Featured Sessions

In a time of rapid change when constant activity and the push for efficiency so strongly influences our lives, reflection is an essential practice for deep learning and growth. Drawing from College Unbound’s distinct educational model and community culture, this keynote will explore intentional reflection as a critical mechanism for making meaning of lived experience and enhancing learning. Together, we will examine the concept of reflection not just as a fleeting thought or a process leading to a product but as a deliberate and structured practice that enhances our capacity for growth and fosters deeper connections with others. Through discussion of real life examples and actionable strategies, attendees will have access to a variety of reflective tools that can be integrated into their own daily routine, be used in support of student learning, and be employed to manifest a culture of reflection in their own communities and organizations. 

About: Dr. Sylvia Spears (She/Her/Hers) is currently serving as Provost & Vice President for Lifelong at College Unbound in Providence, Rhode Island.  She joined College Unbound in 2021 as Vice President for Administration & Innovation and Distinguished Professor of Educational Equity & Social Justice. Sylvia has been in higher education as both a faculty member and as a senior administrator for more than twenty-five years. Prior to her appointment at College Unbound, she served as Vice President for Equity & Social Justice at Emerson College for almost a decade,where she provided institutional leadership on issues of equity and social justice.

Prior to becoming a member of the Emerson community, Sylvia was Associate Professor of Education and the Inaugural Program Director of the New England College Doctoral Program in Education. She continues to teach in the doctoral program and serves on a number of dissertation committees. Earlier at Dartmouth College, Sylvia took on a variety of increasingly responsible roles, last serving as Interim Dean of the College.

Sylvia was also a member of the faculty in the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Department of Human Development & Family Studies for 10 years, teaching undergraduate and graduate students who were preparing for roles in education and other human service fields. In addition, she has held leadership positions at Bryant University in Multicultural Student Affairs and with the Narragansett Indian Tribe as Tribal Administrator. Sylvia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications and Master of Science in Human Development and Family Studies with a focus in student affairs from the University of Rhode Island. She earned a Ph.D. in Education from the Rhode Island College/University of Rhode Island Joint Doctoral Program in Education. 

Sylvia has made a lifelong commitment to working for systemic change and educational transformation that leads to material change for the individuals and communities who are denied access, equitable conditions, and meaningful participation in higher education.

Dewey says that we learn from an experience when we can reflect on an experience.  As such, reflection is the penultimate transferable skill.  Without it, higher education outcomes such as critical thinking, communication, and civic engagement cannot be fully actualized.  This session will talk about the relationship between reflection, transferable skills, and the future of higher education.

About: Candyce Reynolds is Director of University Foundations (a general education program) at Boise State University and Professor, Psychological Sciences. She has an A.B. in Psychology and Social Welfare from the University of California at Berkeley, USA and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Oregon, USA in Counseling Psychology.

Dr. Reynolds has had a wide variety of experiences in higher education and beyond, working in student affairs, departments of psychology, business and management consultation, general education, a peer mentoring program and in faculty development.  Her scholarship has primarily focused on student centered pedagogy, authentic student learning assessment and the role of reflective practice in facilitating student learning.  In recent years, her work has focused on the use of the ePortfolio to promote student learning and program assessment.  She has published broadly in higher education books and journals and has made presentations at a variety of venues throughout the USA and internationally.  She is co-author of a book with Judy Patton entitled: Leveraging the ePortfolio for integrative learning: A guidebook of classroom practices for transforming student learning published by Stylus Publishing in 2014.