Pre-Convention Workshops

This list of pre-convention workshops will change as additional workshops are finalized and added to the agenda.
 

April 12 

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Lead the Way: Strategic Communications That Drive Impact
What’s included: Lunch, snacks, and materials
Hosted by 25th Hour Communications
Member: $400 / Non-Member: $800

Ready to amplify your leadership and impact through strategic communications? This pre-conference workshop will explore how college leaders can use research-driven strategies to align messaging, tone, and impact across all initiatives—not just enrollment. From completion goals and workforce development to community engagement, discover how integrated communications can turn big ideas into measurable results.

We’ll start with a practical, no-fluff lecture on using data and research to craft powerful communications. Then, hear directly from a panel of community college presidents and VPs nationwide who have successfully used these strategies to tackle challenges and drive change. Wrap it up with a hands-on work session, where you’ll roll up your sleeves to design a 2025-2026 communications plan tailored to your institution’s goals. Walk away ready to inspire, influence, and lead with clarity and purpose.


11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Finding Your Groove During Challenging Times: Shaping the Future of Higher Education
What’s included: Lunch, snacks, and materials
Hosted by the National Asian Pacific Islander Council (NAPIC), National Community College Hispanic Council (NCCHC) & National Council on Black African Affairs (NCBAA)
Member: $300 / Non-Member: $700

This pre-conference explores how courageous leadership can spark lasting change and drive innovative solutions in higher education. Through real-world examples and crucial conversations, participants will gain insights to strategies for fostering resilience, maintaining authenticity, and navigating institutional barriers. The sessions will focus on leading with integrity to cultivate sustainable growth and resilience while addressing student needs and societal expectations.

April 12 - 13

9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
New CEO Academy
What’s included: Breakfast, lunch, reception, snacks, and materials
Price: $600 for members; $1200 for non-members

(You must be a new first-time CEO to participate in this workshop.)

This two-day professional development opportunity for CEOs in their first two years will cover the most pressing trends and issues impacting our sector. Participate with your peers and hear from equity, enrollment management, and college operations experts. Case studies and other hands-on activities will be included in this session. (Breakfast and lunch included, as well as a closing reception.)

April 13

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Designing the Future: Strategies to Transform Your Community College
What’s included: Breakfast, materials
Hosted by: Education Design Lab
Member: $300 / Non-Member: $700

Join us for a hands-on workshop to help community college leaders tackle the most pressing challenges in higher education. Using human-centered design and change management strategies, you’ll identify key institutional challenges, assess readiness for change, and co-create actionable solutions. Participants will leave with practical ideas, prototypes tailored to foster student success, and access to a supportive community of practice to continue sharing progress and refining strategies over time. This is your chance to spark meaningful change and drive transformation at your institution!

Rational Aim

• Identify the most relevant challenges that higher education institutions face in their current realities that they would like assistance with.
• Assess institutional readiness for change.
• Equip community college leaders with practical strategies to address challenges using change management, human-centered design, and collaborative facilitation methods.
• Leave with solid ideas to implement at your institutions.

11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Concrete Strategies for Leading in Our Political Context  
What’s included: Lunch, snacks and materials
Hosted by: Education for All
Price: $450 for members; $900 for non-members

Legislatures, courtrooms, and media scrutinize institutional autonomy and academic freedom nationwide. Leaders need concrete tactics and strategies to navigate legislation and politics interfering with their institutional missions. This session provides concrete tactics tailored to ensure overreach does not occur and to reduce the chilling effect on institutional culture while aligning internal and external stakeholders toward the college’s mission. Participants will leave with an action plan for their institutions to navigate their context.

1:00 PM – 4:30 PM
Powering Economic Mobility: Community Colleges as Regional Ecosystem Leaders
Hosted by Harvard University's Future of Work Initiative
Member: $200 / Non-Member: $600

In this pre-conference session, community college leaders will discuss strategies for driving economic growth and mobility for learners and workers in their regions. The session will begin with a panel of experts discussing the research and practice of building regional partnerships between colleges, employers, and intermediaries. This will be followed by two discussion-based workshops addressing student barriers to economic mobility and spearheading regional economic development initiatives. Throughout the session, leaders will engage with the research, share challenges and successful approaches with their peers, and identify actions they can take to drive change in their institutions.

Session Goals:
•    Discuss research and best practices for driving economic mobility and regional growth
•    Share challenges, approaches, and lessons learned among peers
•    Inspire and identify actions to drive transformation at the participants’ institution
•    Build connections among leaders devoted to the economic mission of their college