AGENDA

Annual Meeting Welcome

Kristen Soares  

President, Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities 

 

Ann McElaney-Johnson 

Chair, AICCU Executive Committee & President, Mount Saint Mary’s University Los Angeles 

The College Futures Foundation and a Vision for Higher Education

Eloy Ortiz Oakley

President, College Futures Foundation 

 

Introduction by: 

Martha Escutia 

Member, AICCU Executive Committee 
Vice President for State Government Relations, University of Southern California 

Managing Crisis and Free Speech: Lessons from Student Protests 

This year saw protests on campuses that happened on a scale that has not been witnessed since the 1960s. This esteemed panel of experts in free speech and crisis communications will examine how colleges and universities have responded to the protests stemming from the war in Gaza and how campuses can balance free speech with student safety. Followed by 10-minute table discussions.

Michelle N. Deutchman, Executive Director UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement 

Maggy Ralbolvsky, President, RW Jones Agency

Nathan S. Evans, ​Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs & Chief Academic Officer, The California State University​

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​Moderated by Maureen O' Connor, President, Palo Alto University. 

Coffee Break with Sponsors

  

State Advocacy in Action:

Key Bills, Budget Challenges, and Looking Toward the Future

Session sponsored by Concept 3D

 

Every year, the State Legislature introduces and debates roughly 3,000 legislative proposals. This year, the state faced a massive budget deficit. This session will cover key bills of interest and their outcomes and impacts of the budget cuts. We will be joined by a panel of lobbyists that work with higher education institutions to discuss this tumultuous year and look toward the 2025-26 legislative session.
 
Alex Graves, Vice President for Government Relations, AICCU

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Panel: 

Nick Romo, Senior Lobbyist, Cruz Strategies

Michelle Rubalcava, Partner, Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni, LLP  

Mike Villines, Principal Owner, Villines Group, LLC  

Working with Community Based-Organizations in a Post-Race Conscious Admissions Landscape

Session Sponsored by Pathify

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The 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision to end the use of race-conscious admissions by both private and public colleges and universities created uncertainty for students and campus leaders. This panel will discuss how community-based organizations focused on higher education attainment are working with students to navigate this new landscape as well as the challenges presented by the failed rollout of the new FAFSA. Followed by 10-minute table discussions.

 

Meredith Curry Nuñez, Executive Director, Northern California College Promise Coalition 

Marcos Montes, Policy Director and Let’s Go Program Manager, SoCal CAN

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Moderated by Eva Blanco Masias, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Santa Clara University.

AICCU Reception and Awards Recognition – Alder Ballroom

Reception sponsored by the AICCU Multiple Employer Plan  

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Join AICCU, colleagues, and special guests from the Capitol Community at this special reception. Senator Josh Newman, chair of the Senate Education Committee, will be recognized as the recipient of our 2024 Excellence in Legislative Leadership award (formerly known as the Policymaker of the Year award) and Jamienne Studley, president of the WASC Senior College and University Commission, as the recipient of our 2024 Lasting Legacy Award.