The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) chose three University of Wisconsin System campuses to pilot a national initiative to enhance student learning.

UW-Eau Claire, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Oshkosh, and six universities from Oregon and California, were chosen to participate in the pilot program, “Give Students a Compass: A Tri-State LEAP Partnership for College Learning, General Education and Underserved Student Success.”

The goal of the project is to increase the participation and success of traditionally underserved students, such as racial and ethnic minorities, low-income and first-generation students. The project will also evaluate the performance of transfer students, who may have missed a university’s orientation for incoming freshmen.

The nine campuses will work together to re-map general education and take new approaches to program design and assessment. The project is part of AAC&U’s Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) program, which promotes undergraduate liberal education, as well as campus action and public advocacy.

The System will host a statewide conference for Give Students a Compass in summer 2010. It will be open to other schools, civic leaders, businesses and local communities, according to the AAC&U Web site.

For more information about Give Students a Compass, visit www.aacu.org/compass/index.cfm.

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