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Call for Proposals

Call for Proposals: 2026 NWCCU Annual Conference

Proposal Submission has closed for the 2026 Conference. 

The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) is now requesting proposals for our 2026 Annual Conference, taking place December 1–3, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency in Seattle, Washington.

In an era of rapid transformation, higher education thrives when we work together. This year’s theme, Partners in the Possible: Innovation, Integrity, Impact, celebrates the collaborative spirit required to drive meaningful change. We are looking for sessions that showcase how Innovation pushes boundaries, how Integrity grounds institutions’ missions, and how measurable Impact defines success.

We invite proposals from a diverse range of voices, including faculty, staff, administrators, student services, and researchers. Proposals should be tied to NWCCU’s Standards for Accreditation whenever possible and reflect the 2026 Annual Conference theme, Partners in the Possible: Innovation, Integrity, Impact.

Potential Proposal Topics

We are seeking presentations that address the intersection of our three core pillars:

  1. Innovation: Pushing the Boundaries of Learning
  • Agile Program Design: Developing flexible, personalized learning pathways that adapt to a changing workforce.
  • Next-Gen Pedagogy: Exploring models that challenge traditional classroom structures through technology, partnerships, and immersive experiences.
  • Leveraging Accreditation: Accreditation as a tool for institutional innovation and meaningful student-centered change.
  • The AI Frontier: Integrating artificial intelligence into pedagogy, institutional infrastructure, and decision-making.
  • Advocacy and Policymaker Engagement: Building partnerships with state and federal stakeholders to demonstrate how higher education serves as an engine for societal innovation.
  • Non-Traditional Modalities: Transitioning to competency-based models and non-traditional pathways that prioritize demonstrated skill proficiency and prior-learning validation.
  1. Integrity: The Foundation of Our Mission
  • Leveraging Accreditation: Accreditation as a partnership for innovation and continuous improvement.
  • Academic and Artificial Integrity: Navigating the ethics of AI, ensuring rigorous standards, and maintaining student trust.
  • Shared Governance as Partnership: Strengthening the bond between students, faculty, and administration to ensure institutional policy.
  • Transformational Leadership: Driving institutional change through transparent leadership that bridges the gap between daily culture and long-term mission-critical values.
  1. Impact: Delivering Results for Students
  • Data-Driven Student Success: Using analytics to drive engagement, retention, and completion rates.
  • Student Resilience: Scaling initiatives that support mental health, well-being, and academic persistence.
  • The Career Connection: Demonstrating the impact of higher education on workforce readiness and global citizenship.
  • Sustainable Stewardship: Financial strategies that ensure institutional viability while maintaining student affordability.
  • Evidence-Based Storytelling: Moving beyond raw data to create narratives that connect institutional impact with the lived experiences of students and alumni.

Proposal Criteria

NWCCU seeks proposals that:

  • Connect directly to one or more of NWCCU’s Standards for Accreditation
  • Speak to the conference theme, Partners in the Possible: Innovation, Integrity, Impact
  • Offer new viewpoints, insights, and innovative practices
  • Foster audience engagement and participation
  • Provide tangible takeaways that the audience can apply to their own institutions

Session Format Options

All concurrent sessions will be 50 minutes in length, including Q&A. There is an opportunity for a small number of presentations to be held as two-hour workshops.

  • Concurrent sessions will be held on Wednesday, December 2 and Thursday, December 3, 2026 – applicants must be available for their presentation on either day
  • Workshop (two-hour) sessions will be held on Wednesday, December 2, 2026

Submission Guidelines

Proposals should be submitted no later than June 1, 2026, via NWCCU’s online form. Presenters will be asked to include the following:

  • Presentation title
  • Short presentation description (100 words or less): to be published in program; should pique attendee interest
  • Presentation overview (500 words or less): a detailed outline of the presentation’s goals and what will be addressed
  • Connection to NWCCU’s Standards for Accreditation
  • Learning outcomes (limited to 100 words or less)
  • Audience engagement plan (limited to 50 words or less)
  • Presenter biographies and headshots (limited to 100 words or less per presenter)

Selection Criteria

NWCCU’s conference program committee will review all proposals and select the ones that best align with the conference theme, expertise of the presenter, accreditation standards, and other important criteria such as the quality and clarity of the proposal, feasibility within the available space, and the value it offers attendees. To ensure that your proposal meets all necessary requirements, please review the submission guidelines and dates.  Presenters will be notified in August.

Registration and Conference Considerations

NWCCU will provide a discounted general conference registration for up to two presenters for the 2026 Annual Conference, so long as each presenter registers for the conference before early bird registration closes. All other conference-related expenses, including but not limited to travel expenses, are the responsibility of the presenter.

NWCCU will provide the following equipment to all presenters: An 8’ tripod screen, 3K projector, cabling, microphone. Presenters must provide their own laptop to conduct the presentation.

Questions

If you have any questions about the proposal submission process, please contact Annual Conference team at annualconference@nwccu.org.

Important Dates:

  • Proposal Submission Deadline: June 1, 2026
  • Call for Proposals Acceptance Notification: July 2, 2026
  • Presenter Acceptance Deadline: Two weeks after notification
  • Session Scheduling Announcement: August 2026
  • Presenter Conference Registration Deadline: Before Early Bird Closes
  • 2026 NWCCU Annual Conference: December 1-3, 2026