Encouraging first-generation student participation in meaningful leadership opportunities is a core feature of the Kessler Scholars Program, supporting more than 1,200 first-generation and low-income students nationwide. At the NASPA Conference on Student Success in Higher Education, Jennifer May-Trifiletti, Kristen Glasener, and Chrystle Greene will share how they use assessment data to strengthen leadership experiences for peer mentors and student advisory board members, highlighting adaptable strategies other institutions can apply to assess and improve opportunities for student leadership.
Past Events
Catharine Bond Hill, John B. King, Jr. and David Brooks at the ATI Presidential Summit
Leadership Unlocked
Using Assessment Data to Enhance Leadership Development Opportunities for FGLI Students
Holistic Transfer and Credit Mobility in Action
At the University System of Georgia’s Adult Learner and Military Connected Convening on June 10, 2026, Ithaka S+R’s Pooja Patel will give a presentation framing the national landscape surrounding holistic credit mobility and providing context for the work that Ithaka S+R has supported across states and systems.
Improving Transfer Outcomes
Tools & Strategies that Support Student Success
Transfer pathways are a common journey for many students, but too often, students lose credits, time, money, and momentum along the way. The good news? There are emerging tools and advising practices that can help change that. Join this webinar on June 10 at 2:00-3:00pm ET to explore how practitioners can better support transfer students through stronger advising and smarter use of tools. Presenters from Ithaka S+R will introduce their Holistic Credit Mobility Framework, which helps institutions and partners…
Much Ado About Authorship
Research Integrity & AI Systems
What counts as authorship when AI assists—or drafts—content? An upcoming NISO webinar will dig into disclosure practices, tools and workflows for detecting machine-generated text and images, handling hallucinations and manipulated content, and editorial policies that safeguard trust while keeping reviews efficient. The webinar will feature panelists Mark McBride and Kari Weaver. Learn more about the session, scheduled for June 10, 2026, at 11:00am.
Collaborative Strategies to Support Adult Learner Re-enrollment and Affordability
More than 36 million adults in the United States have some college experience but no credential. Many adult learners who consider returning encounter persistent affordability challenges that slow or prevent re-enrollment and completion.In a plenary session at the MHEC College Affordability Summit: FAFSA & Beyond, Elizabeth Looker, Joanna Dressel, and Toni-Anne Richards will explore the complex financial and structural barriers that shape adult learners’ educational journeys. Grounded in national and regional data, we will examine trends in adult…
Postsecondary Value Convening
In 2024, Arnold Ventures, the Gates Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, and Strada Education Foundation partnered to fund a set of applied research projects aimed at closing the gap between what we know about student success and what policymakers can actually do about it. Through a competitive RFP process they commissioned thirteen projects focused on three interlocking topic areas: institutional improvement and support; accountability in diverse institutional contexts; and governance and structural dynamics. This full-day, in-person convening brings together the researchers…
From Insights to Action
Introducing the Practical Guide for Sustaining Open Source Software in the Research Enterprise
Ithaka S+R is participating in a virtual convening hosted by the Apereo Foundation to share our Practical Guide with the participants of the SOSSRE workshop, which was held in August 2025. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the Sloan Foundation, and by a gift from Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, this presentation will summarize both the previously published SOSSRE report and the newly published Practical Guide, which provides technical recommendations for sustaining open source research software in academia. The reconvening will also include…
Transfer Explorer Learning Network
Reverse Transfer and Why It Matters
Join us on May 21, 2026 at 3pm ET for the next Transfer Explorer Learning Network session. This quarter, we are talking about reverse transfer and how it can be an important pathway to degree completion for students. The session will feature an overview of reverse transfer, why it matters, and the challenges that students and institutions may encounter. Then, we will hear from guest speaker Dr. David Yancey of Coastal Carolina University, who will share insights from the real…
Tracking Pathways
How States Build Data Systems that Matter
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…
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…