ACEx2025 Sessions and Events

Join us for the inaugural ACE on the Hill event, where ACE Member presidents and chancellors from across the nation will unite to champion the future of higher education. This Hill Day offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with policymakers, share insights, and drive impactful change. Don't miss this chance to amplify your voice, uplift your institution before Congressional leaders, and influence the direction of our educational landscape.

Registering for ACEx2025 does not guarantee registration for ACE on the Hill 2025. Separate registration is required. 

Kick off ACEx2025 with an evening of networking and camaraderie at the Washington Hilton. This reception is the perfect chance to connect with college presidents, senior leaders, and industry experts. Enjoy light refreshments as you share insights, engage in conversations, explore opportunities, and build collaborative partnerships. The reception will include a fireside chat with former U.S. Senator and Ambassador Jeff Flake, who will offer unique insights into the current state of American democracy and its intersection with higher education. Drawing on his career in public service, Flake will explore the political dynamics that are shaping the nation and discuss their implications for colleges and universities.

In an era of heightened political awareness and activism, it has become increasingly difficult to navigate the complexities of organizational political engagement while providing space for individual expression. This session will explore the intricate balance of representing the voices of employees within the broader context of organizational interest. 

Hear from J.J. Johnson, senior advisor for Fidelity Investments—a retired chief communications officer and executive vice president of communications, public affairs, and policy for Fidelity Investments—on how Fidelity Investments fosters an environment in which respectful expression is encouraged while the boundaries that maintain workplace and campus safety are clearly delineated. Additionally, Jonathan R. Alger, president of American Universities, will speak about how colleges and universities are incorporating similar strategies to manage diverse student and faculty bodies that have varying political views. The session will delve into the challenges and solutions Fidelity Investments and higher education institutions have encountered in their efforts to ensure that all voices can be heard and valued without compromising core values and objectives. 

This session is sponsored by Fidelity Investments. 

Join us for a compelling opening session that will set the stage for ACEx2025. Ted Mitchell, president of ACE, will begin with keynote remarks that address the most pressing challenges in higher education today, such as mounting external pressures on campus policies and practices and declining public trust. His insights will frame the urgent need for leadership, innovation, and action in this pivotal moment.

Following Mitchell’s remarks will be the presentation of the TIAA Institute Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education and a conversation with Mildred Garcia, chancellor of the California State University system and former president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). Joining Mitchell and Garcia moderate the conversation will be Surya P. Kolluri, head of the TIAA Institute.

Experts will explore how Congress and the new Trump administration will tackle pressing questions about the cost of college and graduate education as well as the value of earning a degree. This debate, which is crucial to the public perception of colleges and universities, has become increasingly prominent in recent years and drives discussions about college affordability and student debt relief. The outcomes of these discussions could significantly influence the 2025 legislative and executive agendas for higher education.

Join a thought-provoking discussion on the future of accreditation and institutional accountability in this forward-looking session. Gain valuable insights into how accrediting bodies are adapting to ensure academic quality, equity, and innovation that will meet the needs of today’s diverse student populations. Attendees will gain insights into ways accreditation processes can balance regulatory rigor with flexibility to drive both institutional improvement and student success. 

Join Walter Parkes, renowned producer and cofounder of Dreamscape Learn, for an inspiring discussion that will explore how cinematic narratives combined with cutting-edge immersive technology can transform education. Learning can be revolutionized by creating dynamic, interactive experiences that not only engage and inspire students but also put them at the heart of unfolding emotional narratives to unlock their potential to learn. This session will empower higher education leaders with practical insights to transform teaching and learning through immersive experiences. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to gain a visionary perspective on the future of education.

With each generation, higher education wrestles anew with this question: What is college truly for? Is the primary purpose of postsecondary education to prepare students for the workforce? Or is it to achieve a loftier goal of setting up graduates for lives that are full of meaning, happiness, and intellectual curiosity? While many educators say there’s a place for both, recent research and student testimonials raise serious doubts about whether higher education—at least on a national scale—is delivering either its pragmatic or romantic objectives.

For myriad reasons, such as economic anxiety and broader skepticism about the state of the world, students are now approaching college as a transactional endeavor in which the more aspirational benefits of education, including self-discovery, may seem like luxuries. Yet many young people say they are searching for  meaning and purpose that they are struggling to derive from college. How can colleges better provide what is currently lacking? And what does the future look like if they are unable to do so?

This illuminating session on the evolving landscape of free speech within U.S. higher education features Michael S. Roth, president of Wesleyan University, and Laura Meckler, a national education writer for The Washington Post. They will explore significant shifts and challenges that affect free speech on campuses. Historical perspectives, recent developments, and unique conditions that shape today’s discourse—such as digital communications, campus diversity, and political polarization—will be considered.  

Roth will share his perspective as a veteran leader who has navigated tensions over campus speech and activism. This session is designed to equip administrators and policymakers with comprehensive understanding and strategies to effectively address free speech issues in their educational environments.  

This lunch session is sponsored by Blue Moon Consulting Group, EAB, Ellucian, Florida Atlantic University, Lumina Foundation, and TIAA.

This session is exclusively for presidents and chancellors.

In a time of unprecedented challenges and evolving complexities for higher education, the role of campus leaders has never been more critical. M. Elizabeth Magill, a professor of law and former president of the University of Pennsylvania, has navigated the demands of holding senior leadership positions at major public and private institutions. She was one of a trio of university presidents who appeared before Congress in a 2023 hearing on campus antisemitism that drew widespread media attention. In this session—held exclusively for presidents and chancellors—Magill will discuss leadership lessons learned from her years as an Ivy League president, University of Virginia provost, and Stanford Law School dean.

In this dynamic session, Tony Bennett—former Dean and Markel Families Men’s Basketball Coach at the University of Virginia and three-time National Coach of the Year—will explore the rapidly changing world of college athletics and its impact on higher education institutions. With shifts in name, image, and likeness (NIL) policies, conference realignments, and the growing influence of student-athlete advocacy, the landscape is more complex than ever. This session will provide university leaders with key insights on navigating these changes, fostering a culture of integrity, and ensuring that athletic programs remain aligned with institutional values. Attendees will gain valuable understanding to use in supporting their athletic departments while maintaining academic and community priorities during this transformative era.

During this pivotal moment in higher education, institutions are navigating evolving challenges and opportunities that make cultivating a culture of belonging more important than ever. John B. King Jr., chancellor of The State University of New York (SUNY), will reflect on SUNY’s founding mission—“to provide to the people of New York educational services of the highest quality, with the broadest possible access, fully representative of all segments of the population”—as a basis from which to explore the profound value in fostering a culture of belonging and excellence. Learn about strategies for embedding these values into campus life with purpose and for making proactive commitments to institutional excellence and innovation. Join us for a forward-looking call to action that highlights how these principles can transform the future of higher education. 

This session is sponsored by Isaacson, Miller. 

The outbreak of war in Gaza and Israel in October 2023 sent shockwaves through the world and reverberated across U.S. campuses. College and university leaders navigated vigils, demonstrations, encampments, occupations, arrests, and more. Many worried about rising antisemitism, anti-Arab hate, and tensions over free speech and campus safety. The distinguished speakers in this session will lead attendees through a candid and nuanced exploration of strategies to foster open, respectful campus dialogue about the Middle East conflict amid intensely polarized times.

The sociopolitical climate of our nation’s campuses is shaped by a range of complex and challenging factors, such as conflict in the Middle East, student protests, election tensions, an increase in hate crimes, the 24-hour news cycle, and the escalating impact of climate change. These forces all have an impact on the mental and emotional health of students, faculty, and staff. As we look to a new Trump administration, what are the key policy considerations for campus mental health? This session will bring together several experts, including a specialist who will analyze mental health data for campus populations and a mental health policy expert. Together, they will discuss how colleges and universities should be thinking about policy and campus mental health within the context of today’s sociopolitical climate. 

This session is sponsored by Civitas Learning.

In this session, Sara Custer, editor in chief of Inside Higher Ed (IHE), will unveil the findings of IHE’s 2025 Survey of College and University Presidents. Higher education leaders were asked to share their opinions on key challenges in higher education, including their concerns around waning public confidence in the value of higher education, expectations of a second Trump administration, and thoughts regarding the financial sustainability of their institutions.

A panel of higher education leaders will then lend their expert insights to discuss the findings, how the survey illuminates the state of U.S. higher education, and what to expect in the future.

This session will explore diverse issues faced by universities around the world and compare them with those encountered in the United States. A panel of distinguished international university leaders will share valuable insights into strategies, policies, and innovations that are tailored to address both common and unique challenges in higher education. Their global perspectives will not only broaden understanding of educational trends beyond U.S. borders but also enhance collaborative efforts to advance higher education worldwide.

Kevin Carr, Director

Anthony Jenkins, President 

Coppin State University

This reception is sponsored by Fidelity Investments.

While strategic planning focuses on the next three to five years, scenario planning is designed to provide space for leaders to consider the impact of the next decade or more on the future of their institutions. While we do not yet know the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) will have on how we learn, what jobs are needed, and how the policy environment will evolve, the exploration of plausible future outcomes can inform strategies that will structure operations so we can react more nimbly in a variety of scenarios. Join Andrew Blau, U.S. leader for eminence and insights and managing director of Deloitte Consulting LLP; Mark Becker, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities; and Mark R. Nemec, president of Fairfield University for an insightful and interactive session designed to help you expand your current thinking, make your institutions more adaptable, and prepare for a range of possibilities. 

This session is sponsored by Deloitte.

Washington, DC has been buzzing with policy debates and legislative activity that could have major impact on colleges and universities. With new funding priorities and shifting regulatory landscapes, understanding what is happening in the nation’s capital is more important than ever. 

Join Jon Fansmith, senior vice president of government relations and national engagement at the American Council on Education, for an in-depth briefing on the latest developments in federal higher education policy. He will break down key issues, including congressional action on student aid, potential changes to Title IX, and the administration’s higher education agenda. Following the briefing, Fansmith will engage in a moderated discussion of key questions from ACEx2025 participants. Don’t miss this opportunity to get the latest insights and answers to your pressing policy questions. 

The United States’ shifting demographics present both challenges and opportunities for higher education. In this future-focused session, top experts will explore how demographics are changing—declining birth rates, evolving racial and ethnic compositions, and shifting socioeconomic trends—as well as the critical implications of these variances. These developments will profoundly influence the recruitment strategies, enrollment patterns, and support services that are required to help students from diverse backgrounds and age groups successfully complete their degrees.

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education® has reimagined how research is represented across U.S. institutions. This session will begin by contrasting the previous and updated versions to highlight how the revisions better reflect the true scope of research activities across higher education. A panel of presidents will then share firsthand experiences of how research affects undergraduate education and serves as a vital component of their institutions’ missions. These leaders will discuss how the refined Carnegie Classifications, which include research designations as separate listings from the Institutional Classifications, will help their institutions to better communicate their research excellence and societal significance. Attendees will gain insights into how the new designations account for various research outputs, collaborative efforts, and cross-disciplinary work that is reshaping the academic landscape—a meaningful end to the impactful ACEx2025 event! 

Systematically Advancing Women in Higher Education Leadership

The session features a dynamic conversation between Belle Wheelan, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and Ted Mitchell, president of ACE. Together, they will explore effective strategies for advancing and supporting women in higher education leadership roles. The discussion will delve into innovative practices, policy considerations, and actionable steps that institutions can adopt to foster an inclusive environment in which women leaders can thrive. Attendees will gain insights into the challenges women face in ascending to leadership positions and learn how transformative change can be implemented within their own organizations to promote gender equity in higher education leadership.