Conference
Conference on Learning and Student Success (CLASS)
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Mohegan Sun Resort (near Mystic, CT), and Online
CLASS brings together higher education leaders, educators, and practitioners to address the most pressing challenges facing learning and student success. From the value of a college degree to how institutions create environments where students can thrive, this conference focuses on turning ideas into action.
Participants engage across roles and disciplines to share expertise, explore effective practices, and develop strategies that improve learning and strengthen institutional outcomes.
In an era of fractured public trust, constrained resources, and mounting institutional pressure, the 2027 Conference on Learning and Student Success invites you to rediscover higher education’s most enduring source of strength: each other.
Together By Design
This year’s theme, Together by Design, recognizes that the challenges facing higher education cannot be solved one by one—not by a single faculty member or administrator, not course by course, program by program, discipline by discipline, or institution by institution. Transformative education emerges not in isolation but through intentional, sustained collaboration—across campuses, communities, sectors, and borders. CLASS 2027 is a call to move beyond competition and silos toward the shared stewardship of learning, because no system, institution, department, discipline, educator, or student thrives alone.
What does it take to transform and thrive together?
Communication. Coordination. Cooperation. For us to transform and thrive as a community, we must do so intentionally, by design. This means we must build intentional structures—not leaving partnership to chance. It means forging relationships across institutions before a funding deadline forces it, co-creating curricula before enrollment pressure demands it, and bridging the administrator–faculty–community divide before it widens further. It requires trust as a prerequisite, not an afterthought—and it demands systems-level design that resists atomized approaches and makes working together the default rather than the exception.
From competition to collaboration. From scarcity to shared strength.
Delivering on the promise of a truly transformational education requires that we rethink not just our pedagogies but our institutional architectures. CLASS 2027 will challenge the competitive frameworks, duplicative structures, and territorial cultures that drain resources and limit impact across higher education. Instead, we will showcase ways of working across reporting lines, institutional types, and sector boundaries—modeling the very collaborative practices we hope to cultivate in our students. Together by Design is not a platitude. It is a call to action and a commitment to building a system of higher education worthy of renewed public trust.
Turn Ideas into Action for Learning and Student Success
Through shared learning and collaboration, participants explore:
- Evidence-based teaching and learning.
- Student success strategies, including retention, progression, and graduation.
- Data-informed assessment and decision-making.
- Curriculum-to-career pathways.
- Academic, cocurricular, and social supports.
- Professional development that strengthens institutional capacity.
CLASS is a space to identify solutions, share ideas, and lead change for students, educators, and institutions.
What Can You Expect from CLASS?
Attend CLASS to
- learn practical strategies you can apply immediately;
- connect with colleagues across roles, disciplines, and institutions;
- explore approaches grounded in real-world practice; and
- engage in conversations that move from ideas to implementation.
Interested in learning more? View the 2026 program to get an idea of the types of tracks, sessions, speakers, and related events you can expect from this hybrid conference.
Who Should Attend?
CLASS is designed for those looking to take action in their work. You should attend if you want to
- connect your discipline to student interests and career pathways;
- lead curricular or institutional change;
- improve teaching, learning, or assessment practices;
- strengthen student outcomes and remove barriers; and
- collaborate across roles to advance learning and student success.
Dates to Remember
Call for Proposals Opens
Early Bird Registration Opens
Call for Proposals Closes
Early Bird Registration Ends
Conference Begins
Conference Ends
Questions about CLASS?
If you have questions about the AAC&U Conference on Learning and Student Success or would like additional information, please email us at CLASS@aacu.org.