ACEx2025 Schedule at a Glance

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?

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 research designation as separate listings, 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.