Manhattanville ePortfolio Team Selected to Present at AAC&U

The Manhattanville College ePortfolio team has been selected to present at the January 2012 meeting of Association of American Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C.

Less than a third of all proposals to AAC&U are accepted for presentation.

The team of Jim Frank, Alison Carson, and Gillian Hannum attended the 2011 AAC&U meeting in San Francisco. After hearing the presentations made by other colleges they were inspired. Professor Frank said, "we are thrilled to be representing Manhattanville at the upcoming American Association of Colleges and Universities Annual Meeting."

The team has been working tirelessly on the transition to the ePortfolio system this year. The presentation "Paper to Pixels, Staples to Scroll Bars, and Loose-leaf to Links: A transition to ePortfolio" will examine the unique needs, resources, and strengths of an institution that may be enhanced by introducing an ePortfolio system. The professors will also discuss the challenges, successes, and trouble spots they have found in the transition at Manhattanville as well as discussing the various aspects of the transition including faculty development.

The Portfolio system was adopted by Manhattanville College in 1973 in the Manhattanville Plan, it emphasized integrative learning, life-long learning, application and assessment of student learning. The ePortfolio provides a vehicle for students to make what they are learning visible and see the connection between their education and college experiences. Students who use it are more articulate about learning. According to Professor Hannum, "It is a way of thinking". The ePortfolio allows students to think about self presentation to different audiences. Students can have more than one ePortfolio to showcase depending on audience such as an internship ePortfolio. It is geared to push more critical thinking particularly in reflection, integration, and intellectual growth.

"It is an adventure to see what pathways it will open up," Professor Hannum said. The ePortfolio depicts the Manhattanville mission as it allows students to show and follow the connection with the mind, body, and spirit. Manhattanville's annual ePortfolio expo is on Wednesday, November 2nd at which current seniors who have an ePortfolio will present their individual portfolio and assess their learning.