Program Overview

The 2026 ACCJC Partners in Excellence Conference program is designed to foster meaningful dialogue, shared learning, and actionable insight for colleges navigating an increasingly complex higher education landscape. Grounded in the theme Shared Vision, Shared Voice: Advancing Student Success Through Inclusive Governance, the program brings together national leaders, campus practitioners, and institutional stakeholders to explore how alignment, collaboration, and evidence-informed practice strengthen institutional effectiveness and student outcomes. Across plenary sessions, breakouts, forums, and poster presentations, participants will engage with timely topics shaping the future of community colleges and higher education systems.

Breakout sessions offer participants the opportunity to explore timely topics in greater depth while engaging directly with experienced practitioners, peers, and campus leaders. These dynamic sessions highlight practical strategies, campus examples, and emerging ideas participants can bring back to their institutions. Read on for an overview of this year’s sessions.

Fostering a Sense of Belonging that Transforms the Student Experience and Ensures Success
Excellence isn’t accidental. See how Moorpark College consistently delivers on equity, access, and student success, setting the standard as a four-time Aspen Prize finalist, and what’s possible when these commitments truly align.

Advancing Student Success through Innovative Industry Partnerships
Where workforce meets opportunity! Explore how two colleges are partnering with industry to align training with demand, strengthen career pathways, and elevate student success.

Beyond the Dashboard: Cultivating a Campus-Wide Data Culture
Where insight meets action, because action closes gaps. Moving beyond surface-level data takes more than dashboards, it takes culture. See how two colleges use data to drive decisions, target interventions, and close achievement gaps and leave with practical strategies to build transparency, engage thought-partners, and turn insight into measurable student success.

Dual Enrollment: Maintaining Quality, Increasing Success, and Ensuring Growth
Where early access meets long-term success. Discover how two colleges are transforming dual enrollment into a powerful pathway through intentional design, strong partnerships, and aligned student support.

How Programmatic Accreditation Opportunities Support Improvement in Student Achievement During and Beyond Completion
Standards drive quality, but how are they applied in practice? See how two ACCJC colleges are leveraging Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs accreditation to enhance curriculum, strengthen workforce connections, and improve program outcomes.

Improving Student Employability and ROI Inside and Outside of the Classroom
Join Niesha Taylor, Director of Career Readiness at the National Association of Colleges and Educators, to learn how faculty and staff can close the gap between what employers expect and what students can demonstrate. This interactive session will equip you with practical strategies to embed career‑ready competencies into any course, helping every classroom become a launchpad for student employability.

From Plans to Payoff: Turning Institutional Planning into Measurable Student Value
What happens when planning is intentional, aligned, and consistently applied? College presenters will share how integrated planning structures can drive measurable gains in student employment outcomes, return on investment, and institutional effectiveness.

From Classroom to Career: Integrating AI into Teaching and Student Preparation
AI is changing the rules, inside and beyond the classroom. See how faculty are integrating AI into instruction to build real-world skills, support responsible use, and better connect learning to career pathways.

Planning for the Long-term in the Midst of Chaos
When everything feels urgent, how do leaders make space for the future? This session goes beyond theory, offering real leadership moves for balancing pressure, purpose, and long-term impact. Explore how community college leaders are creating focus, stability, and forward momentum in the midst of constant change.

RSI: Beyond Compliance. Feedback that Grows Community Engagement and Student Success
This isn’t RSI as compliance; it’s RSI as strategy. See how Mt. San Antonio College is reshaping online learning through intentional connection, consistent outreach, and real results. Through engaged, community-wide action, Mt. SAC turned RSI into a powerful driver of student success online. Walk away with strategies that elevate engagement and actually move outcomes.

Modernizing Articulation with Responsible AI: What’s Working, What We’re Learning, What’s Next
Not your typical transfer session. This is where AI meets real institutional impact. See how AI Transfer and Articulation Infrastructure Network is cutting through inefficiency, elevating decision-making, and turning data into action.

Applied Bachelor’s Degrees: Accelerating Student Time to Completion and Increasing ROI
Not just a success story. This is a blueprint for doing it right. Explore how Yavapai College balanced innovation with responsibility to deliver for both a faster option to a living wage for students and the skills needed to support stakeholder success.