Advancing Public Trust Leadership Institute

Schedule-at-a-Glance

Institute Kickoff Event: Advancing Public Trust Summit

Sheraton Grand Seattle | Seattle, WA
January 22–23, 2027

To kick off the institute, teams will determine where they want to focus their energy to advance public trust throughout the institute. Participants will meet with mentors and work with them to draft initial action plans that will be developed throughout the institute.

Friday, January 22, 2027

  1. 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm PT

    Check-in and Informal Social Time

  2. 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm PT

    Dinner and Opening Plenary Session

    Welcome
    Kathryn Enke, Vice President for Leadership and Strategy, AAC&U
    Lynn Pasquerella, President, AAC&U

    Anchoring Institutions in Community
    Nancy Cantor, President, Hunter College of the City University of New York

Saturday, January 23, 2027

  1. 8:00 am - 9:00 am PT

    Breakfast and Optional Focus Groups

  2. 9:00 am - 10:00 am PT

    Morning Plenary Session

    Trust, Transformation, and Social Impact
    Amber Banks, Founder and CEO, Center for Trust and Transformation; Founder, Trust Compass Studio

  3. 10:15 am - 11:15 am PT

    Focused Session

    AAC&U’s Trust Agenda
    Kathryn Enke, Vice President for Leadership and Strategy, AAC&U
    Jeremy C. Young, Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives, AAC&U

  4. 11:15 am - 1:00 pm PT

    Luncheon Plenary

    Research and Assessment of Public Trust in Higher Education
    Kaleb Briscoe, Associate Professor of Adult and Higher Education, University of Oklahoma

  5. 1:15 pm - 2:15 pm PT

    Concurrent Sessions

    Opportunities to learn more about colleges, universities, and higher education organizations building trust through specific, replicable strategies.

    1.    Accelerating Innovation: Innovating Promotion and Tenure 
    Rich G. Carter, Professor of Chemistry and Faculty Lead for Innovation Excellence, Office of Research, Oregon State University
    Liz Hutchison, Professor of History and Regents’ Professor in Arts and Sciences, University of New Mexico

    2.    Prioritizing Community Engagement
    Presenters to be announced

    3.    Recommitting to Inclusive Excellence: Pursuing Inclusive Excellence Amid Political Pressure
    Michelle Brooks, Assistant Director of Higher Education, American Chemical Society

    4.    Telling a Clearer Story: Communicating the Value of Higher Education to State Legislatures 
    Susan Balter-Reitz, Professor of Communication, Montana State University Billings
    Michael Bruner, Professor of Communication Studies, University of Nevada Las Vegas

    5.    Mission-Centered Coordination: Learning about Trust from Native Nations 
    Ahniwake Rose, President and CEO, American Indian Higher Education Consortium

  6. 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm PT

    Team Action Planning with Mentors

  7. 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PT

    Closing Plenary Session

    Funding the Trust Agenda
    Panelists to be announced

    Closing 
    Jeremy C. Young, Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives, AAC&U

Virtual Events

Through a series of webinars, teams will learn how The Trust Agenda is being successfully implemented in other campus contexts. During this time, teams will also work with their mentors to make progress toward the actions in their plan.

Each virtual event will be recorded and made available to all institute registrants through December 2027.

  1. , 2027

    2:00 pm - 3:30 pm EDT

    Zoom

    Webinar: Accelerating Innovation

    Speakers will discuss how to break down internal barriers to change and improvement, showing that colleges can solve their own problems without external pressure and can develop new and effective initiatives to advance their missions.

  2. , 2027

    2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT

    Zoom

    Webinar: Prioritizing Community Engagement

    Presenters will share strategies for colleges and universities to develop stronger, trusted, and mutually beneficial relationships with community partners, improving the quality of life for all—those who attend college and those who do not.

  3. , 2027

    2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT

    Zoom

    Webinar: Recommitting to Inclusive Excellence

    Speakers will recommend actions to build a campus that is student-centered, where learners from all walks of life feel welcomed and supported toward success.

  4. , 2027

    2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT

    Zoom

    Webinar: Telling a Clearer Story

    Experts will share narratives for effective public communications that tie higher education’s role as an engine of social and economic mobility to popular civic values like freedom, fairness, and strength.

  5. , 2027

    2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT

    Zoom

    Webinar: Coordinating a Mission-Centered Defense

    Teams will collaborate within and across institutions to defend the mission of higher education against government overreach.

Concluding Event: APT Leadership Institute Capstone

June 24–25, 2027 | Twin Cities, MN
Details to be announced soon

Questions?

For additional information, email apt@aacu.org. 

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