The 2024 HETS Best Practices Showcase (BPS) was held in Puerto Rico, sharing more than 40 presentations from institutions in Puerto Rico and the United States. This event took place on January 11 and 12, 2024 at the School of Law of the Inter American University in San Juan, Puerto Rico, bringing together more than 25 of its member institutions. The BPS allowed the Consortium to share innovative projects and best practices in four major tracks focused on Access, Retention, and Online Learning and Technology Integration in Higher Education, and a Student track (click here to see the Program with the recordings of the presentations offered).
More than 150 in-person attendees from Puerto Rico, Latin America, and the United States took advantage of the presentations shared by different Higher Education institutions including a forum of talented students who showcased innovative projects they had been working on within the academia. Likewise, more than 100 virtual participants joined the Opening Plenary and Track Winners Panel, which was transmitted live via Zoom.
This year, Dr. Marta Mena, Director, of the Virtual Training Program for Researchers and Director of the Master’s Degree in University Teaching, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, Argentina, was our keynote speaker Dr. Mena’s lecture focused on the management of virtuality in times of search and construction of good educational practices. Also, the conference featured local and national speakers. It showcased more than 40 best practices in the tracks of Access, Retention, Online Learning, and Technology Integration, including a track for students regarding Technology Integration.
In addition, the conference showcased the Track Winner’s panel, moderated by Dr. Carlos Vargas-Aburto, HETS Secretary & President of Southeast Missouri State University. Dr. Vargas presented those who achieved the highest scores on their presentation proposals per track. The Access track winner was Dr. Margarita Irizarry Ramírez from the Medical Sciences Campus at University of Puerto Rico; the Online Learning winners track were Dr. Diana M. López Robledo and Dr. Neyla Idaliz Rivera from University of Puerto Rico, Ponce Campus; the Technology Integration Student Winners track were Ms. Delisse Ríos, Ms. Dara Yannis Díaz, and Ms. Nasheliany Montero from Ana G. Méndez University, Cupey Campus; and the Retention Track, were Dr. De-Laine Cyrenne, Dr.Lynn Tashiro and Mr. Andres Enriquez, from California State University of Sacramento, who also received the highest scores in all categories.
Concurrent with the Best Practices Showcase, HETS Board of Directors held their Winter meeting. The results of the first semester of academic year 2023-2024 were topics of discussion. Among the shared news with the Board were highlighted the major activities that support the organizational programmatic goals such as: tailored workshop offerings online and webinars; the results of the HETS Online Journal published on a new open journal platform; and additional tools and services added to the HETS Virtual Plaza and HETS Website. The results of one of the main events, HETS Student Leadership Showcase, were also presented.
Board members also welcomed a representative from a new member from Chesapeake College. During the second day of meeting the Board held a corporate session with current HETS partners which included: Anthology, COBIMET, Campus Care, Teach Access and welcomed American Heart Association and Territorium as its new partners.
HETS would like to recognize the valuable collaboration of President Rafael Ramírez Rivera, President of the Inter American University of PR, and Esquire Julio Fontanet Maldonado, Dean of the School of Law, and his attentive staff for hosting and making possible the success of this event. Everyone felt at home and made the closing reception of our Best Practices Showcase a memorable one. The music of Folkloric Group Batuplena and its cultural show was outstanding!
For further information regarding this event, please access the Conference webpage on this website or call our HETS Office at 787- 250-1912, extension 2373.
