa-revocations-dei-bans-lawsuits-and-funding-cuts

Colleges face financial struggles as Trump policies send international enrollment plummeting https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-08-31/colleges-face-financial-struggles-as-trump-policies-send-international-enrollment-plummeting

5 Charts Breaking Down Trump’s Funding Freezes Against Universities https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/2025/08/28/trumps-funding-freezes-against-universities-5-charts

The US used to be a haven for research. Now, scientists are packing their bags. https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2025/0825/trump-science-brain-drain-europe

Against Anticipatory Obedience (AAUP) https://www.aaup.org/sites/default/files/Against_Anticipatory_Obedience.pdf

Let us know:

• What have you achieved (WHO and WHAT)
• Suggest someone for an open board position (give us a NAME and POSITION)
• Request a workshop (please let us know the TOPIC, WHY you would find it valuable/useful, and CONTACT information so we can follow up with you)
• Pretty much anything else!