On February 17, the University of Cincinnati Center for Cooperative Education Research and Innovation will hosts its second annual industrial symposium, “Workforce 2019: Sharpening the Focus.”

Last year over 100 employers braved the snowy weather in order to partner with UC faculty to give feedback and exchange ideas with UC curricular development teams regarding semester conversion. That employer and faculty feedback has been invaluable in helping to determine co-op curricular development and processes as we move closer to semester conversion in Fall 2012. Outlines of that feedback can be viewed here.

This year’s theme, “Workforce 2019: Sharpening the Focus” promises even greater emphasis and impact on the UC’s co-op program and curricula. Workforce 2019 will provide our employer partners the opportunity to hear directly from our new Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, Dr. Santa Ono. Another critical feature this year will be three concurrent interactive sessions. The sessions will address the development of co-op learning objectives, the development of our new assessment tools, and share supervisor best practices. (See the attached agenda.)

This symposium will also allow us to recognize the 2011 inductees into the Cooperative Education Hall of Honor during the Recognition Luncheon. Inductees into the University of Cincinnati's Hall of Honor have made a significant qualitative difference in the advancement of cooperative education. Please visit the Virtual Cooperative Education Hall of Honor at http://www.uc.edu/propractice/hallofhonor/.

We both want and need our industrial partners to be part of this important and historic process. There is no cost to attend this event; however, it does require an R.S.V.P. Please join with the Professional Practice Faculty, as we begin “Sharpening the Focus” in cooperative education and curricular development. You can register until February 10th at http://www.uc.edu/propractice/symposium/. For more information, contact Professor Darnice Langford, (Darnice.Langford@uc.edu), 513-556-3061.