Designed for educational advancement professionals with fewer than two years of professional advancement experience, this workshop will explore the fundamentals of advancement and lay the groundwork for a successful career in this exciting profession. You will hone networking skills, participate in small breakout sessions with veterans in the field of Development, Marketing and Communications, Alumni Relations, and Advancement Services. You will hear helpful tips for navigating the District Conference and grow your personal network of education advancement professionals.

This pre-conference workshop designed for Senior Leaders in the Advancement industry will feature a high-profile panel discussion on three critical topics shaping the future of higher education. The agenda will include an in-depth look at federal legislation affecting the sector, the evolving landscape of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), and strategies for managing institutions during times of turmoil. Following the panel, breakout sessions will provide practical applications and tactical solutions, allowing attendees to dive deeper into these issues and explore actionable strategies for navigating the challenges facing higher education leaders today.

In this interactive keynote, Justin shows how disagreement can unite rather than divide, strengthening teams and decision-making. By equipping leaders and employees with tools to navigate tough conversations with curiosity, empathy, and respect, he transforms conflict into connection. When organizations embrace productive disagreement, innovation flourishes, collaboration deepens, and workplace culture thrives. You will learn how to: cultivate respectful disagreements with strategies to maintain respect and civility during heated discussions; understand the Four Responses to Conversation Conflict as well as identify and understand how to move to respectful disagreement from disrespectful disagreement and disrespectful agreement; and discover the 5 Pillars of Bridging Divides, where you'll learn key principles and practical tips to navigate ideological differences and promote understanding and cooperation, even in challenging conversations.

Join us for an insightful session on the transformative journey of The University of Texas at Tyler’s website. This session will delve into the collaborative efforts, strategic planning, and innovative design that culminated in the successful launch of a unified, modern website.

The project team, over 18 months, moved more than 20,000 pages of content and files into the new template system, consolidating our administrative sites in one content management system (CMS). The creation of the new suite of templates was done with significant research and stakeholder feedback. With this launch, content from several sites, including WordPress sites, were combined into a single, cohesive, branded, accessible and robust new .edu.

Discover how internal teams and external partners came together to create a digital presence that reflects the university’s mission and vision and learn about the challenges and triumphs encountered along the way.

In today’s rapidly evolving advancement landscape, AI is transforming how university advancement teams manage donor engagement and drive fundraising success. Join us for a dynamic session where we explore the "How, What, and Why" of leveraging AI to supercharge your mid-level and major gifts outreach.

Discover practical strategies for adopting AI tools to streamline activity tracking, personalize donor communication, and enhance team efficiency. Hear from Joan Shofner, Associate Vice President of Campaign & Development, University of Central Arkansas and Sylvia Vandever, Account Manager at Gravyty as they shares real-world examples of how AI is reshaping donor relationships and accelerating organizational impact at UCA. Walk away with actionable insights on integrating AI into your advancement strategy for sustainable growth and success.

A hands-on experience for turning potential confrontations into conversations that matter through golden respect and the 5 Pillars of Bridging the Divide.

The annual giving pipeline is critical to our organizations and robust engagement, that is personal yet done at scale, is essential for successful retention efforts in this space. Join us to learn how you can apply strategy to your donor and alumni engagement efforts that will positively affect giving retention rates as well as steward some of our more “at risk” donor populations. This is more important than ever as our industry sees declines in overall giving, decreased alumni involvement, and limited staff and budgeting resources. We will explore strategies for retention in key populations, segmentation and messaging best practices, and shifting the organizational culture to a donor-centered retention mindset.

The good news is that you’ve been hired to lead fundraising initiatives at your school. The bad news is that there’s a good chance, especially if you’re at a community college, that your president, leadership team, faculty, and professional staff assume all the development work falls solely on your shoulders. This isn’t fair—and it’s also detrimental to your financial success. How do we persuade everyone at our institutions that they play a crucial role in advancement? Let’s explore strategies for getting even the most reluctant colleagues to embrace advancement at your institution.

Relational equity is essential to effective strategic communication… simply stated, people don’t care what you know until they know that you care (about them).

Most strategic plans, especially those intended to disrupt the flow of things and introduce organizational change, start with ideas and concepts but they should really be starting with the people first. When you start with people before processes, you have the opportunity to create meaningful connections for lasting impact!

In today’s dynamic educational landscape, fostering robust alumni relationships is crucial for academic institutions. This session presents a comprehensive service model designed to elevate school-based alumni activities, with a focus on collaborative strategies involving academic partners and deans.

Participants will explore: The Service Model: A detailed look at our service model, which incorporates streamlined processes, tailored communications, and dedicated support mechanisms to boost alumni engagement at the school level;Implementation Strategy: Insights into effectively rolling out the model across various schools and units, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and addressing the unique needs of each unit; Communication Techniques: Strategies for effective dialogue with deans, faculty, and alumni, aimed at fostering a cohesive approach to alumni relations that leverages institutional strengths; and Data-Driven Decisions: An overview of how alumni survey data has been used to inform and refine our service model. Participants will see how analyzing feedback helps shape decisions and processes, ensuring that the model is responsive and impactful.

This session will equip alumni relations professionals with actionable tools and strategies to enhance engagement efforts, strengthen academic partnerships, and drive meaningful interactions within their school-based alumni networks.