We are pleased to invite proposals, submissions, and recommendations for the upcoming regional institute. Our Institute is guided by seven thematic focus frames that address the most urgent and transformative areas in higher education. We welcome contributions that offer insight, strategy, and innovation across the following areas:
1. Financial Aid and Philanthropy
- The complexities of financial aid systems, including the impact of rising tuition costs, student debt burdens, and equitable resource distribution.
- New models and strategies for student loan borrowing and repayment, especially in light of changing federal policy.
- University campaigns and philanthropic initiatives that reimagine fundraising for access and equity.
2. Student Access and Opportunity
- Access pathways for nontraditional students, including those formerly incarcerated, experiencing homelessness, parenting, older adults, and military-affiliated learners.
- Programs that support new student entry, navigation, and success.
- University-community collaborations and city planning that enable equity in higher ed.
- Models that help students build social capital through co-curricular, engagement, or mentorship experiences.
3. The Transition from Learning to Work
- Preparing students for a dynamic labor market and addressing skills gaps.
- AI’s impact on employability and job readiness.
- Clarifying the relative value of hard vs. soft skills in different sectors.
- Bridging public and private workforce pathways and cultivating stronger industry-university partnerships.
4. Pedagogy and Learning Models
- Differentiating adult learning frameworks from K-12 approaches.
- The science of effective teaching and learning.
- Trauma-informed pedagogy that supports learner well-being.
5. Redefining and Reimagining the Academy
- Strategic organizational mapping and change management in public and private institutions.
- Community relevance and innovation amid the rise of AI.
- Reframing institutional missions to reinforce the academy’s public good.
6. Leadership, Policy, and Ethics
- Tools and mindsets for ethical leadership and accountability.
- Practical intersections between policy formation and ethical decision-making.
- Responding to shifting demographics and the changing student body.
- Language innovation: how to speak about equity without relying on traditional jargon (“The ‘E-Word’”).
7. Student Leadership Development
- Models of civic engagement and student organizing.
- Approaches to supporting student protest, advocacy, and activism within higher education contexts.