Events

Join us for a conversation on the future of the liberal arts in today’s uncertain and challenging times, on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at 11:00 am – 12:30 pm ET. Hear from leaders in higher education as they discuss the value of a liberal arts education and strategies for strengthening it across the higher education sector. Register today Catharine Bond Hill, managing director of Ithaka S+R and former president of Vassar College, will…

Integrating AI into undergraduate education requires contributions from across the university. In a roundtable discussion at the Educause Annual Conference 2025, Ithaka S+R’s Dylan Ruediger will join Benjamin Brand, Jan Lewis, and Kimberly Acquaviva to share how they are using AI and the unique contributions they can make to university goals related to AI. They will also discuss opportunities for collaboration across the university to support teaching and learning with and about AI. The session is scheduled for October…

The research enterprise is increasingly reliant on open source software (OSS), propelled by the momentum of the open science movement and evolving funder mandates. However, many researchers lack the tools and frameworks to ensure long-term OSS sustainability. This August, the Apereo Foundation and Ithaka S+R, with support from the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative sustainability framework workshop, worked to help close this gap. The workshop brought OSS leaders from across higher education,…

Today, 37.6 million Americans under 65 have attended some college but hold no credential to show for it, due to financial, administrative, or practical obstacles. Against this backdrop, it’s crucial that higher education institutions redouble efforts to re-engage stopped out learners.  Since 2022, we’ve worked across six states to streamline the path for adults on their way to a credential of value. In Pennsylvania, we’ve collaborated with the PA Department of…

Student mobility is increasingly complex, with most graduates earning credits across multiple institutions and learning experiences. At the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) Conference, a session will introduce Ithaka S+R’s holistic credit mobility framework, highlight Eastern Washington University’s work to modernize pathways for adult learners, and share practical tools to help institutions better support seamless credit transfer. Participants include Ithaka S+R’s Elise Miller McNeely and Kyle Gray, alongside Sue Magyar, Jacqueline Coomes, and Christi Harter. The session…

This roundtable session at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) Conference will explore the unique challenges adult learners face in higher education, including financial barriers, basic needs insecurity, and complex institutional systems. Drawing on research and case studies from Ithaka S+R’s adult learner engagement work in several states and the 2024 National College Fluency Survey, Ithaka S+R’s Liz Looker and Melissa Blankstein will discuss actionable strategies to reduce administrative barriers and improve cross-departmental communication, as well as ways…

“Academic Momentum and Credit Mobility: Examining the Role of CUNY Transfer Explorer” evaluates CUNY’s Transfer Explorer (T-Rex) as a systems-level policy tool to enhance academic momentum and credit mobility. Findings show that CUNY T-Rex use increases the number of courses applied toward degree requirements, suggesting that transparent transfer information can strengthen student pathways, reduce barriers, and advance equity in degree attainment. In a session at the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)’s Council on Public Policy Higher Education…

At the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) and Council on Public Policy Higher Education (CPPHE) Pre-Conference on November 12 at 9am-10:30am, Ithaka S+R’s Alex Monday will join David Wutchiett (CUNY) and Alexandra Logue (CUNY) to discuss how colleges and policymakers can serve student-parents, transfers, and scholars of color. The session will share findings from a study that evaluates CUNY’s Transfer Explorer (T-Rex) as a systems-level policy tool to enhance academic momentum and credit mobility. Findings show T-Rex use…

Far too often students returning to higher education or moving between higher education institutions encounter significant barriers in transferring course credits and receiving recognition for prior learning. Part of this struggle is the siloed and opaque nature of information about how prior learning will be accepted and applied toward a credential upon transfer to a new institution. This session at the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) Conference will share insights on Transfer Explorer and CUNY Transfer Explorer, with…

This moderated panel discussion will use a framework for holistic credit mobility to guide a conversation with speakers from Nevada and Missouri, both of which are part of a new credit mobility community of practice, launched by Ithaka S+R and Complete College America. The community of practice is focused on accelerating promising policy, responsive practices, and technology approaches to help today’s mobile students navigate the complex postsecondary landscape to gain credentials that will help them be successful in the workforce.

Launched by nonprofit ITHAKA in early 2025, Transfer Explorer is a national credit mobility website with a goal of making information about transfer open, accurate, and easily accessible. Transfer Explorer contains catalog, course equivalency, credit for prior learning, and program requirement data from a growing network of schools in Washington, South Carolina, Connecticut, and New York. Unique among similar services, the site shows how credits earned elsewhere transfer and apply toward degree programs at the multiple destination colleges and…

In a session at the Conference on the First-Year Experience in Seattle, Washington, Ithaka S+R’s Carmen Araoz will join Christine Harrington and Michael Sparrow of Morgan State University to explore how design thinking can transform the first-year seminar, orientation, advising, and other FYE programs. During this interactive workshop participants will learn about using a first-year seminar assessment tool and engage in a user-centric design thinking approach to transform the first-year experience. The session is scheduled to take place on…