Conference Program

Conference Program

Please see below for an outline of the conference program.

Pre-Conference Workshops

On Wednesday, November 8, pre-conference sessions will include trainings and workshops led by NWCCU staff, the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS), Stephen Hundley, and the Vera Institute.

Please see below for descriptions of the workshops being held during the pre-conferences sessions. Please note that there is a repeated workshop, “Trends in Assessment and Improvement: Enduring Principles, Emerging Opportunities” being held in both the morning and afternoon – these are not two different workshops. For more information on workshop speakers, please see NWCCU’s Featured Speakers page.

General Conference Program

The general conference will be held Thursday and Friday, November 9-10. In addition to dynamic keynote and plenary speakers, attendees can expect to hear from institutional peers and organizations as they speak to the conference theme, Disruptive Innovations for Student Success. Presentations will consist of the following topics: Innovative teaching and learning practices; developing a culture of assessment and data-informed decision making; emerging strategies pertaining to financial viability and effective resource management; the role of AI and other technologies in higher education; and much, much more.

The following draft is provided for informational purposes and is subject to change at any time.  

08
Nov

7:30 am - 4:30 pm

Registration and Check-In

8:15 am - 9:15 amBoard of Commissioners Meeting
9:30 am - 4:30 pmNew Peer Evaluator Training
9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Morning Workshops

Governance Considerations in a Changing Higher Education Landscape

Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)

This session will focus on the principles, characteristics, and implications of strategic governance for colleges and universities. In an industry defined by disruption and consolidation, the most successful and prosperous colleges and universities will be those where the governing board and leadership are in sync. Experts from the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges will lead participants through exercises and discussions that will advance attendee knowledge and skills across the following areas: Understanding the characteristics of strategic boards and principles of good trusteeship; the implications of healthy institutional governance for successful accreditation; strategies for ensuring strong shared governance systems are generative of institutional success; the board's role in ROI conversations and supporting ROI initiatives; and advice for navigating challenges by sector.

Trends in Assessment and Improvement: Enduring Principles, Emerging Opportunities

Stephen P. Hundley, Ph.D., Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Assessing and improving student learning in courses, programs, and other collegiate experiences continues to be a priority for faculty, staff, instructional partners, and other stakeholders throughout the higher education ecosystem. This interactive workshop offers important reminders about fundamental principles of assessment and improvement, including planning for learning; implementing evidence informed interventions; assessing and evaluating outcomes; making improvements to instructional contexts; and fostering a shared culture of evidence reliant on distributed leadership for assessment and improvement. Participants will identify enduring and emerging trends in higher education assessment and improvement, informed from the national perspective, including the importance of creating inclusive, engaging, and equity-oriented instructional contexts.

Using Peer Analysis to Promote Strategic Decisions

Brian Prescott and Louisa Hunkerstorm, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS)

This workshop is aimed at institutional leaders with responsibility for strategic decision making. How might leaders use benchmarking data from similar institutions to drive improvement in student success or evaluate institutional performance? This session will cover how to select relevant peer groups, use disaggregated comparative data, and foster a culture of evidence in order to drive institutional improvement and meet NWCCU's Standards 1.D.2 and 1.D.3 related to tracking student achievement.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Lunch

Mission Fulfillment & Sustainability (MFS) Fellowship Cohort 5 Gathering
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Afternoon Workshops

Time to do Strategy Differently in Higher Education

Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB)

Changes in the higher education landscape are outpacing traditional planning processes. What needs to change about the way your board operates if it is to enable transformational change for the institution itself? This session will equip presidents, senior cabinet, and trustees to identify key strategies rapidly, engage stakeholders effectively, and respond to new challenges nimbly, by leading participants through exercises and discussions in the following areas: The macro trends shaping and changing higher ed; best practices in modern strategy; implementing strategy successfully.

Trends in Assessment and Improvement: Enduring Principles, Emerging Opportunities (Repeated from A.M. Session)

Stephen P. Hundley, Ph.D., Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Assessing and improving student learning in courses, programs, and other collegiate experiences continues to be a priority for faculty, staff, instructional partners, and other stakeholders throughout the higher education ecosystem. This interactive workshop offers important reminders about fundamental principles of assessment and improvement, including planning for learning; implementing evidence informed interventions; assessing and evaluating outcomes; making improvements to instructional contexts; and fostering a shared culture of evidence reliant on distributed leadership for assessment and improvement. Participants will identify enduring and emerging trends in higher education assessment and improvement, informed from the national perspective, including the importance of creating inclusive, engaging, and equity-oriented instructional contexts.

The Nuts and Bolts of Benchmarking and Disaggregation

Brian Prescott and Louisa Hunkerstorm, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS)

This companion workshop to ‘Using Peer Analysis to Promote Strategic Decisions,’ is aimed at conference attendees who provide essential support to the process of reaccreditation, digs deeper into the details of how to develop useful benchmarking information through peer identification and comparative analysis. Attendees will come to understand the process for selecting peers, socializing their use on campus, generating actionable insights, and using the benchmarking results in accreditation-related studies. In addition, the workshop will also cover the possibilities and limitations of disaggregating data for different student populations, with some attention given to how to surface actionable intelligence from the resulting myriad of data. The session will help professionals who support the accreditation process develop or improve capacity to meet NWCCU's Standards 1.D.2 and 1.D.3.

Navigating the Prison Education Program (PEP) Application Process

Gita Bangera, NWCCU and Vera Institute)

Faculty/staff from institutions that have successfully completed a Prison Education Program (PEP) application as well as Department of Corrections members from various states and a Vera Institute member will be on hand to help teams/individuals from institutions interested in starting a PEP to develop a plan of action. The workshop will cover the process for both Second Chance Pell (SCP)/Revised SCP institutions transitioning to PEP and for institutions that are starting new PEPs. Please note that any institutions that have existing prison education programs need to get approval as new PEPs if they want to use Pell funds for their students.

09
Nov

7:00 am - 4:00 pm

Registration and Check-In

7:30 am - 8:15 am

Breakfast

8:30 am - 9:50 am

Welcome and Keynote

10:00 am - 10:15 am

Morning Break

10:15 am - 11:00 am

Day 1 General Session

11:10 am- 12:00 pm

Concurrent Sessions #1

Annual Meeting of the Membership
Sonny Ramaswamy, President, NWCCU

12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Luncheon: Beacon Awards and Recognition of Evaluators

1:30 pm - 2:20 pm

Concurrent Sessions #2

1:30 pm - 3:20 pm

Workshops

2:30 pm - 3:20 pm

Concurrent Sessions #3

3:30 pm - 4:20 pm

Concurrent Sessions #4

4:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Day 1 Closing General Session

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Evening Reception

10
Nov

7:00 am - 10:00 am

Registration and Check-In

7:45 am - 8:30 am

Breakfast

8:30 am - 10:00 am

Day 2 General Session

10:10 am - 11:00 am

Concurrent Sessions #5

11:10 am - 12:00 pm

Concurrent Sessions #6

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Lunch

1:15 pm - 2:30 pm

Day 2 Closing General Session

If you have any questions, please contact us at conference@nwccu.org.