The Annual Meeting portion of the ACE Experience 2026 (ACEx2026) includes main stage plenary sessions that will cover an array of topics, from the state of higher education to what rising authoritarianism means for the sector.ACEx2026, a multi-faceted, high-impact convening for college and university leaders is set for Feb. 25-28 in Washington, DC. Anchored by the ACE Annual Meeting, Feb. 26-27, ACEx2026 will empower campus leaders to foster innovation and resilience and champion higher education’s vital role in building our nation’s future.
ACE President Ted Mitchell will kick off the Annual Meeting with a candid look at the forces pressing on our institutions and how higher education leaders can focus on advancing solutions and demonstrating that Higher Education Builds America. Following that address Arne Duncan, former U.S. secretary of education, and David Pressman, former U.S. ambassador to Hungary, will engage in a frank conversation about the rising tide of authoritarianism and its implications for higher education and democratic society.
Among the other plenaries will be an exploration—featuring Anant Agarwal, chief academic officer at 2U and founder of edX, Bryan Alexander, a senior scholar at Georgetown University, and Van Ton-Quinlivan, founder and CEO of Futuro Health and former executive vice chancellor of California Community Colleges— of how general education and credentials are being redesigned to emphasize real-world competencies and career readiness.
A session looking at how higher education can reignite the promise of economic mobility in America will be framed by insights from the updated Carnegie Classifications, and feature Mushtaq Gunja, ACE senior vice president and executive director of the classification systems, and Anthony Abraham Jack, inaugural faculty director of the Newbury Center at Boston University, as well as a panel of students.
In addition to the ACE Annual Meeting, ACE member presidents and chancellors can participate in ACE on the Hill on Feb. 25, a high-level policy engagement event that will connect campus leaders directly with lawmakers, as well as special presidents-only Annual Meeting sessions. The ACE Women’s Network Leadership Conference and Women’s Leadership Dinner will take place Feb. 27-28, as will the ACE Council of Fellows Gathering.
Click here for more information about other plenaries and the range of speakers and other sessions and events at ACEx2026 and to register.
