At SHEEO’s Higher Education in Prison Convening on May 12, 2026, Alex Monday will join Charles McGrew, Haley Shoaf, and Belinda Wheeler for a conversation on how states can build and use data systems that illuminate the full educational and workforce pathways of justice-impacted students. Presenters will share concrete approaches for linking correctional, postsecondary, and labor market data, as well as methods for tracking access, progress, completion, and outcomes over time. Attendees will be invited to reflect on their own…
Past Events
Catharine Bond Hill, John B. King, Jr. and David Brooks at the ATI Presidential Summit
Defining AI Literacy Cohort Information Session
As students and instructors experiment with AI tools, colleges and universities are being called upon to provide support while also navigating complex questions around academic integrity, ethics, and accessibility. Against this backdrop, developing effective and comprehensive AI literacy initiatives remains a pressing priority across higher education. This July, we’re launching Defining AI Literacy, a collaborative cohort that will work with approximately 15 colleges and universities to define AI literacy using established…
Strengthening and Aligning Governing Boards
On May 5 at 3:30pm-5:00pm ET, Ithaka S+R’s Martin Kurzweil and Catharine Hill will participate in a virtual workshop hosted by AASCU and designed for leaders of regional public universities. Other speakers include Brian O. Hemphill, Doug Lederman, and Charles L. Welch. Learn more. …
Higher Education Finance
A Shifting Landscape
On May 1, 2026, Catharine Bond Hill joined a panel discussion at Barnard College focused on higher education finance.
Partnerships That Matter
Accelerating Rural Student Success
At AASCU’s “Transforming Local Communities: A Symposium for Rural Presidents and Chancellors” event, Ioana Hulbert will join a cross-sector panel representing AASCU’s Rural Student Success Network, alongside panelists Peter Nwosu, Brian Noland, Stephanie Sowl, and Lisa Hunter. The panel will explore how partnerships, institutional leadership, strategic investment, and evidence-based insights transform outcomes for rural students. Learn more about the event, on April 21, 2026, at 8:30-9:30am ET.
Supporting Faculty in Integrating AI Into Their Teaching
At the AAC&U Conference on Learning and Student Success, Ithaka S+R’s Michael Fried, Nathan Kelber, and Zhuo Chen will facilitate a roundtable discussion on supporting faculty in integrating AI into their teaching. The conference is scheduled to take place on April 15-18, 2026.
Transfer Explorer: Credit Transparency Through Technology
At the New England Transfer Annual Conference, Ithaka S+R’s Chris Buonocore will join Steve Marcelynas, Karla Smith, Tara Kelly, and Kevin Caban to discuss credit transparency through technology. In this session, participants will learn how six Connecticut institutions are partnering with Ithaka S+R to develop a technology solution that helps prospective transfer students answer key questions: What options do I have? How will my prior learning count? How long will it take, and what will it cost? Transfer Explorer…
AI Adoption in Research Administration at Emerging Research Institutions
Research administration is becoming more complex each year. In the past decade, federal agencies have introduced more than 200 new or revised policies affecting research administration, while philanthropy and private funding add additional compliance expectations. For Emerging Research Institutions (ERIs), these pressures are especially difficult to manage with limited staffing and infrastructure. In a webinar organized by Atom Grants, Ruby MacDougall and Dylan Ruediger will share findings from two workshops supported by the National Science Foundation’s GRANTED program and…
Unlocking Access
ADA, Accessibility, and Assistive Technologies in Carceral Classrooms and Libraries
At the Alliance for Higher Education in Prison’s NCHEP Conference, Ithaka S+R’s Ess Pokornowski will join a panel to discuss accessibility and assistive technologies in carceral classrooms and libraries. Drawing from firsthand experience and research, panelists will share how accessible education and library services can transform prison environments, support rehabilitation, and foster lifelong learning. Attendees will leave with real-world examples, actionable strategies, and collaborative pathways that are grounded in recent studies, publications, and research to help make aspirational changes…
AI Adoption in Higher Ed
Teaching, Learning, and Research
At a virtual event for Kean University on April 10, 2026, Claire Baytas will share an overview of what Ithaka S+R has been learning across the past three years about generative AI adoption in postsecondary teaching, learning, and research. The presentation will draw from Ithaka S+R’s research studies, such as our Making AI Generative for Higher Education and AI Literacy cohort projects, as well as our regular interactions with stakeholders across higher education and ongoing landscape analysis. The presentation will…
The Challenges Facing Higher Education
Economics and Finances
Colleges and universities are facing challenging finances at the moment, both as a result of longer run trends as well as the current administration’s policies. In a lecture on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, explanations and possible responses will both be explored. Ithaka S+R’s Catharine Bond Hill will discuss the impact of the overall economy on colleges and universities. This will include the impact of rising income inequality over the last forty years on colleges and universities, as well as…
Designing Sustainable Re-Enrollment Models for Student Success
As states and institutions work to re-engage adult learners with some college and no credential, the long-term impact of these efforts depends on how they are designed and sustained. In an AZ Comeback webinar, Liz Looker and Joanna Dressel will explore state strategies to re-enroll adult learners. Drawing on Ithaka S+R’s experience working with states and systems across the country, they will highlight structural design choices related to governance, capacity building, and cross-institutional coordination. Participants will leave with concrete…
Blueprint to Breakthrough
Operationalizing AI Across the Research Enterprise
As interest in AI adoption expands in research administration, many institutions struggle to move from experimentation and ideas to operational solutions. Successfully deploying AI in this context requires more than a subscription or a prototype. It depends on understanding how AI functions, how it interacts with institutional data, and how that capability aligns with research administration workflows. This session at the NCURA 4th AI Symposium focuses on the practical realities of deploying AI in research administration, walking through key…
The Potential of Targeted Funding to Meet Labor Market Demands
At the 2026 Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) Annual Conference, Ithaka S+R’s Elizabeth Pisacreta will present a study that examines how states use outcomes-based funding and targeted financial aid to shape postsecondary pathways and respond to workforce needs amid increasing federal constraints. Using national data on higher education finance, state aid programs, and labor markets, the analysis documents substantial variation in state strategies and shows that few states are targeting substantial resources towards high demand, high-wage industries,…
Examining Employers’ Perceptions of Online Credentials
A Discrete Choice Experiment
At the 2026 Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) Annual Conference, Ithaka S+R’s Bethany Lewis will give a poster presentation focused on an Ithaka S+R study examining whether and to what extent online learners are earning credentials that are valued by the labor market. This study explores the implications of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA), which streamline the authorization process for institutions offering online education across state lines. To answer these questions, Ithaka…
Transfer Credit
The Glue Connecting Learning Across Sectors
Students now earn college credit from many sources—high school dual enrollment, military, work experience, and attendance at multiple colleges—on their path to earn a college degree. While this multi-source learning can provide a major boost to learners, higher education institutions often struggle to efficiently and equitably award credit earned outside of their institution. At SXSW EDU 2026, Emily Tichenor and Abby Chien (Washington Student Achievement Council) will lead a meet-up session that will discuss your transfer initiatives and share…
AI in Higher Ed:
Who’s Being Heard, Who’s Not?
As AI becomes increasingly central to higher education, whose voices are shaping the conversation? This interactive meet-up at SXSW EDU 2026 invites educators, students, academic leaders, and more to share authentic experiences and challenges around AI adoption and workforce readiness. Led by Ithaka S+R’s Claire Baytas and UBaltimore’s Julia Goffredi, we’ll explore how to ensure student and faculty perspectives are included in decision-making, identify gaps in current conversations, and brainstorm practical strategies for building more inclusive, responsive AI initiatives…
Multi-Campus Model for First-Gen College Student Success
First-generation college students make up more than half of US undergraduates but too often encounter institutional systems not built for their success. The 16-institution Kessler Scholars Collaborative is reshaping first-gen support through a cohort-based model that fosters belonging, growth, and academic success. At SXSW EDU 2026, this panel will share how the Collaborative’s multi-campus partnership model drives institutional change and continuous improvement through robust evaluation while also fostering student engagement across campus boundaries to expand students’ sense of possibility…
Faculty and the Transfer Process
The Critical Role of Faculty in Boosting Credit Acceptance and Learner Mobility
Join us for the next session of the Transfer Explorer Learning Network, focusing on the critical role faculty play in advancing learner mobility, as well as common perceptions of their role. We will also touch on how faculty are engaging with credit mobility tools (including but not limited to Transfer Explorer) and how they can be key stakeholders in adopting and promoting these tools on their campuses. Lexa Logue, professor emerita at the City University…
Why Adults Don’t Enroll
Barriers to Reconnect Scholarships from Students’ View
At the DREAM Annual Convening, Ithaka S+R’s Sage Love and Joanna Dressel will lead a session on a research project that aims to uncover the challenges that prevent adult learners, particularly individuals from underserved and historically marginalized groups, from enrolling in one state Reconnect program, ranging from motivational challenges and administrative barriers to basic needs insecurity. The session will take place on Tuesday, March 3 at 11:45am-12:15pm PST.