Registration

The registration form should be completed by the campus team lead for all team members from the same campus/institution. If a campus team has team members from institutions different from that of the campus team lead, those team members must register themselves.

Rates

The registration rate for the institute covers tuition, materials, and consultation for both in-person and online components (for up to five team members). Costs for team travel to the in-person kickoff and capstone events are not included in registration rates and will be the responsibility of registered teams.

Team Registration (Three to Five Members)

Early Bird Registration (August 3–October 2, 2026)

• $5,500 per team from AAC&U member institutions
• $8,500 per team from nonmember institutions

Regular Registration (October 5–December 31, 2026)

• $6,000 per team from AAC&U member institutions 
• $9,000 per team from nonmember institutions

Please review the Membership Directory to determine your institution’s membership status. 

Additional Team Members (Over Five)

• $1,250 per additional person AAC&U member institutions 
• $1,500 per additional person nonmember institutions

Preregistration of all team members is required. Onsite registration will not be available.

Team Composition and Size

The minimum team size is three participants, including at least one senior leader positioned to champion institutional change. Because public trust is shaped by every interaction an institution has with its students, partners, policymakers, alumni, and surrounding communities, advancing trust cannot be the responsibility of a single office. It requires coordinated leadership and collaboration across the institution.

Teams should include a senior leader (such as a president or provost) along with colleagues whose work reflects different aspects of the institution's relationship with its communities. Depending on institutional priorities, teams may include representatives from communications and marketing, community engagement, innovation or strategic planning, advancement and external relations, student affairs, assessment, and other relevant areas. Bringing together multiple perspectives helps teams develop action plans that are both institutionally aligned and practical to implement across campus.

Teams from individual colleges and universities, systems, or regional consortia are welcome to participate.

Deadline

Registrations are due by December 31, 2026.  

Any registrations with incomplete payment as of December 31, 2026, will be canceled.

Cancellation policy details can be found on the registration page.