Blue Ribbon Image  Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) Home Page

Welcome! This website is the official public dissemination channel for information about the work of the Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC). The BRC was created by the American Council of Developmental Education Associations to investigate opportunities for improved service by the professional associations that serve the field of developmental education and learning assistance. The website contains reports issued by the Commission, recommendations for action, link to a public discussion forum of the BRC reports, and more information about the BRC and its members.

Quick Links to Documents or Web Discussion Forum for Your Comments
** BRC Report, "Creating a New Vision for the Future" [PDF]  [Word]  [html]
** BRC Report Press Release (04/24/06) [PDF]  [Word]  [html]
** BRC Web Discussion Board [http://brcreport.myfastforum.org/]
** Instructions for Using BRC Web Discussion Board [PDF]  [Word]  [html]

These documents are provided in the Acrobat PDF format as well as other formats.  In case you do not have the Acrobat PDF reader software installed on your computer, it can be downloaded for free from the following web site:  http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html


Major Report of the Commission: "Creating a New Vision for the Future"
The first major report of the BRC is completed. It will contain an analysis of the current environment that confronts the profession and several recommendations for potential action by the professional associations that represent the field. The report was formally presented to the ACDEA on February 17, 2006. The American Council of Developmental Education Associations (ACDEA) created the Blue Ribbon Commission to thoughtfully compose the following report. The individual member organizations of the ACDEA voted in the majority to disseminate the report to the larger community for public comment and discussion, with the National Tutoring Association casting the single vote against dissemination. The purpose of the document is not to be the definitive statement, but rather to begin a wider dialogue that generates new ideas and ways of thinking about these complex issues.
** BRC Report 
[PDF]  [Word]  [html]
** BRC Report Press Release  [PDF]  [Word]  [html]

Public Discussions of the BRC Report, "Creating a New Vision for the Future."
During Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 there will be several opportunities to make public comments about the BRC report. These listening sessions are scheduled during several of the national conferences. One was held during the College Reading and Learning Association national conference in October 2006. Another is scheduled on Thursday, March 22, 2007 during the national conference for the National Associaiton for Developmental Education at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. Listening sessions may be scheduled at other upcoming national conferences. Check their conference programs for more details. See below for another opportunity to share your thoughts about the report through a public web discussion board.
** Summary of Comments from Fall 2006 CRLA Conference  [PDF]  [Word]
** Summary of Comments from Spring 2007 NADE Conference  [PDF]  [Word]  [html] Posted soon

Public Web Discussion of the BRC Report, "Creating a New Vision for the Future."
A web-based discussion board is available as a public forum for discussion of the issues and recommendations contained in the report. You can either read the comments or other, or even better, post your own comments. You can post them anonymously if you like.  Feel free to go immediately to the discussion forum: http://brcreport.myfastforum.org/  You may want to download the suggestions for getting the most out of the discussion board.  [PDF]  [Word]  [html]
Mission of the BRC
This Blue Ribbon Commission will investigate and evaluate the opportunities and issues for restructuring the relationship among the three associations. Using as a guide the quotation from the U.S. architect, Louis Henry Sullivan (1896), “Form follows function,” the Commission will first assess the associations’ current environments, missions, and needs. It will then expand the vision for developmental education and learning assistance for the 21st century, create new language to describe its mission, and develop a recommendation for what a new relationship would provide and look like to achieve a wider mission for the future.
Link to original document creating the BRC by the American Council of Developmental Education Associations (ACDEA) [PDF]  [Word]

BRC Members
The BRC delegates were appointed by one of the participating developmental education associations or organizations that are current members of the American Council of Developmental Education Associations (Association for the Tutoring Profession, College Reading and Learning Association, National Association for Developmental Education, National Center for Developmental Education, National Tutoring Association, and National College Learning Center Association) . Each of the groups were permitted to appoint up to three delegates to the BRC.
** Link to roster of Commission delegates [PDF]  [Word]
** Link to operating procedures for the work of the BRC [PDF]  [Word]

BRC Meeting Agenda and Records
** October 14, 2004 [PDF]  [Word]
** February 23, 2005 [PDF]  [Word]
** March 10, 2005 [PDF]  [Word]
** May 20, 2005 [PDF]  [Word]
** 
February 16, 2006 [PDF]  [Word]
** 
February 17, 2006  [PDF]  [Word]

Links to professional associations or organizations that have appointed delegates to the Commission
** American Council of Developmental Education Associations
** Association for the Tutoring Profession
** College Reading and Learning Association
** National Association of Developmental Education
** National Center for Developmental Education
** National College Learning Center Association

Page Revised April 4, 2007
Web page editor, David Arendale
, david@arendale.org


The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author.
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.