Dear Colleagues,
Events and connections have been top of mind for me lately. Not only did we just wrap up a very successful General Counsel Institute, in just two months we will be in Columbus, OH for the 2024 Annual Conference. Registration is now open, and the early bird rate is in effect until April 30.
If you join us Columbus, you will be a part of NACUA’s biggest conference yet. For the first time ever, we will be offering 100 sessions for attendees to choose from. The full schedule will be announced in a few weeks, but I can share a preview of several sessions. To start, the inimitable Dean Erwin Chemerinsky will be returning as our opening plenary speaker where he will give us an update on the Supreme Court’s current term, predictions for the following term, and what it all means for colleges and universities and the work of higher education attorneys.
Our mid-conference featured session will be a Washington Update that will discuss the 2024 elections, the current political landscape, public sentiment, and recent and anticipated regulatory developments likely to affect higher education. At this time in which opinions about the value of higher education are increasingly arrayed along partisan lines, this session will provide invaluable insights into what the nation, and therefore our campuses, may face in the months ahead.
The closing plenary will be on AI, higher education, and the law, with subject matter experts expounding on the opportunities and challenges posed by AI as well as how college and university lawyers will be called upon to play a crucial role in defining the path forward. This is a must-attend session to ensure your effectiveness as an attorney, strategic advisor, and advocate for your institution.
In addition to these incredible sessions, we are planning a variety of networking events and city activities that will let you explore all that vibrant Columbus has to offer.
For colleagues seeking financial support to attend, please consider applying for one, or both, of our scholarships. The Kathleen Santora Scholarship for Lawyers New to Higher Education may be awarded to up to two eligible attorneys new to higher education, with a preference given to those with demonstrated resource constraints. The scholarship covers complimentary registration to the in-person, pre-conference Lawyers New to Higher Education Workshop, two nights’ hotel accommodation at one of the Annual Conference hotels, and support for travel costs.
The Grier Scholarship provides the cost of annual conference registration to up to two individuals with a preference given to those with demonstrated resource constraints or those from underrepresented institutions such as Minority-Serving Institutions, community colleges, religious institutions, and small colleges.
To apply, please send an email to scholarship@nacua.org with 1) the name of the scholarship(s) you are applying for and 2) an explanation of how you meet the scholarship criteria. The application window closes on April 30, 2024 and scholarship awardees will be contacted by NACUA no later than Friday, May 15, 2024.
If you have already registered for the annual conference, first, I salute your advanced preparations skills, and second, ask that you use the hashtag #NACUA2024 on social media posts to find and connect with fellow attendees in advance of the event.