Colonial Academic Alliance (CAA)

The Colonial Academic Alliance (CAA) is the parallel organization to the Colonial Athletic Association. In 2001, the provosts of the member schools decided that their association focusing on athletic competition, should also encompass other kinds of constructive interaction, including above all, student academic achievement. Each year the CAA sponsors an Undergraduate Research conference, hosted by a member school. Each university can bring up to 10 students to present research either as a poster or as an oral presentation: students travel together with faculty and/or administrators to represent their institution. 

Hofstra University is the only member school to have hosted the event twice, having requested to do so in the 2010-11 school year (spring 2011) to coincide with the university's year-long 75th anniversary celebration. A proud moment we wished to share. 

The conferences generally also offer meetings on diverse topics of interest and use to students, such as Prestigious Scholarships (and how to apply): in 2008 and 2009, Hofstra's representatives from Students for a Greener Hofstra initiated student meetings on environmental activities at member schools, which led to regular meetings by the different campus sustainability officers. Member schools share with and learn from each other. 

The conferences also feature fascinating lectures by notable professors on campus and entertainment by the host schools student groups. Last year's conference at Hofstra featured the first CAA Sing-Off, which we dubbed an evening of "a-CAA-pella"! With two groups from Hofstra and one from Delaware, we were treated to incredible performances, including a spontaneous rendition of a Cold Play song by all three groups together. Hofstra's Erin Willett led one group in singing Adele's "Rolling in the Deep": she went on to star this year as a finalist on The Voice! 

The photographs assembled here by year show Hofstra students (and others) at:
Northeastern (2008)
Towson (2009)
Virginia Commonwealth (2010)
Hofstra (2011)
and Old Dominion (2012). 

Next year's conference will be held at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA.

For the last five years, students from Hofstra have been accompanied on the trip to the conference by Honors College Dean Warren Frisina and Senior Associate Dean, Neil H. Donahue, coordinator of Undergraduate Research, who also organized and hosted the 2011 Hofstra CAA conference.