2010 SCUP Founders’ (Casey) Award for Distinguished Achievement in Higher Education Planning

Jeanne L. Narum, Founding Director, Project Kaleidoscope; Director, The Independent Colleges Office; and Principal, Project Kaleidoscope Learning Spaces Collaboratory is the 2010 SCUP Founders’ (Casey) Award Recipient. The award is named after K.C. Parsons, charter SCUP member and its first president. Parsons’ work focused on contributing to the community and its impact on people using the space or facility. He was also a strong proponent of mentoring.

For the past 20 years, as Director of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), Narum has significantly impacted science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs, pedagogy, facilities, individuals and institutions. The notion that engaged students are more successful learners, and the assessment of “what works,” has transformed the learning environment and transformed faculty, administrators, planners, and architects who participated in PKAL workshops, colloquiums, meetings, and publications.

Participants have hands-on experience with contemporary pedagogies and in-depth conversations about how to set and assess student learning goals, develop courses, identify pedagogies, and make decisions about policies, budgets, and spaces that serve those goals.

Narum helped produce a series of electronic and print publications to support and extend discussions at PKAL meetings, and capture best ideas and lessons learned from the broader community of stakeholders.

Campuses now require that architects hired to design STEM facilities have PKAL experience and understand contemporary science education. More than 6,500 individuals and 1,400 institutions have participated in at least one PKAL event.

Her nominators say this award honors not only Narum, but also college/university faculty, students, administrators, and others who have helped bring science education to the forefront of education.

She has an impressive list of publications, presentations, workshops, roundtables, seminars and other contributions to the body of knowledge about institutional planning, theory and practice. Almost every PKAL event focuses on bringing people together – to identify, nurture, and support leaders taking responsibility for shaping robust undergraduate STEM learning environments. She is a master at building bridges that cross boundaries of disciplines, institutional types, and spheres of responsibility.