Preliminary Program

 Sunday, February 4, 2024

Registration

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Government Relations Academy (Preconference Session):

An Angry Congress and an Administration with an Ambitious Regulatory Agenda

The federal regulatory environment has never seemed more intense and unpredictable.  Long brewing congressional frustrations with higher education have fanned the flames of the political debate about how colleges and universities are handling incidents on campus related to the tragedies in the Middle East. These incidents have, in turn, lead to widespread concerns about campus safety, free speech, political correctness, and culture. 

In the meantime, the Administration is zeroing in on the financial value of higher education with a massive new regulatory construct that would also, among other things, limit transcript withholding, allow the Department of Education to review campus and career services, and require compliance with state laws governing licensure requirements. 

All these developments are transpiring while we await a major change to the nation’s Department of Labor overtime rules. In addition, campus leaders must be prepared for changes to regulations governing campus sexual assault, transgender athletes, disability, FERPA, and religious or ethnic discrimination under Title VI. NAICU’s Government Relations Team, accompanied by experts from our members campuses and associations, will try and make sense of the new policies and current climate, while helping you prepare for and manage some of the most critical changes that could be coming to campus.
SPEAKERS:
Sarah A. Flanagan, Vice President for Government
Relations and Policy Development, NAICU
Jody Feder, J.D., Director of Accountability and Regulatory Affairs, NAICU
Karin L. Johns, Director of Tax Policy, NAICU
Justin Monk, Director of Student and Institutional Aid Policy, NAICU
Suzanne Stokes Vieth, Director of State Relations and Outreach, NAICU

Hot Topics Breakout Sessions

Dive into greater detail on policies that could impact your campus by choosing two mini-sessions. Conversations will include policy or campus experts and members of the NAICU Government Relations Team.   (Choose one session in each time block)

Diversity in a Post-Affirmative Action World

In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to strike down Harvard University's race-conscious admissions program, many colleges and universities are exploring new ways to maintain or increase diversity on their campuses. During this session, we will examine both the feasibility and legality of these methods, as well as feature real-world examples from a college president who has successfully transformed his institution into the most ethnically diverse regional university in the Midwest.
SPEAKERS:
Jody Feder, J.D., Director of Accountability and Regulatory Affairs, NAICU
Paul C. Pribbenow, Ph.D., President, Augsburg University (MN)

Borrower Defense to Repayment: Campus Notices

Did your campus receive a borrower defense notification from the Department of Education? Learn what the notification means, the process used by the Department to issue notices, and what schools are doing in response.

The Education Department recently revised regulations concerning ownership and control of colleges and universities.  Learn about the difficulties these changes have placed on institutions involved in mergers and acquisitions, and what institutions are doing to adapt to the new rules.

The Middle-East Conflict: Government Relations, Regulatory Requirements, and Public Perceptions

Financial Value Transparency: Implementing the New Regulations on Campus. 

New Presidents/New Member Reception

BY INVITATION ONLY

Welcome Reception

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  Monday, February 5, 2024

NAICUSE Executive Committee Meeting

CLOSED SESSION FOR COMMITTEE MEMBERS ONLY  

NAICUSE Breakfast Buffet

CLOSED SESSION FOR STATE EXECUTIVES AND STAFF MEMBERS

Registration

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NAICUSE Meeting

CLOSED SESSION FOR STATE EXECUTIVES AND STAFF MEMBERS

Coffee Break

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Plenary Session I

The U.S. Economy: Where It Stands, Where It May Land 

Resilient or risky? Fragile, or fundamentally sound? Growing or grinding to a halt? Headlines about the economy can be confusing or even contradictory. Backed by the latest data, we will explore the current state of the union using a "balance sheet" approach to assess which sectors of the economy are "assets" and which are "liabilities" and how this accounting informs where the economy is likely headed in the coming months and year. 
MODERATOR:
Paula A. Johnson, M.D, M.P.H., President, Wellsley College (MA)
SPEAKER:
David R. Wilson, CFA, Head of Client Portfolio Management, Nuveen

Plenary Session II

Financial Value Transparency: Administration Goals and Implementation Plans 

All higher education programs (majors) will be subject to new financial value rules starting on July 1. What is the Department’s rationale behind this proposal, what additional resources will be available to institutions to help with implementation and how are campuses coping? Join the Department of Education’s lead architect of the plan for a discussion of the implementation goals and challenges.
MODERATORS:
Anne F. Harris, Ph.D., President, Grinnell College (IA)
Elizabeth Meade, Ph.D., President, Cedar Crest College (PA)
SPEAKERS:
Brad Middleton, Senior Advisor for Strategy, U.S. Department of Education
Ben Miller, Deputy Under Secretary, U.S. Department of Education

Plenary Session III

The New FAFSA: Where Are We Now?

The new Free Application for Federal Student AID (FAFSA), including a revised needs analysis, will be about six weeks old in early February. What impact is the new FAFSA having on campus? What has the Department learned about the new FAFSA’s performance? What additional changes could be ahead?
MODERATOR:
Ann McElaney-Johnson, Ph.D., Mount Saint Mary's University (CA)
SPEAKERS:
Jeffrey R. Docking, Ph.D., President, Adrian College (MI)
Melanie Storey, Director, Policy Implementation and Oversight, Federal Student Aid Office, U.S. Department of Education

Noon - 1:30 p.m.

NAICU Board of Directors Meeting

CLOSED SESSION FOR BOARD MEMBERS

Noon - 1:30 p.m.

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Monday Luncheon & Lecture

Empowering Excellence in Independent Colleges and Universities: Trends Driving Innovation and Change

OPEN TO ALL REGISTERED ANNUAL MEETING ATTENDEES

As independent colleges set their goals and strategies, particularly in this competitive environment, institutions are focused more than ever before on the expectations and preferences of today’s students and how to effectively use resources available to market and enroll a variety of student populations. In this lunch and lecture session, we will review and discuss trends that savvy institutions are using to drive enrollment forward for traditional undergraduates to graduate and online students. Trends such as the impact of community colleges on undergraduate enrollment growth, online graduate degrees conferrals versus classroom-only conferrals, the skyrocketing number of degree subjects available to students and how this complicates marketing and enrollment strategies, and the changes to enrollment methodology and timing of the same, just to name a few.
SPEAKERS:
Todd Abbott, Senior Vice President, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) 
Naomi Brezi, Executive Vice President, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) 
Sarah Myksin, Senior Vice President, Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) 

Noon - 1:30 p.m.

NAICUSE Luncheon

CLOSED SESSION FOR STATE EXECUTIVES AND STAFF MEMBERS

1:30 - 1:45 p.m.

Coffee Break

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1:45 - 2:00 p.m.

Convening of the 2024

Annual Meeting & Advocacy Day

Opening of the 2024 meeting, including welcome messages from the NAICU Board Chair and the NAICU President.

SPEAKERS:
Constance Ledoux Book, Ph.D., President, Elon University (NC), and 2023-24 Chair, NAICU Board of Directors
Barbara K. Mistick, D.B.A., President, NAICU

2:00 - 2:45 p.m.

Plenary Session IV

The American Political Scene Today: Democracy or Chaos?

On the eve of the 2024 presidential election, coming off a bruising Congressional battle over the federal budget, and with the politicians and the public polarized, many are asking if this is democracy or chaos. A Washington-based observer of the political and societal scene will offer insight into the inner workings of Washington and how it will impact the coming election and the electorate.
MODERATOR: 
Barbara K. Mistick, D.B.A., President, NAICU 
SPEAKER:
Jonathan Capehart, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist, Associate Editor for The Washington Post, and Television Personality

Plenary Session V

A Conversation with the U.S. Secretary of Education

In just the past few months, the Department has addressed student loan debt through newly proposed repayment plans and forgiveness programs, initiated changes to regulations governing all facets of higher education, and launched the new FAFSA. Join us to learn more about the Department’s current and future regulatory goals and objectives and its other priorities for 2024. 
MODERATOR:
Barbara K. Mistick, D.B.A., President, NAICU 
SPEAKERS:
Hon. Miguel A. Cardona, Ph.D., Secretary of Education, U.S. Department of Education

3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Plenary Session VI

Outlook from the Hill

Join us for a discussion with a bipartisan panel of key Hill staff on the House and Senate education committees. Get the inside scoop on their policy views, the bills they are writing, and their current perspectives on colleges and universities.
MODERATOR:
John E. Cech, Ph.D., President, Carrol College (MT)

SPEAKERS:
Amaris Benavidez, Professional Staff Member, Committee on Education & the Workforce, U.S. House of Representatives
Sujith Cherukumilli, Policy Advisor, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions, U.S. Senate
Patrick Fox, Education Policy Advisor, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions, U.S. Senate
Chance Russell, Economist and Policy Advisor, U.S. House of Representatives

Plenary Session VII

Working with Lawmakers: Delivering Our Message

Daniel P. Egan, President, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Rhode Island (AICU)
Jonathan D. Green, D.M.A., President & CEO, Susquehanna University (PA)
Jamel Wright, Ph.D., President, Eureka College (IL)

6:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Leadership Reception

BY INVITATION ONLY

6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

NAICU/NAICUSE Reception

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  Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Registration

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Continental Breakfast

7:30 - 8:15 a.m.

Short Course Sessions 

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A Roadmap to Data-Informed Decision Making in Higher Education

Relying on data to make better decisions is the ideal scenario, but obtaining data that’s clean, current, correct, complete, and conformed properly can be a significant challenge. In this session, a member president will outline how she draws on her experience in the private sector and as a higher education faculty member and leader, to build out her institution's own data-informed culture, practices, and systems. She also will share some of the reporting she relies on to drive the campus forward along with the strategies she uses to overcome obstacles and drive positive outcomes for her institution.

SPEAKERS:
Jacquelyn S. Fetrow, Ph.D., President and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Albright College (PA)
J. Patrick McAvoy, Executive Vice President, Dynamic Campus

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Reinventing Enrollment Management: Harnessing AI for Success

Hear CollegeVine's leadership discuss the future of enrollment management, considering the significant challenges institutions currently face. They will discuss the unique difficulties caused by the impending decrease in name availability and the demographic cliff, and will propose practical solutions that your enrollment leaders can employ to overcome them. The conversation will focus on the transformative role that artificial intelligence is expected to play in the future of enrollment management and recruitment. As the higher education landscape evolves, institutions should transition away from obsolete systems and methodologies. This session will explore how to adopt AI in ways that not only optimize current processes, but also enhance the quality of interactions and relationships with students from their initial contact through to graduation.
SPEAKERS:
Nathan Ament, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission, Knox College (TN)
Zack Perkins, Co-Founder and CEO, CollegeVine
Emily Smith,Vice President for Partner Success, CollegeVine

Long-Term Compensation:  Aligning Reality, Resources, Recognition, and Retention
Institutions in private higher education are facing significant headwinds and, for some, to an existential degree. This conversation will focus on how reimagining structural components of compensation – specifically performance-based compensation and long-term retention – can position the university to better align a longer-term outlook with the realities of the current environment and make better use of resources for the university and its leadership.
SPEAKERS:
Alexander Yaffe, Managing Director, Pearl Meyer

9:30 - 10:45 a.m.

Plenary Session VIII

Voices from Rural America

The challenges of unemployment, drug abuse, alcoholism, health issues and poverty facing some rural communities, especially in Appalachia, have been well chronicled.  A renowned journalist and author, who has made the journey from a rural town through graduate school and has received international recognition for her work on the causes of the opioid crisis, will share her observations during a panel discussion on the challenges for higher education in communities like those she grew up in. Hear as she discusses her hometown and upbringing with a special focus on how Pell Grants and higher education changed her life with two NAICU member presidents who are deeply embedded in these communities.  

WELCOME:
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Member, U.S. House of Representatives, 
and Co-Chair, Congressional Independent Colleges Caucus (CICC)

MODERATOR:
Mary Dana Hinton, Ph.D., President, Hollins University (VA) and  2022-23 Vice Chair, NAICU Board of Directors
SPEAKERS:
Beth Macy, Journalist, Author and Television Producer
Burton J. Webb, Ph.D., President, University of Pikeville (KY)

11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Advocacy Day Visits to Capitol Hill

11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Hill Visit Debrief Center

Do you have key takeaways from your Capitol Hill conversations to pass onto NAICU staff? Can NAICU help with any follow-up you need to do with your Members of Congress? Or, do you just want to put up your feet in between meetings?  NAICU’s Government Relations Team is ready to listen and help. Refreshments will be available.

LOCATION: 

Top of the Hill Banquet & Conference Center
Symposium Room, Fourth Floor
Reserve Officers Association of the United States Building
First Street and Constitution Avenue, NE, Washington, DC

5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Eighth Annual Reception for the Congressional Independent Colleges Caucus (CICC)

You are cordially invited to attend a reception for the Congressional Independent Colleges Caucus (CICC).  The Caucus is focused on celebrating the contributions independent colleges and universities make to the educational, intellectual, economic, social and cultural life of our nation. Refreshments will be available.

LOCATION: 

Top of the Hill Banquet & Conference Center
Ballroom, Fifth Floor
Reserve Officers Association of the United States Building
First Street and Constitution Avenue, NE, Washington, DC

  Wednesday, February 7, 2024

7:30 - 11:00 a.m.

Registration

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ANNUAL MEETING BREAKFAST

Leading During Divisive Times:  The Value of Ethics and Faith

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

Plenary Session X

NCAA Town Hall

10:15 - 11:15 a.m,

Plenary Session XI

Hunger on Campus

Student food insecurity has been exacerbated in the pandemic era. Policy advocates are working to expand Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for college students in the current Farm Bill reauthorization. Colleges and communities are working on the ground to help fight hunger on campus. Hear how these two efforts could combine to address hunger on campus.
MODERATOR:
Tina S. Holland, Ph.D., President, Franciscan University (LA)

SPEAKER:
Mark Huelsman, Ed.D., Director of Policy and Advocacy, The Hope Center for College, Community and Justice, Temple University (PA)
Carrie Welton, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy: Anti-Poverty and Basic Needs, The Institute for College Access and Success

11:15 - 11:45 a.m.

NAICU Annual Business Meeting

Agenda includes: Approval of the proposed 2024-25 Estimated Revenues from Membership Dues and Budget.
SPEAKERS: 
Constance Ledoux Book, Ph.D., President, Elon University (NC), and 2023-24 Chair of the NAICU Board of Directors
Mary Dana Hinton Ph.D., President, Hollins University (VA), and 2023-24 Vice Chair of the NAICU Board of Directors
Marjorie Hass, Ph.D., President, The Council on Independent Colleges (CIC)
Barbara K. Mistick, D.B.A., President, NAICU

11:45 a.m.

Adjournment