ACE2018 Sessions to Address Higher Education Advocacy, Policy, and Access
January 22, 2018

The two renowned higher education leaders so far announced as plenary speakers at ACE2018​, ACE’s 100th Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, will speak to the changing landscape of postsecondary education in the United States. Other ACE2018 plenaries and concurrent sessions will explore a variety of important higher education issues, such as advocacy and public policy, governance, innovation, equity, and student access, success, and learning.

ACE will celebrate 100 years of leadership and advocacy at ACE​2018. Register now for the meeting, scheduled for March 10-13 in Washington, DC. 

Nancy L. Zimpher, SUNY chancellor emeritus, senior fellow at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, and faculty member at the University at Albany (NY), will keynote the Robert H. Atwell Plenary—named by the ACE Board of Directors for the former ACE president who served from 1984 to 1996—on Sunday, March 11, from 5-6 pm (ET). 

Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will address the Monday Luncheon Plenary on March 12. He will focus on the evolution of higher education in the United States over the past five decades and the role of colleges and universities in building American society and tackling its challenges.

The concurrent session, “Addressing College Student Health and Well-Being: What Senior Leaders Need to Know,” will aim to broaden understanding, facilitate conversation, and foster action on college student mental health. Presenters come with various vantage points, each working to inform institutional policy and practice with a strong base of evidence. National data on students and college counseling centers will be shared, as will research on youth cognitive development, and evidence-based frameworks that campuses can use to support their communities. 

Tensions surrounding diversity, inclusion, and freedom of speech remain high on many college and university campuses. Often caught in the middle are college leaders who want to do right by the First Amendment and their communities. “Finding the Balance: Campus Inclusion and Free Expression” is a concurrent session that will provide a space for institutional leaders to unpack these tensions together and walk away with practical solutions to both crises and everyday conflicts.

To gain perspectives on women’s leadership in higher education, and with ACE’s Moving the Needle initiative as a backdrop, attend the concurrent session, “Generations of Women Leaders in the Academy.” Sponsored by Greenwood Asher & Associates, this session is designed to share insights into the lived experiences and leadership perspectives of women from various generations and at different career stages within the academy. 

Adults and the Learning Economy: How Colleges Can Redesign for Post-traditional Student Success” is a concurrent session that will explore the complex lives of adults pursuing postsecondary education. Join thought leaders as they unpack this topic’s implications for finance, learning outcomes, and how learning workplaces and communities are being connected to formal higher education. 

Among the public policy-focused sessions at the meeting will be ACE Senior Vice President Terry W. Hartle’s federal relations update, a comprehensive overview of Washington higher education policy. Celebrating 100 years of leadership and advocacy, ACE2018 will enable institutional leaders to generate fresh perspectives for practical solutions, network with top leaders across all higher education sectors, and bring data-driven insights back to campus.  

For a full listing of sessions and speakers, see the ACE2018 session directory. Register now​ for the meeting, and join the conversation on Twitter at #ACE2018DC.

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