Engineering Change and Empowering Transformation in Higher Education
July 8–11, Atlanta, Georgia
The conference’s community-generated program will showcase the many ways that we have advanced change and innovation in higher education. The event provides an opportunity to connect with fellow change leaders and learn actionable strategies to help your campus thrive. We hope you will join us for Engineering Change and Empowering Transformation in Higher Ed.
Still deciding whether to attend this year? Registered to join us in Atlanta but want to know more? Join us on Monday, May 5th at 1pm for a Sneak Peek online session by logging in and registering for this free event, which will feature speakers from each NCCI Focus Area.
Schedule
Find a tentative schedule for the full conference, as well as event highlights below! Arrive in time to join us for the Welcome Reception on Tuesday, July 8 at 6 p.m. The Closing Session will take place on Friday, July 11, at 12:15 p.m.
Tuesday, July 8
- 11 a.m.–3 p.m. – Optional Local Tours
- 6–8 p.m. – Welcome Reception
Wednesday, July 9
- 8 a.m.–Noon – Preconferences
- 12:15–1 p.m. – Newcomers Event
- 1–2:20 p.m. – All-Conference Session and Lunch
- 2:30–4:30 p.m. – Educational Session Block 1
- 6–8 p.m. – Optional Group Dinners
Thursday, July 10
- 8:30–9:15 a.m. – Breakfast
- 9:30–10:20 a.m. – Educational Session Block 2
- 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. – Tours of Georgia Tech
- 12:45–2 p.m. – Lunch and Business Meeting
- 2:15–3:30 p.m. – Educational Session Block 3
- 3:45–4:35 p.m. – Educational Session Block 4
- 6-8 p.m. – Optional Group Dinners
Friday, July 11
- 8–8:45 a.m. – Breakfast
- 9–9:50 a.m.– Educational Session Block 5
- 10–10:50 a.m.– Educational Session Block 6
- 11 a.m.–12:15 p.m. – Educational Session Block 7
- 12:15–1:30 p.m. – Closing Lunch with Panel
University of Idaho President C Scott Green is author of the “University President’s Crisis Handbook,” a one-of-a-kind perspective on what helped Green shepherd the University of Idaho through years of deep deficits and the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a highly accomplished executive with a career in global finance, operations and administration and serves as the 19th president of the university. He is a proud alumnus of the University of Idaho, graduating in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
This year’s Opening Keynote speaker, Green will share his dedication to change and share various tactics to navigate a crisis successfully.
Our Industry Keynote Speaker, Roderick McLean, will share strategies and experiences for leading through change and managing large-scale transformations. McLean is Vice President and General Manager of the Air Mobility & Maritime Missions
Line of Business at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Marietta, Georgia. He is also the
Site General Manager of the 5,000-employee Marietta facility. Prior to this position he was Vice President and General Manager, F-16/F-22 Integrated Fighter Group (IFG) Programs at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas. McLean graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He holds a master’s degree in engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.
You won’t want to miss our closing keynote event, Atlanta Higher Ed Leadership Panel, which will highlight best practices for leading institutions through transformative periods, ensuring educational excellence and societal impact.
Angel Cabrera is the 12th president of the Georgia Institute of Technology, one of America’s leading research universities, serving 53,000 students and conducting nearly $1.4 billion in annual sponsored research. Since Cabrera’s arrival in 2019, enrollment grew to an all-time high, applications broke institute and state levels, and the undergraduate program became among the four most-selective public universities in the United States. Georgia Tech’s unprecedented growth stems from a 10-year strategic plan that was developed under Cabrera’s leadership with the participation of more than 5,700 members of the Institute community and adopted in November 2020. In the plan, titled “Progress and Service for All,” Georgia Tech pledges to amplify its impact and lead by example in a mission to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.
Dr. Kevin James is president of Morris Brown College, a historical Black college in Atlanta. Under his leadership, the college regained accreditation after a nearly 20-year hiatus, becoming the first HBCU to achieve such a feat. Driven by a commitment to Morris Brown’s legacy, he initiated the #TheHardReset campaign, successfully restoring the institution to compliance and recognition by the U.S. Department of Education. With a career spanning over 23 years as an educator, administrator, executive business leader, and motivational speaker, James brings a wealth of experience to his role as the chief executive officer of the college. He has been responsible for stabilizing finances, expanding academic offerings, increasing fundraising, launching a new five-year strategic plan, and achieving record-breaking enrollment in the past two decades.
Nicolle Parsons-Pollard, Ph.D. was appointed by Georgia State University President M. Brian Blake as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs effective Feb. 1, 2023. As Provost, Dr. Parsons-Pollard serves as the university’s chief academic officer. Her portfolio includes the development and implementation of the university’s academic programs and policies; supervision of deans and associate provosts; and direction for international initiatives and study abroad, graduate policy and programming, institutional effectiveness (institutional research and reporting), strategic planning, and assessment of learning outcomes and academic programs. Additionally, she directs activities in the recruitment, hiring, retention and promotion processes for faculty positions.
The panel will be moderated by David J. Neal, executive vice president of Georgia-Pacific’s Building Products business. Before being named executive vice president, David served as president of the Gypsum business from 2022 to 2025. He has held a variety of roles within Building Products since 1997, when he joined Georgia-Pacific as a quality resource manager. He actively volunteers with Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta and serves on the External Advisory Board for the College of Engineering at Georgia Tech, as well as the Board of Directors for the High Museum of Art. Additionally, David is a member of Leadership Atlanta, one of the nation’s oldest community leadership programs. He is a graduate of Vanderbilt University.
Consider registering for one of four preconference sessions on Wednesday, July 9, 8 a.m.–Noon! Pre-conference space is limited. Register for the conference or add a preconference to your existing registration today.
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once: Strategies for Navigating Complexity and Chaos
Offered by Georgia Tech Strategic Consulting, this workshop will provide participants with strategies, structures, tools, and insights to rapidly refresh, mobilize, and manage the implementation of a complex institute-wide strategic plan. Recognizing that one size will not fit all, presenters will share their lessons learned and provide a structure for participants to develop a tailored approach they can use in their own organization.
Design Thinking and Prototyping – An Interactive Experience
Have you wondered what exactly design thinking is, and how it might be useful to you? Design thinking is a process aimed at solving problems, emphasizing empathy, experimentation, and feedback. In this highly interactive workshop, participants will work through the design thinking process to tackle a real challenge facing the NCCI community. Participants will learn by doing and be challenged to reflect on how similar processes could work at their institutions.
Building Bridges: Notre Dame’s Path to Unified IT Priorities
This interactive session will highlight the journey to a shared governance model for IT projects, emphasizing collaboration, transparency, and strategic alignment. The presenters explore cost-sharing partnerships, divisional roadmaps, project prioritization process, and how fostering a campus-wide framework will ensure efficient resource use and stakeholder engagement. Participants will leave the session having begun to envision what their own campus journey toward unified IT priorities might look like.
Building Your Continuous Improvement Resources
In higher education, continuous improvement is fundamental to achieving long-term institutional success. It focuses on the systematic enhancement of teaching, learning, administrative processes, and student outcomes. In this interactive session presented by Ivy Tech, attendees will gain expertise in utilizing and facilitating root cause analysis, process mapping, Lean principles, and communication tools, equipping them with the skills to drive sustainable improvements across various institutional practices.
Charting the Future: Benchmarking and Building a Roadmap
Offered by NCCI’s long-time partner, TSI, this interactive workshop is designed to elevate your team to new heights. Participants will have the unique opportunity to benchmark their current organizations against those of fellow NCCI members. Drawing on TSI’s 30 years of consulting expertise, this session offers insights into market trends, explores best practices, and provides dedicated time to craft a customized roadmap for your team’s strategic growth. Through a blend of peer collaboration, expert insights, and hands-on exercises, participants will leave equipped with practical strategies to align their team’s initiatives with organizational objectives and drive impactful results.
We are excited to introduce a dynamic new opportunity to foster networking and knowledge sharing at this year’s Annual Conference – the Innovation Gallery: an interactive poster session and gallery walk exhibit. This year’s gallery theme is Innovation, and we invite poster submissions that highlight groundbreaking processes, programs, or solutions addressing challenges in higher education. During the Innovation Gallery Exhibit, you will have the opportunity to answer questions and engage in discussions with attendees. Additionally, you will have time to explore the gallery yourself, enabling you to connect with colleagues and gain inspiration from other innovative projects. We recognize that time is valuable, and traveling with a poster can be challenging. That’s why we’re making it easy for you! We’ll handle printing and logistics on-site in Atlanta, so you can focus on sharing your innovative ideas and insights! The exhibit will open Wednesday, July 9 and the gallery walk will take place immediately following the opening session.
Submission forms and design PDFs are due by May 20. Space is limited, secure your spot now!
Find a listing of confirmed educational sessions at the link below. This list will be updated as more sessions are finalized.
This year, in addition to informal group dinners on Thursday, July 10, we are offering structured Table Talk Dinners by interest/identity group. You will have the opportunity to select your topic of interest during the registration process. The meal is not included in your registration fee, but the evening will be facilitated by an NCCI Board member or committee leader. Below are descriptions for each of the Table Talk Groups:
- New to Higher Education: Meant for those who have been in higher education for a year or less, to take the opportunity to discuss what makes working in higher education unique and challenges experienced while building a network of professionals in a similar season.
- New to Your Role: Join the discussion with others who have been in their role less than a year but aren’t necessarily new to higher education or their institution. Share what you’ve learned as you’ve navigated a move into fields such as change management, continuous improvement, project management.
- Change Management Professionals: Engage and collaborate with other change management professionals to exchange best practices and share insights that are unique to change management in higher education.
- NCCI Private Schools: Take the opportunity to join other NCCI members for a thoughtful discussion on the unique challenges faced by private institutions in the evolving higher education landscape.
- Facilitators of Strategic Planning: Engage in a collaborative discussion on facilitating effective strategic planning within higher education organizations, including exchanging insights, strategies and experiences to address shared hurdles.
- NCCI Community Colleges: Join an NCCI community-college focused discussion for sharing strategies to improve student retention, supporting diverse student populations, and enhancing successful transfer pathways.
- Preparing for a New Administration: Engage in a dynamic conversation exploring strategies for preparing your organization to successfully adapt to and collaborate with a new administration. Whether it is internal to your institution or broader government administration changes, share your insights, challenges and best practices.
- Navigating DEIB in 2025: The evolving political environment presents both challenges and opportunities for how we approach Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives within our institutions; share with others how your team is navigating these changes while continuing to pursue DEIB efforts.
Registration
Meals included with your registration price are: Welcome Reception on July 8 and Lunch on July 9; Breakfast & Lunch on July 10; and Breakfast and Lunch on July 11.
Early Deadline (through May 6)
- Member: $895
- Nonmember: $1,095
regular Deadline (May 7–July 1)
- Member: $995
- Nonmember: $1,195
Travel & Lodging
Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center
Reserve your hotel room now! We will welcome attendees on Tuesday, July 8, with an evening reception. The NCCI room rate is $209 per night.