Higher ed professionals from across the country gathered in Chicago for HLC’s annual conference from March 21-24. It was an opportunity to share updates from HLC with our members and hear from institutions about their promising practices and recent experiences. 

Conference Highlights

HLC’s Guiding Values and Next Strategic Plan

Conference attendees had the opportunity to hear more about proposed revisions to HLC’s Guiding Values and the current higher education trends and priorities informing HLC’s next strategic plan, North Star.

HLC also held listening sessions to hear input from our membership that will be considered before the finalization of the Guiding Values and the release of North Star this summer.

Updates to HLC’s Competency Based Education Materials

HLC is updating documentation and processes to better reflect the changing landscape as we work to ensure quality competency-based education (CBE) offerings. The upcoming changes will include revised definitions, a guidelines document and a revised application.

Those at the conference had the chance to attend a session about the planned changes and provide feedback to HLC.

Conference Resources

Whether or not you attended the conference this year, you can take advantage of many of the resources highlighted at the conference.

2026 Trends

At her Welcome Address, HLC President Barbara Gellman-Danley spoke of the current state of higher education and gave a review of current trends, and how they will affect institutions and organizations as they embrace the future of higher education.

Watch her Welcome Address and read the 2026 Trends for insights into the shifts and changes in higher education.

Institutional Examples

Throughout the conference, there were plenty of opportunities to hear institutional perspectives about best practices and lessons learned. At the Share Fairs, attendees could talk with peers from a variety of institutions about their recent accreditation activity, Quality Initiative or Assessment Academy project.

If you missed the Share Fairs, don’t worry! HLC has published four new Assurance Argument Samples that institutions can access at any time.

Save the Date for Future Conferences

We’re looking forward to begin rotating locations for Higher Learning to accommodate the size of our conference and our geographically dispersed membership.

Join us next year for Higher Learning Phoenix from April 17-19, 2027, at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Save the date for our future conferences:

• Higher Learning Phoenix: April 17–19, 2027
• Higher Learning Denver: April 1–3, 2028
• Higher Learning Tampa: April 14–16, 2029

Questions?  

Contact [email protected].