WELCOME • 1:00 P.M. – 1:15 P.M.
Welcome & Opening Remarks — José Padilla, Vice President and General Counsel, DePaul University, Chair, NACUA Board of Directors
2016-2017 State of the Association Address — Kathleen Curry Santora, President and Chief Executive Officer, NACUA
Overview of the Annual Conference Program — Nancy Tribbensee, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Arizona Board of Regents; Chair-Elect, NACUA Board of Directors; and Chair, 2016-2017 Committee on Program for the Annual Conference
OPENING PLENARY • 1:15 P.M. – 2:30 P.M. sponsored by Pepper Hamilton LLP
The First Amendment in Higher Education: Protecting Free Expression and Preserving Inclusivity
In the aftermath of recent elections, institutions of higher education continue to confront unrest and increasingly polarized campuses at the same time they aspire to preserve both free and open expression and inclusivity. At the heart of these challenges lay complicated questions about the First Amendment and the commitment to protecting free speech. To help campus attorneys tackle these questions, we have assembled a range of viewpoints and perspectives on the First Amendment and free expression. This provocative session will examine the challenges of protecting free speech on campus while promoting a safe and inclusive environment for all.
FEATURED SESSION • 4:45 P.M. – 5:45 P.M.
A View from the New Administration
Thomas Wheeler, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, and Candice Jackson, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education, will address the Departments’ key priorities as they relate to higher education, as well as the anticipated approach to a variety of issues, including the ADA (e.g., website accessibility and threat-to-self), Title IX (specifically sexual misconduct), and regulations and subregulatory guidance. Mr. Wheeler’s and Ms. Jackson’s session will provide an opportunity to learn more about the Administration’s approach and positions on issues of importance to attendees and the larger higher education community.