College Tour
We are excited to offer some new Pre-Congress events this year!
You can add any of these offerings to your registration, even if you're already registered!
Wednesday, October 22nd
DELGADO COMMUNITY COLLEGE TOUR
9:30 am - 2:00 pm - Transportation and Lunch Included - Free for ALL Attendees - SPACE IS LIMITED
MUST Register ahead of time.
We are pleased to welcome representatives from the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) for a guided tour of the new Delgado–Ochsner Center for Nursing and Allied Health, opened in 2023 on Delgado’s City Park Campus. To ensure an engaging and personalized experience, the tour will be divided into two rotating groups of 15 attendees, with each group completing a 60-minute guided walkthrough of key instructional and simulation spaces. Guides will include faculty leaders and administrative representatives to provide insights into program design, instructional models, and the facility’s role in workforce development.
Featured Tour Stops:
- Main Lobby & Historical Overview
- Welcome remarks and building introduction
- Discussion of the Ochsner partnership and facility purpose
- High-Fidelity Simulation Labs
- Virtual hospital with inpatient, surgical, pediatric, maternity room settings
- Observation/control rooms and debriefing areas
- Skills & Assessment Labs
- Hands-on procedural stations for nursing and allied health students
- Technology-enhanced learning environments for safe skill practice (new Virtual Reality Lab)
- Classroom and Testing Spaces
- Modern, tech-equipped instructional spaces designed for collaboration
- Standardized testing environments with academic support infrastructure
- Student Collaboration Zones
- Flexible learning lounges and quiet study areas with views of campus
- Designed to foster interprofessional engagement and academic success
Wednesday, October 22nd
NEW! Pre-Congress Academy: Preparing for a Strong Candidacy in the CEO Search Process: Showcasing Essential Skills and Experience
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Includes Lunch) - $200
How candidates present themselves in both the written application and in an interview can make all the difference. Learn the specifics of how you can best present yourself to a search committee and governing board. Learn what boards, college, districts, and systems look for when assessing candidates from the ACCT Search Team. ACCT has over 30 years of experience in facilitating successful searches -- learn from the search experts.
Participate in this workshop to gain an in-depth look and better prepare for this critical journey. The complete spectrum steps throughout the CEO search will be analyzed in the order the steps take place in real life.
NEW SPECIAL EVENT!
Strategies to Address Child Care Needs and Retain Student Parents
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Includes Lunch)
FREE FOR ALL CONGRESS ATTENDEES (MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE)
1 in 5 community college students are parents, and more than half of them have at least one child under 6. With access to child care, student parents are more likely to be retained and graduate, but finding and affording child care can be immensely challenging. Building solutions to support student parents’ child care needs is a key strategy to supporting this population on the path to degree completion. Join New America and ACCT’s Kids On Campus initiative to learn more about how community colleges can support child care needs for student parents. We’ll share research findings from New America’s Child Care on Community College campuses project, policy ideas, and practical strategies community college leadership can leverage to understand and support student parents’ child care needs
NEW SPECIAL EVENT!
Building Momentum for Innovative Dual Enrollment Pathways Policies
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
FREE FOR ALL CONGRESS ATTENDEES (MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE)
This session will highlight how two leading states—California and Texas—are advancing innovative state policies to broaden access to dual enrollment pathways, particularly for students who have been underrepresented in college-level coursework. Texas recently adopted House Bill 8, legislation that includes a dynamic community college funding formula that rewards institutions for outcomes tied to student completion of a postsecondary credential of value in the labor market. A core component of the formula incentivizes helping high school students complete 15 or more college credits. HB 8 also made dual enrollment courses free for lower-income students. California has heavily invested in dual enrollment pathways over the past decade. It set ambitious statewide goals for students to earn 12 college credits upon graduation from high school, introducing students to college-level coursework as early as 9th grade, and creating new pathways for early college and career exposure. Community college leaders from both states will share insights into the policy development, including how momentum was built for these policy changes, their early impacts, and what college trustees and presidents can learn from their approaches.
Pre-Congress Academy: The Chair’s Academy
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Includes Lunch) - $175
The board chair is critical for managing board effectiveness. This interactive academy will explore best practices of an effective board chair. Topics will include characteristics of a cohesive board, understanding the role of the Board Chair, and strategies for managing difficult situations.
Pamila Fisher, Facilitator, ACCT Consultant
Pre-Congress Academy: Effective Board Governance
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Includes Lunch) - $175
Community college governing boards are responsible for protecting the institution, ensuring the fulfillment of its mission, and plan for the college’s future. To do this effectively, board members must understand their roles and responsibilities as a member of a public governing board and that of the respective college’s administration. This interactive academy will use case studies and exercises to explore the board’s fiduciary responsibilities, the Board-CEO relationship, and strategics for team building and board cohesion.
Ken Burke, Co-facilitator, ACCT Consultant
Mary Spilde, Co-facilitator, ACCT Consultant
Pre-Congress Academy: What Trustees Need to Know About Advocacy
Time: 1:00 p.m.– 4:00 p.m. $150