Annual Meeting Workshops

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Annual Meeting Workshops

In addition to the nine Pre-Convention Forums, there are 60 workshops offered during the regular Annual Meeting schedule on Thursday & Friday – all designed to sharpen your leadership skills and expand your leadership capacity. Consider the wide array of issues to be addressed and topics to be covered. These are all designed as part of the Executive Training Program for each of the six chief officer positions of an institution and those who would like to prepare for these roles of service in the future.

 

Look through these as you register for the Annual Meeting and choose the most relevant workshops for your professional growth and institutional responsibilities.  Admission to workshops will be first for those who sign up through registration. Let’s grow together for the glory of God.

Thursday & Friday 1-Hour Workshops:

Cultivating a Relationally Healthy Campus Culture

Presenter: Rick Swift | VP & Dean of Students, Cain University
Location: Salon 1
Target Audience: Student Development Leaders, Academic Leaders
Overview: College life is all about relationships. They will last for a lifetime. And no one influences a healthy campus climate like the student development leader. It’s the best mix of art and science and great institutions reflect this treasure. Consider wise insights from a distinguished ABHE student development leader. Sharpen your gifts for cultivating a healthy campus where you serve.

  • Defining the elements of a healthy campus culture – knowing the benchmarks
  • Leading a campus community toward health – taking the initiative
  • Responding to challenges and crises in campus culture – prepared for healing

Setting & Achieving the Right Enrollment Goals

Presenter: Keith Mock | Enrollment Marketing Solutions, Liaison International
Location: Salon 2
Presenter: Keith Mock | Enrollment Marketing Solutions, Liaison International
Overview: Few things are more threatening to a leader and institution that significantly missing widely announced enrollment goals. An enrollment leader who can consistently set and achieve enrollment goals is worth gold. So what is the knack, the process, the art for doing this? Dig into the essence of this high value responsibility with a pro and serve your institution with excellence.

  • Using data to set realistic enrollment goals – no wishful thinking
  • Building the right strategy for goal achievement – the right plan
  • Selling your goals and executing your plans – advocacy and leadership that counts
  • Using prescriptive analytics to improve your yield

Safeguarding Your Institution Against Mission Drift

Presenter: Jim Barnes | President Emeritus, Indiana Wesleyan University; ABHE Sr. Fellow
Location: Salon 4
Target Audience: Presidents, Trustees, Academic Leaders
Overview: One of the highest callings of a president and board is to ensure the faithful fulfillment of the institution’s mission and protect against the perennial risks of mission drift. No institution is immune. Every board and president must be alert to the signs of mission drift and be faithful on their watch.

  • Sobering realities and lessons from institutional histories
  • Telltale signs of mission draft – early warnings
  • Leadership that stays the course – courage when it counts
  • Constituency & campus communications – leading the entire institutional network together

Opportunity Planning – A Biblical Paradigm

Presenter: Roger Parrott | President, Belhaven University
Location: Salon 5
Target Audience: Presidents, Trustees, Academic Leaders, Executive Leaders
Overview: Every institution is engaged in strategic planning and knows the frustration of unknown factors that play havoc with well-laid plans. Consider a better way, and biblical way, of strategic planning that positions your institution to take nimble advantage of opportunities. Learn from the journey of a premier president how this has enhanced their growth and planning process.

  • Understanding the paradigm shift of opportunity planning
  • Preparing your institution to seize opportunities – a Spirit-led vision
  • Making the shift – moving from traditional to opportunity planning

Navigating the Labyrinth of Current Legal Risks & Realities

Presenter: Greg Baylor | Partner, Alliance Defending Freedom
Location: Salon 6
Target Audience: Presidents, Trustees, Academic Leaders
Overview: Legal issues and challenges are not new to higher education. But the risks to religious freedom have never been higher. Join with a leader in the legal risk and mitigation frontlines to survey what’s happening and how you should prepare.

  • Understanding recent cases and implications – an astute survey
  • Testing the political winds – forecasting where trends are leading
  • Institutional risk assessment – knowing where you’re vulnerable

A Biblical Perspective on Race and Ethnicity

Presenter: Joe Parle | Provost, College of Biblical Studies
Location: Salon 7
Target Audience: Academic Leaders
Overview: Our culture continues to grapple with issues wrapped in race and ethnicity. Further compounding our reality is the politicization captured in Critical Race Theory conversations.

  • Learn a fresh biblical approach to understanding race and ethnicity
  • Discover how to have open and honest conversations around race and ethnicity on your campus without political baggage
  • Consider the importance of building out a biblical and theological rationale for cultural diversity on your campus

Effectively Leading a Remote Workforce

Presenter: Dale Hale | Strategic Assurance Consulting
Location: Salon 8
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Faculty
Overview: As digital learning continues to grow within higher education, an increasing number of institutions are dependent on remote faculty and staff.

  • Learn how to effectively bring together your on-the-ground and remote employees so they are on the same page
  • Discover ways to professionally develop and encourage a remote workforce
  • Understand how to provide regular feedback to remote employees moving them towards growth and excellence

Building Your Annual Fund – The Bread & Butter of Your Advancement Strategy

Presenter: Terry Munday | Retired VP of Advancement, Indiana Wesleyan University
Location: Salon 9
Target Audience: Advancement Leaders, Presidents
Overview: Every advancement department is responsible to build a strong and growing Annual Fund. This includes direct mail, special events, mailing lists, gift clubs, use of premiums, and personal solicitations. Learn from an amazing fundraiser how you can expand your base and increase your results.

  • Looking at all the parts of the Annual Fund – diversity & grow
  • Segmenting your donor base – working smart
  • Taking your Annual Fund to the next level – grow, grow, grow

The Role of the President in Institutional Marketing

Presenter: Steve Wolgemuth | CEO, YDOP
Location: Salon 10
Target Audience: Presidents
Overview: Is your institution struggling to reach enrollment goals due to a lack of right-fit student leads? Some presidents get more involved in solving this challenge, while others prefer to delegate these types of responsibilities. What role should the president play in an institution’s marketing to be most effective? Consider key insights from Steve’s award-winning book, The Crucial 12: Powerful insights for Marketing Leadership.

  • The Short List: 3 marketing-related responsibilities which an institutional leader should embrace
  • Your Pre-emptive Actions: preventing common stakeholder dysfunctions of institutional marketing
  • The Silver Thread – The common element in all successful institutional marketing efforts.

Understanding the Implications of Current & Coming Enrollment Realities

Presenter: Tim Fuller | Founder, Fuller Higher Ed Solutions, ABHE Sr. Fellow
Location: Salon 11
Target Audience: Presidents, Enrollment, Academic & Advancement Leaders
Overview: It doesn’t take news of the latest institutional closing to know these are turbulent times for higher education. It’s imperative that leaders have a grasp of current enrollment realities and a clear vision of what the future of college enrollment will likely be. Learn from an ABHE Sr. Fellow and top consultant/researcher about what the data is saying, trends are showing, and how you can effectively prepare.

  • Top insights from the latest enrollment data – what you should know
  • Broad implications from pandemic & demographic realities – facts vs fiction
  • Most significant factors likely to impact future enrollment – strategic issues
  • What Christian college enrollment leaders think, feel, and need to lead effectively
  • Questions every institution should be asking about their enrollment – a reality check

Discussion Forum on Standards 4, 5, & 6

Facilitator: Janet Starks | VP for Institutional Effectiveness, Kingswood University
Location: Salon 12
Target Audience:  Academic Leaders, Accreditation Liaisons
Overview: The ABHE Commission on Accreditation engages in a comprehensive review of its accreditation Standards every ten years, and this important project is in progress. More input = better outcomes, so please join us to provide your feedback on the current language of the Standards and Essential Elements and your best ideas for improvement.

  • Discuss the current language of Standards 4, 5, and 6
  • Propose structure and wording changes for improvement
  • Hear perspectives from institutional representatives, evaluation team members, and commissioners facilitated by the Criterion Committee chair

The Self-Study Process

Presenter: Elaine Phillips | Provost, Family of Faith Christian University
Location: Salon 13
Target Audience: Academic Leaders
Overview: It is time for your institution to begin a self-study process! What are the essentials of conducting a self-study? What are some strategies for writing an effective self-study report and submitting it to the Commission? How can you ensure that the self-study serves the needs of the evaluation team? Review a workable approach to as well as effective strategies to complete and submit your required self-study documents.

  • Organizing the self-study process
  • Identifying and addressing challenges that can arise during a self-study
  • Presenting self-study materials for optimal evaluation team understanding
  • Understanding requirements for submitting self-study documents to the Commission on Accreditation

Communicating Outcomes to the Public

Presenters: Michael Jackson | COA Associate Director and Lisa Beatty | COA Executive Director
Location: Salon 14
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Presidents, Accreditation Liaisons
Overview: ABHE’s Accreditation Standards and the Policy on Outcomes require institutions to make outcomes data easily available to the public. What does this mean? How do you satisfy these requirements? What tips/tricks and best practices can be used to not only meet accreditation needs, but also foster an institutional culture of transparency regarding outcomes? Learn definitions and strategies, including the initiatives that ABHE is taking to address these standards.

  • Defining outcomes for public consumption
  • Ensuring transparency and compliance with ABHE Standards
  • Tips and tricks for good communication via institutional websites

Top 5 Employment Legal Issues Bible Colleges are Facing & How to Handle Them

Presenter: Scott Fera | Corporate Attorney, Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company
Location: Salon 17
Target Audience: CFO’s, Presidents
Overview: Be prepared as you face increasingly complex employment issues and the legal risks that come with them. Whether you employ 2 or 200, you need a solid foundation of employment practices to protect your school and the people who work there. Get a crash course in potential HR liability with Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company’s employment attorney.

  • Trending employment liability issues facing Bible colleges
  • Importance of clearly communicating employee expectations
  • How to protect yourself – financially, legally, and reputationally

How to Enhance Your Employees’ Financial Package without Increasing the Budget

Presenter: Jim O’Bold | President, Servant Solutions
Location: Salon 18
Target Audience: CFO’s, Presidents, HR Directors
Overview: The best institutions not only care for their employees now, but they also help employees plan and prepare well for their future. Sound financial planning from certified financial planners is an incredible gift available now for your team members. Every institution is eligible to offer this gift, no matter the size or number of employees. Survey available retirement and financial planning options for you and your employees. Think forward together with experts in financial planning.

  • Financial planning as part of employee benefit package – now, until and after retirement
  • Options for retirement income – crafting a doable and sound strategy
  • Steps to incorporating & increasing benefits to all faculty/staff members’ package now

Insights & Implications of the Title IX Update

Presenter: Scott Cawood | Sr. VP, Student Affairs & Administration, Cairn University
Location: Salon 1
Target Audience: Title IX Coordinators, Student Development Leaders
Overview: With new regulations being issued, what are the changes you should know and how will these impact your leadership of Title IX administration on your campus? Stay in the loop with insights from a distinguished leader well-trained in Title IX compliance.

  • Unpacking the proposed new regulations – what’s likely to change and what’s not
  • Implications for campus policies and procedures – doing your homework
  • Learning from the market – what is being reported and anticipated

Creating a High-Performance Enrollment Team 

Presenter: Kevin Bish, VP of Enrollment and Student Services, Asbury Theological Seminary
Location: Salon 2
Target Audience: Enrollment Leaders
Overview: Effective enrollment is a team sport and there’s no substitute for getting the right leaders in the right seats. What is the science and art of figuring this out? Hear from an enrollment leader of lessons learned and what it means to create a culture of innovation and adaptive change while managing expectations of increasing enrollment results.

  • Knowing the right mix of team responsibilities and employee gifts – the team schematic
  • Key Performance Indicators – getting the right match between gifts and roles
  • Leading through employee transitions – with grace
  • Motivating employees for maximum results – the power of affirmation

Monitoring Institutional Health – KPI’s Every Board Should Consider

Presenter: John Derry | President Emeritus, Hope International University
Location: Salon 4
Target Audience: Trustees, Presidents
Overview: Almost always, poor decisions by boards are caused by the lack of having the right information to make the right decisions. Wise boards develop a strategic system of Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) to give them the information they need to oversee the health of the institution in a timely manner. So, what are the essential KPI’s every board should consider and how are these provided in an understandable way? Walk through such a plan with a veteran president and distinguished leader.

  • The role and benefits of KPI’s – strategic information
  • Building the right list & system of KPI’s – relevant and timely
  • Tying KPI’s to policies and mission fulfillment – integration

Navigating Your Team Through Change – Without Losing Them

Presenter: Travis Hall | VP of Marketing, Remodel Health
Location: Salon 5
Target Audience: Presidents, Academic Leaders
Overview: Change is more than a possibility – it’s the new normal. And change is hard, especially on a team under duress like most of higher education. Consider creative ways to lead your organization through change while communicating value to your colleagues.

  • Understanding the dynamics of change – navigating well
  • Preparing for the stress of change – with care
  • Charting a successful journey through change – for everyone

Tales from Our Transition

Presenters: President Emeritus Peter W. Teague & President Tommy Kiedis, Lancaster Bible College 
Location: Salon 6
Target Audience: Presidents & Trustees
Overview: Hear the story firsthand as these leaders share about the Lancaster Bible College presidential transition. Consider five lessons they have learned through their passing of the baton and insights that are instructive for others to consider. 

  • Presidential transition principles 
  • Risks inherent in leadership transitions 
  • What boards should know and do for smooth transitions 
  • Moving institutions from strength to strength 

Retention Strategies that Work

Presenter: Daniel Ruarte | Vice President for Academic Affairs, Life Pacific University
Location: Salon 7
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Faculty, Student Development Leaders
Overview: Retaining students is just as important as recruiting students. But retaining students is more complex since it is often decentralized and passive.

  • Discover how to leverage your role as CAO to centralize retention efforts
  • Learn several retention strategies that you can implement on your campus
  • Understand how to engage the entire campus in proactively retaining students

Leading Faculty to Fulfill their Life’s Calling

Presenter: Kevin Hester | Dean of the School of Theology, Welch College
Location: Salon 8
Target Audience: Faculty
Overview: A significant aspect to leading fellow faculty members is helping them fulfill God’s call on their lives.

  • Discover the importance of building meaningful relationships with those you lead
  • Understand how to gauge individual capacity to maximize gifts, talents, and abilities
  • Learn how to say good-bye: retirements and realignments

Strategic Planning & Fundraising – an Essential Marriage

Presenters: Brad Layland | CEO & Scott Rodin | Chief Strategy Officer, ABHE Sr. Fellow, The Focus Group
Location: Salon 9
Target Audience: Advancement Leaders, Presidents
Overview: Fundraising without a well-crafted strategic plan is pre-mature and ill-conceived. It’s like building without a foundation. This is an essential marriage and provides great synergy for success. Unpack what this means and how you can empower your fundraising with your strategic plan. Learn from two distinguished leaders how they have helped many organizations move to the next level in their fundraising.

  • Integrating your strategic plan and fundraising – a profound relationship
  • The contribution of strategic planning to fundraising – a powerful lift
  • Making it work – proactive steps for successful execution

Essentials for an Effective Capital Campaign

Presenter: Pat McLaughlin | CEO, The Timothy Group
Location: Salon 10
Target Audience: Advancement Leaders, President
Overview: Every growing institution will execute capital campaigns. What makes the difference between failure and success? Consider proven principles with a distinguished leader who has helped hundreds of ministries raise millions of dollars. Survey samples of all four campaign phases: pre-campaign study, leadership phase, public phase, and campaign maintenance. Set your campaign on the right path and execute with amazing success.

  • The blueprint for every effective capital campaign – it’s no secret sauce
  • Proven principles of campaign execution – it’s not the talk but the walk
  • Risks and typical mistakes to avoid – smart leadership

Leading a Multi-Generational Admissions Team

Presenter: Heather Shalley | Moody Bible Institute
Location: Salon 11
Target Audience: Enrollment Leaders
Overview: Many offices have multiple generations serving in them. However, each upcoming generation has its own unique talents, gifts, and challenges. We all know Gen Z is starting in the workplace and Alpha Gen will not be far behind. Learn how to lead in a multi-generational workforce.

  • Identify key traits of generations in the workforce
  • Differentiate ways to lead each generation
  • Develop a plan to lead your office.

Discussion Forum on Standards 7 & 8

Facilitator: Jena Dunn | Provost, Stark College and Seminary
Location: Salon 12
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Accreditation Liaisons
Overview: The ABHE Commission on Accreditation engages in a comprehensive review of its accreditation Standards every ten years, and this important project is in progress. More input = better outcomes, so please join us to provide your feedback on the current language of the Standards and Essential Elements and your best ideas for improvement.

  • Discuss the current language of Standards 7 and 8
  • Propose structure and wording changes for improvement
  • Hear perspectives from institutional representatives, evaluation team members, and commissioners facilitated by an experienced Commissioner

Comprehensive Review

Presenter: Shane Wood | COA Senior Associate Director, ABHE
Location: Salon 13
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Institutional Research Leaders, Accreditation Liaisons
Overview: Submitting your self-study is the only the first step in the comprehensive review process. So, after submission of the documents, but what happens next? This workshop prepares institutions for the rest of the process, from hosting the evaluation team visit to developing an institutional response to the team report. Topics include:

  • Planning for and playing host during the Evaluation Team Visit
  • Learning how to respond to evaluation team recommendations
  • Reviewing the accreditation process timeline
  • Keeping your momentum for continuous improvement

Reporting Assessment Data: Who Needs to Know What We Learned?

Presenter: Sheri Popp | Director of Professional Development, WEAVE Education
Location: Salon 14
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Institutional Research Leaders, Accreditation Liaisons
Overview: Sharing assessment results internally motivates change and provides a context for celebrating successes. Sharing your findings externally engenders public confidence and meets federal guidelines for transparency of institutional outcomes. So, what do you share, and how do you summarize your findings for public and regulatory audiences?

  • Summarizing assessment findings in written reports and data visualizations
  • Communicating assessment results to the campus community
  • Finding ways to make assessment results meaningful to outside audiences
  • Meeting regulatory requirements to make institutional outcomes public

Understanding the World of US Regulations & Compliance 

Presenter: Dave Moja | CEO — Moja & Company; ABHE Senior Fellow
Location: Salon 17
Target Audience: CFO’s COO’s, Presidents
Overview: While the proliferation of edicts and regulations from various sources seem to have no end, not all of them have the same risks. Some are essential for you to know and document compliance. Renew your grasp of the current regulation landscape, discuss some tips/traps, and review your compliance status. Be aware and prepared . . . with expert help from an ABHE Sr. Fellow and regulations professional.

  • Review of recent regulation changes – risks and opportunities 
  • Insights on compliance expectations – ignorance is not bliss
  • Consideration of safeguards and initiatives – being proactive

ABHE Bible Knowledge Exam – From Administration to Analytics

Presenters: Noah Tyler | Classic Learning Test/ABHE Bible Knowledge Exam & Donna Knottek | Highlands College
Location: Salon 18
Target Audience: Assessment Leaders, Academic Leaders, Test Administrators
Overview: For three years, ABHE has provided the completely revised Bible Knowledge Exam to all ABHE institutions as a member benefit. Thousands of tests have been administered across the Association. Review what the results are showing and dig into the analytics. Consider how this can strengthen your assessment of Bible learning by your students and compare with international norms.

  • Understanding the purpose and structure of the exam – test architecture
  • Test administration and cohort norms – tracking achievement
  • Demonstrating learning outcomes with analytics – assessment proof

Mission Possible: Athletics Serving Your Institutional Core Values

Presenter: Dan Wood | Executive Director, National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA)
Location: Salon 1
Target Audience: Student Development Leaders, Athletic Directors

  • Can your intercollegiate athletics program be integral to your mission?
  • Hear real, current examples of where and how intercollegiate athletics are enhancing and serving the institutional mission
  • Receive practical, cost-effective methods to integrate spiritual life and academic staff into athletics

What is the Metaverse and Why Should My College Care?

Presenter: Bart Caylor | CEO, Caylor Solutions, ABHE Sr. Fellow
Location: Salon 2
Target Audience: Enrollment, Marketing & Academic Leaders
Overview: Remember the mid-nineties? All the talk was about the new “information superhighway.” Why would a college or university care about such things? Our mailings work just fine, thank you. Well, deja-vu. The talk today is about the Metaverse, also being referenced as “Web 3.0.” In this fast-paced session, learn the basics about the Metaverse and experience a few campus tours and content through virtual reality.

  • A basic definition & description of Metaverse – increase your vocabulary
  • Thinking through the implications – expand your horizon
  • Seizing the opportunities – learn from the pacesetters

Keys to Successful Senior Leadership Transitions

Presenter: David Gyertson | former president, Regent, Taylor & Asbury Universities
Location: Salon 4
Target Audience: Presidents, Executive Leaders
Overview: Leadership transitions at every executive level are fraught with risks. Stories abound of institutional crises precipitated by leaders who started poorly or made unwise early decisions. What are principles that should be heeded, and lessons learned from those who have handed off the baton of leadership with grace and smooth continuity? Hear insights from a distinguished former president.

  • Understanding inherent risks in leadership transitions – no surprises
  • Charting a prudent course for getting started – a successful launch
  • Knowing the difference between rash and prudent decisions – foreseeing consequences

Creative Strategies for Challenging Times – From Closure to Collaboration & Merger

Presenters: John Derry | President Emeritus, Hope International University, Mike Tapper | Chrm. Department of Religion, Southern Wesleyan University
Location: Salon 5
Target Audience: Presidents, Trustees, Academic Leaders
Overview: Significant tumult in higher education is giving birth to crises with a growing list of institutional closings, mergers, and innovation in collaboration and partnerships. Smart leaders will stay abreast of these new realities and prepare their institution for appropriate action. There are irrefutable facts emerging from this dynamic and important issues for consideration. Join the conversation with two distinguished leaders who have led and researched these phenomena.

  • Review of the higher education reality – facing the facts
  • Dysfunction in leadership – with irreparable consequences
  • Thinking forward with prudence – lessons to be considered

Setting the Spiritual Temperature on Campus

Presenter: Bill Blocker | President, College of Biblical Studies
Location: Salon 6
Target Audience: Presidents
Overview: Biblical higher education is a spiritual movement. It is the chief task of the president to foster an environment that promotes biblical spirituality.

  • Learn why biblical spirituality on the campus is your chief task
  • Discover strategies to foster an environment that is conducive to spiritual vitality
  • Understand how to address problems that threaten spirituality

Speaking Soul Language – A Biblical Approach to Leadership

Presenter: Robb Brewer | VP-Chief Academic Officer, The King’s University
Location: Salon 7
Target Audience: Academic Leaders
Overview: Effective leadership can be achieved through an understanding of how you and those you lead perceive God.

  • Learn about three lenses of how we view God (grace, growth, and justice) and their impact on leadership
  • Understand the importance of knowing your lens
  • Discover how to lead others who have a different lens than you

Teaching Faculty to Teach Well

Presenter: Quentin Schultze | Professor Emeritus, Calvin University
Location: Salon 8
Target Audience: Faculty, Academic Leaders
Overview: The primary calling of a faculty member is to teach. How can we inspire and teach our full- and part-time faculty to serve students for academic success, retention, and minimal stress?

  • Understand the biblical foundation for effective teaching
  • Learn how to effectively evaluate the teaching
  • Discover proven strategies on how to come alongside colleagues to encourage them towards instructional excellence in the classroom and online

From Scarcity to Abundance – Exploring the Biblical Foundations of Stewardship 

Presenter: John Savage | CEO, The Savage Group
Location: Salon 9
Target Audience: Advancement Leaders, Presidents, Trustees
Overview: All too often sacrificial Christian leaders have been conditioned to think and to serve from a scarcity mindset, and this profoundly limits their outlook on their relationship with donors and the fruit of their fundraising efforts. In contrast, a biblical perspective will completely change this perspective and open an expansive vista when embracing God’s provision through God’s people. Move into this realm of faith and expectancy with insights from a passionate professional leader in stewardship and leadership ministry.

  • Applying foundational biblical principles to the field of fundraising – a profound paradigm shift
  • Conducting a personal re-wiring of motivations & perspectives – becoming a stewardship minister and advisor (more than a resource raiser)
  • Rethinking your relationship with donors – a shift in focus, values, and outcomes

Getting the Most Out of Google – Without Spending a Dime

Presenter: Brandon Schmidt | COO, YDOP
Location: Salon 10
Target Audience: Marketing Leaders
Overview: While paid campaigns garner attention & budgets of college marketing teams, Google is still the primary way the public researches your school online. When done right, your school’s Google presence can generate more traffic and serve accurate, up to date information – without paying for ads.

  • Learn how SEO helps avoid dependency on paid channels for student leads.
  • Uncover long-term SEO strategies & tactics only available to colleges. 
  • Discover the key places on Google to monitor your school’s profile. 
  • Identify sources of truth – besides your website – Google relies on for information. 

Scanning the Horizon – What’s the Future of HE Enrollment?

Presenter: Eric Currie | VP for Enrollment Success, Campus
Location: Salon 11
Target Audience: Enrollment Leaders, Presidents, Marketing Leaders
Overview: Beyond the disruptions of the pandemic, what are the emerging trends in enrollment for Christian higher education? What’s changing . . . and what’s not. It’s imperative that we don’t lose sight of essentials while we adapt to new realities. Think forward with a veteran and distinguished leader in enrollment. Sharpen your vision for the future.

  • Spotting important trends early – foresight and innovation
  • Keeping your eyes on the basics – unchanging essentials
  • Naming the known unknowns – embracing uncertainty

Discussion Forum on Standards 9, 10, & 11

Facilitator: Greg Linton | Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, Johnson University
Location: Salon 12
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Accreditation Liaisons
Overview: The ABHE Commission on Accreditation engages in a comprehensive review of its accreditation Standards every ten years, and this important project is in progress. More input = better outcomes, so please join us to provide your feedback on the current language of the Standards and Essential Elements and your best ideas for improvement.

  • Discuss the current language of Standards 9, 10, and 11
  • Propose structure and wording changes for improvement
  • Hear perspectives from institutional representatives, evaluation team members, and commissioners facilitated by a member of the Standards Review Steering Committee

What’s New in the World of Accreditation Standards & Policies?

Presenter: Michael D. Jackson | COA Associate Director
Location: Salon 13
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Presidents, Accreditation Liaisons
Overview: For academic leaders relating to the world of accreditation, staying informed about changes in Standards and Policies provides vital insight for institutional accreditation issues. Enjoy this conversation including a Q & A with Commission staff leadership to gain up-to-date information and fresh perspective on important changes. Topics include:

  • A review of changes to accreditation standards
  • An explanation of new or revised accreditation policies
  • A look ahead at likely changes in the near future

Managing Assessment Culture

Presenter: John Mark Yeats | Vice President of Student Services, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Location: Salon 14
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Institutional Research Leaders, Accreditation Liaisons
Overview: Leaders often struggle to manage culture because it is rooted in behaviors, mindsets, and attitudes. Managing assessment culture brings added challenges as faculty and staff may view assessment efforts as extra work unrelated to their core jobs, or worse, as tasks pursued only to meet accreditation requirements. How can institutional leaders communicate the value of effective assessment processes, and how can those responsible for assessment efforts engage faculty and staff in ways that make assessment meaningful?

  • The role of institutional leaders in creating and maintaining assessment culture
  • Strategies that support an institution-wide culture of assessment
  • Creating faculty/staff ownership of assessment efforts

Adding Significance & Value to Your Major Donors

Presenter: Clark Vandeventer | Major Gifts Fundraiser
Location: Salon 17
Target Audience: Advancement Leaders, Presidents
Overview: One of the greatest privileges and challenges for presidents and advancement leaders is to cultivate meaningful relationships with their major donors. This includes adding value to their lives and significance to their relationship with the institution. What are creative ideas and sound principles you might consider, shared by a distinguished leader in major donor fundraising.

  • Thinking through major donor relationships – what major donors expect and need
  • Enriching relationships – creative and meaningful ideas
  • Graces & virtues that count – gratitude, listening, caring

Staying Abreast of Post-Pandemic HR Realities

Presenter: Mark Griffin | CEO, In His Name HR
Location: Salon 18
Target Audience: CFO’s, HR Directors, Academic Leaders, Presidents
Overview: Institutions face new risks due to government regulations that changed during the pandemic. Funds were accepted without fully knowing the strings that were attached. Think through these and other HR issues with an expert leader in the field and protect your institution from unexpected liabilities.

  • What changed in HR regulations during the pandemic – current compliance
  • Surprising examples of unforeseen liabilities – what you may have to pay
  • Looking ahead – what the trends are showing

Creating Community with an Effective Campus Mobile App

Presenter: Jamie Giblet | Sales Manager, Digistorm
Location: Salon 1
Target Audience: Student Development Leaders, Academic Leaders
Overview: Every thriving campus community has an effective means of communication. This builds relationships and nourishes campus culture. And there’s no tool to compare with a campus mobile app to support this important dynamic. Hear from a leader in the field how institutions are being empowered by their mobile app and enhance your own campus culture.

  • How a campus can & should use a mobile app – mobile app strategy
  • Implementation principles – getting started well
  • Enhancements and refinements – options to consider

Managing Financial Aid for Net Tuition Revenue – Not Just Discount Rate

Presenter: Keith Mock | Enrollment Marketing Solutions, Liaison International
Location: Salon 2
Target Audience: Enrollment Leaders, CFO’s, Presidents
Overview: While the hot topic in financial aid is often the discount rate, the more important figure is net tuition revenue. Why is this so important? And how to you track this for maximum impact of your financial aid and enrollment strategy? Learn the science of how this works and the art of effective management with the help of an professional consultant and distinguished enrollment leader.

  • Defining the terms – knowing what they really mean for the institution & enrollment
  • Growing net tuition revenue – the smart enrollment strategy
  • Changing policies or procedures to maximize your resources – making the case
  • Using prescriptive analytics to empower your financial aid

Finding the Right Leaders – Effective Principles for Board & Executive Recruitment

Presenter: Jim Barnes | President Emeritus, Indiana Wesleyan University; ABHE Sr. Fellowship
Location: Salon 4
Target Audience: Presidents, Trustees, Executive Leaders
Overview: God has chosen to use leaders across history and the right leaders in the right place can make all the difference. Tap the wisdom of a distinguished veteran of dozens of executive searches and craft an effective strategy for finding the right board members, president, and other executive leaders for your institution.

  • Search options – pros and cons for professional assistance
  • How to get started – not who you know but what gifts & graces are needed
  • Defining the process – practical steps and timelines for decisions & communications
  • Risks & rewards – lessons learned from others

Theory of Profound Knowledge – A Theoretical Framework for Leader Development

Presenter: David Church | Presidential Advisor, Nazarene Bible College
Location: Salon 5
Target Audience: Presidents, Academic Leaders
Overview: Consider thoughtful insights on leader formation based on Edwards Deming, the father of quality systems. Whether for your own leadership development or for the programs you offer, strengthen your grasp of the formation of leaders and how this can be modeled with excellence.

  • Leader Formation – key concepts
  • Contributions from Deming – historic landmarks
  • Personal & programs audit – modeling leadership excellence

Leading Through Organizational Disfunction

Presenter: Robb Brewer, CAO – The King’s University
Location: Salon 6
Target Audience: Presidents, Academic Leaders
Overview: On the best of days presidential leadership is challenging. When an organization is broken and shows signs of disfunction the leadership skill set of the president shifts.

  • Learn organizational signs of brokenness and disfunction
  • Discover the leadership skills necessary to pull an organization out of the spiral of disfunction
  • Understand how to build safeguards into your presidential leadership to prevent the organization from returning to disfunction

A Comprehensive Approach to Spiritual Formation of Students 

Presenter: Dan Howell | Chief Academic Officer, Northpoint Bible College
Location: Salon 7
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Spiritual Life Leaders, Student Development Leaders
Overview: Too often we treat spiritual formation as a separate element of the student experience.

  • Learn how to view the entire student experience as spiritual formation
  • Discover practical steps you can take to unify elements of the student experience around spiritual formation
  • Interact with a philosophy of education that is based on the spirituality of teaching

Understanding the Importance of Retention and Student Success

Presenter: Julie Bryant | Vice President for Student Success; RNL
Location: Salon 8
Target Audience: Faculty, Academic Leaders
Overview: So much attention is given to student success and retention in higher education today. Join Julie Bryant from RNL as she unpacks its value that goes well beyond the bottom line.

  • Understand why retention and student success have become such critical issues
  • Review the retention and student success data for ABHE institutions
  • Discover strategies that you can use to build a retention plan on your campus

Tapping the Potential of Planned Giving – Starting Now!

Presenter: Clay Perkins | Executive Vice President, Financial Planning Ministry
Location: Salon 9
Target Audience: Advancement Leaders, Presidents
Overview: It’s frankly breath-taking. We are during the largest wealth transfer in history. And too many institutions are simply missing the boat while these opportunities float away. Take a fresh look at how you can engagement and take the initiative before it’s too late. Learn simple steps on how to get started from a veteran expert that could make all the difference for you institution.

  • Understanding the world of estate plans & planned giving – the opportunity
  • Thinking through a practical strategy to get started – the initiative
  • Learning the art of planned giving conversations – how it happens

Effective Presidential Engagement in Fundraising

Presenter: Pat McLaughlin | CEO, The Timothy Group
Location: Salon 10
Target Audience: Presidents, Advancement Leaders
Overview: Institutions will never reach their fundraising potential without strong presidential engagement. Regardless of giftedness or inclination, this is simply an indisputable part of every president’s responsibility. So how do wise presidents make this a priority and see amazing results. Learn from a highly successful fundraising consultant will provide scripts for setting up donor visits and making the ask . . . plus,

  • Why presidents must engage in fundraising – a frank assessment
  • Moving past excuses and executing a proven plan – taking the initiative
  • Making an effective ask and getting results – the heart of donor engagement

Learning from the Best – Enrollment Lessons from Leading Christian Institutions

Presenter: Phil Cook | President, NACCAP
Location: Salon 11
Target Audience: Enrollment Leaders, Presidents
Overview: Tumult in higher education is prompting enrollment leaders with innovation and creativity to more effectively reach their prospective students. Hear what’s happening across Christian higher education and consider creative ideas that could work for you.

  • Creative marketing ideas that are producing results – outside the old boxes
  • Simple steps to increase conversion rates – what’s new and what’s not changed
  • Tapping technology for enrollment enhancement – what leaders are doing

Discussion Forum on Standards 1, 2, & 3

Facilitator: Kevin Hester | VP for Institutional Effectiveness; Dean, School of Theology, Welch College
Location: Salon 12
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Accreditation Liaisons
Overview: The ABHE Commission on Accreditation engages in a comprehensive review of its accreditation Standards every ten years, and this important project is in progress. More input = better outcomes, so please join us to provide your feedback on the current language of the Standards and Essential Elements and your best ideas for improvement.

  • Discuss the current language of Standards 1, 2, and 3
  • Propose structure and wording changes for improvement
  • Hear perspectives from institutional representatives, evaluation team members, and commissioners facilitated by the Commission chair

Engaging with a Proposed Policy on Diversity

Presenter: Lisa Beatty | COA Executive Director
Location: Salon 13
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Presidents, Accreditation Liaisons
Overview: In response to CHEA standards adopted in 2021, the ABHE Commission on Accreditation has worked with a taskforce made up of a broad range of ABHE-member institutions to propose a new ABHE Policy on Diversity rooted in our theological commitments as articulated in the ABHE Tenets of Faith. Join us for a conversation that explores the proposed policy and the rationale for its development.

  • Unpacking CHEA Standard 3.A
  • Defining diversity and related terms in the context of biblical higher education
  • Exploring past and present commitments and future actions that manifest ABHE’s commitment to diversity

Achieving ABHE Assessment Standards

Presenter: Aaron Profitt | Vice President for Academic Affairs, God’s Bible School & College
Location: Salon 14
Target Audience: Academic Leaders, Institutional Research Leaders, Accreditation Liaisons
Overview: ABHE Standards and Policies speak directly to issues of institutional effectiveness and student learning assessment. In this session, an experienced ABHE evaluation team chair will review the relevant Standards/Essential Elements and policies and share strategies for demonstrating compliance.

  • Using Standard 2: Assessment and Planning as a framework for institutional assessment processes
  • Addressing assessment requirements embedded in other Standards
  • Ensuring compliance with the Policy on Outcomes
  • Providing evidence for effective assessment plans and processes

Demystifying Crypto Currency & other Fundraising Best Practices

Presenter: Jake Lapp | Vice President of Member Accountability, ECFA
Location: Salon 17
Target Audience: Advancement Leaders, Presidents
Overview: Do you offer your donors the option of crypto currency gifts? Unpack the essentials of crypto currency and how you can work with donors to accept this type of gift while easing the administrative burden. Consider other fundraising best practices for higher education and increase your gift income.

  • Understanding how to accept crypto currencies
  • What best practices you should consider in working with donors
  • Current update on the state of giving for higher education

Tapping the Potential of an Executive Sabbatical

Presenter: Dan Campbell | Partner, Capin Crouse
Location: Salon 18
Target Audience: Presidents, Institutional Executives, Academic Leaders
Overview: Most presidents and other institutional executives know the reality of running on empty, being exhausted and emotionally drained. It’s dangerous! Too few tap the restoration potential of an executive sabbatical when their well is dry. Consider life-infusing lessons from the recent sabbatical journey of a higher ed leader and consider how this could recharge your own spirit.

  • What makes an executive sabbatical different – plan and purpose
  • Preparing for your absence – it can be done
  • Commitment to health & renewal – personal responsibility