Our Story
In 2002, Dr. Jenny Bloom co-authored with Nancy Archer Martin “Incorporating Appreciative Inquiry into Academic Advising,” the seminal article that launched the Appreciative Education Movement. In 2008, Dr. Jenny Bloom, Dr. Bryant Hutson, and Dr. Ye He published The Appreciative Advising Revolution book that outlined the principles and tenets of the Appreciative Advising theory-to-practice framework and is a hallmark of this movement. In the 2008 book, the authors expanded Dr. David Cooperrider’s four phases of Appreciative Inquiry to the six phases of Appreciative Advising.
This six-phase theory-to-practice framework has evolved and is now being applied to all aspects of educational institutions at both the post-secondary and K-12 levels. Some institutions are choosing to become Appreciative Campuses.
Our Framework
In Appreciative Education, we say it’s all about the STUDENT...because if we’re not making decisions with our students’ best interest in mind, what are we doing? AND, we wholeheartedly believe that we must create campus cultures in which ALL members—students, faculty, staff, administrators, and other stakeholders—can leverage their strengths and be at their best, which has inspired the following:
Our Keystone Question
How do we create educational spaces in which everyone truly loves to learn, work, and thrive?
Our Vision
Our vision is that Appreciative Education becomes THE theory-to-practice framework for leading innovative educational institutions around the world.
Our Mission
Our mission is that by utilizing Appreciative Inquiry, Appreciative Advising, and other Positive Psychology and change methodologies, the Office of Appreciative Education provides educational institutions and their representatives the resources and support necessary to unleash and realize the full potential of their organizations, employees, and students. Appreciative Education is defined as:
an organizational and individual framework for creating a culture with high standards that embraces ongoing learning, change, and improvement…It provides an intentional and [generative] approach to bettering educational enterprises by focusing on the strengths and potential of individuals and organizations to accomplish their co-created goals. (Bloom et al., 2013, pp. 5-6)
Beneath the Appreciative Education umbrella are a host of theory-to-practice frameworks designed to optimize organizational and individual performances, including Appreciative Advising, Appreciative College Instruction, Appreciative Administration, and more.
To learn more, reference the selected readings below and peruse our Resources tab to learn how individuals and institutions have employed the framework as well as to access additional research and publications on these topics.
Select Readings
Bloom, J. L., Hutson, B. L. & He, Y. (2008). The appreciative advising revolution. Stipes.
Bloom, J. L., Hutson, B. L., He, Y., & Konkle, E. (2013). Appreciative education. New Directions for Student Services, 143, 5-18. http://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20055
Bloom, J. L., & McClellan, J. L. (2016). Appreciative administration: Applying the appreciative education framework to leadership practices in higher education. Journal of Higher Education Management, 31(1), 195-210.
Bloom, J. L., Hutson, B. L., He, Y., Robinson, C. (2011). Appreciative college instruction: Becoming a Force for positive change in student success courses. Stipes.