AGENDA
Wednesday, November 5
Noon-1 p.m.
Lunch
1-1:15 p.m.
Annual Meeting Welcome
Kristen Soares , President, Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU)
G. Gabrielle Starr, Chair, AICCU Executive Committee & President, Pomona College
1:20-2:05 p.m.
Adopting New Strategies to Face New Opportunities
Strada Education Foundation is focused on improving both education and employment systems, so learners realize the economic value of their education and employers have the talent and skills they need to meet the demands of the labor market. Chief strategy officer, Michele Chang, joins participants via Zoom to discuss the work of Strada and how AICCU member institutions can partner with the foundation to support college-to-career pipeline for their students, particularly in light of the new Workforce Pell program. ​
Featured Speaker:
Michele Chang, Chief Strategy Officer, Strada Education Foundation
2:10-3:10 p.m.
Beyond Traditional: Innovative Student Pathways to Independent Higher Ed
Session sponsored by GovDeals
In the face of changing demographics and shifting societal trends, colleges and universities are looking at innovative strategies to meet their enrollment needs and focus on workforce training, while meeting the needs of today’s learners. This session highlights education leaders that have developed student pathways that breakdown roadblocks and create more access to four-year institutions. They will share opportunities for partnerships with nonprofit colleges and universities and implementable ideas that can be adopted.
3:10-3:30 p.m.
Coffee Break with Sponsors
3:30-4:30 p.m.
State and Federal Government Relations Update
Session sponsored by Dynamic Campus
Featured Speakers:
Alex Graves, Vice President for Government Relations, AICCU
Thomas Vu, Vice President for Policy, AICCU
4:35-5:30 p.m.
The Community Solution: The Power of Radical Cooperation in Higher Education
​In today’s turbulent political climate and rapidly evolving higher education landscape, independent colleges and universities face mounting financial pressures and uncertainty—all while striving to fulfill their missions and serve their students and communities. Campus leaders are exploring bold strategies, from mergers and acquisitions to expanding programs for nontraditional learners. But is there a different path forward? This panel explores the transformative potential of collaboration in higher education. Learn how innovative partnerships across institutions can strengthen resilience, expand opportunity, and help campuses navigate the storms ahead.
Featured Speakers:
Michael Horowitz, The Community Solution Education System
Breeda McGrath, Pacific Oaks College
5:30-5:45 p.m.
Table Discussions
6-7:30 p.m.
AICCU 70th Anniversary Reception
Thursday, November 6
7:30-8:30 a.m.
Breakfast
8:30-9:30 a.m.
AICCU Annual Business Meeting
Please see the agenda for the 2025 Annual Business Meeting.
G. Gabrielle Starr
Chair, AICCU Executive Committee
President, Pomona College
Kristen Soares 
President, AICCU
9:35-10:30 a.m.
Federal Update: Key Changes and Implications for Higher Education
​
2025 saw tremendous, unprecedented shocks to higher education—political attacks against individual institutions, the use of recessions of federal funds as a political weapon, and dramatic changes to federal aid programs that will limit graduate education and advance workforce education, to name only a few. The political pressure also created fissures among and within higher education groups. This moderated discussion with two esteemed leaders in higher education will delve into this quagmire and share how colleges and universities can move forward in 2026.
​
Featured Speakers:
Ted Mitchell, President, American Council on Education (ACE)
Tom Stritikus, President of Occidental College and incoming chair of the ACE Board of Directors
10:30-10:50 a.m
Coffee Break with Sponsors
10:50-11:45 a.m.
State Policy and Budget Outlook: Key Bills, Budget Challenges, and What’s Next
This year, California faced a deep structural deficit and will continue to do so for at least another couple of years. Veteran policy and budget staff members, who hold positions of tremendous influence over legislation and the budget, share insight into the state political landscape in 2025, the major issues facing the Legislature, and the challenges to expect in 2026.
Featured Speakers:
Lyndsay Mitchell, Senior Consultant, Assembly Republican Caucus Office of Policy & Budget
Jason Sisney, Budget Advisor, Office of the Speaker of the Assembly
Kimberly Rodriguez, Deputy Chief of Staff and Policy Director, Office of Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire
Noon-1 p.m.
Research to Reform: Trends in Public Policy and the Future of California
Session sponsored by Pathify
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to independent, nonpartisan research and polling on key statewide issues. Through its Higher Education Center, PPIC provides accessible, data-driven insights to inform policy decisions affecting California’s colleges and universities. At this session, PPIC President and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye will join AICCU President Kristen Soares for a moderated fireside chat to explore the institute’s current work, emerging trends in California’s political landscape, and the critical intersections between public policy and higher education.
Featured Speakers:
Tani Cantil-Sakauye, President, PPIC
Kristen Soares, President, AICCU
1:05-2 p.m.
Turning the Tide: Charting a New Course for Higher Education and Public Perception
​
Higher education is at a pivotal moment, facing threats from policymakers and doubts from the public at large. This year alone, colleges and universities have seen political attacks that resulted in recission of federal funding, grilling of campus leaders before Congressional committees, resignations of presidents under pressure, an expansion of the endowment tax, and dramatic cuts to aid programs that support college access and workforce education.
This panel of esteemed national political thinkers will discuss how the higher education community can begin to turn the tide against the negative rhetoric and political pressure, and to once again place colleges and universities in a positive partnership with lawmakers and the best path toward economic and social mobility for Americans.
​​
Featured Speakers:
Heidi Tseu, Assistant Vice President for National Engagement, ACE
Tim Powers, Vice President for Government Relations and Policy Development, NAICU
Rachel Fishman, Director of Higher Education, New America
2 p.m.
Close of Annual Meeting​