2026 Annual Meeting
Annual Meeting Schedule
Please click on a session title for additional information.
Wednesday, December 9, 2026
8:30 am - 9:30 am
Breakfast and Networking
9:45 am - 11:00 am
- Opening Keynote: Washington Update
Jon Fansmith
American Council on Education Senior Vice President,
Government Relation and National Engagement
Moderator: Larry Schall
General Meeting Schedule
Workforce Development Day
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
The High Price of ROI: Recapturing the Societal Benefits of Higher Ed
Kimberly A. Schmidl-Gagne
Keene State College
Patrick Dolenc
Keene State College
Sarah McGregor
Keene State College
Developing Student's Communication Skills in the Age of AI
Ronald S. Harichandran
University of New Haven
Stephanie Gillespie
University of New Haven
Ryan Crawford
University of New Haven
From Remediation to Readiness: CCRI Advantage
Gregory LaPointe
Community College of Rhode Island
Rosemary Costigan
Community College of Rhode Island
Madeline Burke
Community College of Rhode Island
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
From Side Histle to Strategy: Leading Non-Credit Education as a Strategic Institutional Asset
Robyn Betts
Bentley University
Erin Kelley
Bentley University
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Network/International Luncheon
1:45 pm - 2:45 pm
Financial Monitoring: What to Expect in the Current Higher Education Environment
Paula Harbecke
New England Commission of Higher Education
The NECHE Commission: Committees, Commitments, Core Responsibilities and Care
Christine Siegel
Fairfield University
Humanities Meets Industry: A Collaborative Microcredential Model
Molly Phelps
Bunker Hill Community College
Soo Park
Bunker Hill Community College
1:45 pm - 2:45 pm
Assessing Job Attainment Outcomes from Per Scholas, an IT/Tech-Focused Adult Vocational Education Program
Jared Cowan
Per Scholas
3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
- Wednesday Keynote: Futures Trends in Higher Education
Bryan Alexander
Georgetown University,
Writer, Futurist, Teacher, Speaker, Consultant, Researcher
3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Lessons Learned from Implementing NECHE's Quality Assurance Framework for Non-Credit Education: Institutional Insights and Improvements
Amy Feest
Southern Connecticut State University
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
- Reception
Thursday, December 10, 2026
8:00 am - 9:30 am
Breakfast and Networking
9:45 am - 10:45 am
Assistant/Associate Deans: Leading from the Middle in Assessment and Accreditation
James M. Sloat
Colby College
Advancing Institutional Effectiveness and Student Success Through AI Enabled Analytics
William Salka
Westfield State University
Brian Jennings
Westfield State University
Rajiv Malhorta
Huron Consulting Group
Using Real-Time Student Feedback to Scale Holistic Student Support across a Multi-Campus Institution
Michael Goemans
Connecticut State Community College
Brian Kapinos
Connecticut State Community College
Steve McDowell
Connecticut State Community College
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Program Data: A Roadmap Not a Report Card
Elizabeth Kranz, Ed.D.
Wentworth Institute of Technology
John Cribbs, Ph.D.
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Joe Martel-Foley, Ph.D.
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Cynthia William
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Legal Update and What's on the Horizon
Julie Miceli
Husch Blackwell
Reimagining a Statewide Digital Learning Ecosystem: Student Success Across Rhode Island's Public Institutions
Dr. Miko Nino
Rhode Island College
Heather Sharpes-Smith
University of Rhode Island
Christine Sweet
Community College of Rhode Island
12:15 pm - 1:45 pm
- Thursday Keynote Luncheon: A Conversation with Jonathan Alger
Jonathan Alger
American Council on Education and American Association of Colleges and Universities,
Inaugural America 250 Fellow
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Universities as Economic Infrastructure: Turning Campus Land and Assets into Housing, Talent, and Regional Growth
Using the Carnegie Classifications as a Tool for Institutional Analysis
Sara Gast
American Council on Education
Mushtaq Gunja
American Council on Education
When Institutions Change Course: Navigating Closures and Mergers
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
- Pop Up Conversations
Friday, December 11, 2026
8:30 am - 9:30 am
Business Meeting & Volunteer Recognition Breakfast
9:45 am - 10:45 am
The Chief Everything Officer Framework: Four Principles for Leading Small, Mission-Drive Institutions
Kari Whaley
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Kellie Bean
Boston Architectural College
Hilary Williams
Colby-Sawyer College
Mental Health Issues
Expanding Global Learning: Using COIL to Advance Access, Student Outcomes, and Institutional Value
Amir Reza
Babson College
Lorien Romito
Babson College
12:15 pm - 1:45 pm
- Closing Keynote: News from NECHE: New Standards, New Policies, and the Impact of New Federal Regulations on Accreditation
NECHE STAFF
Thank you to our sponsors!
Please click on a logo to visit their webpage.
Wednesday, 12/9
Thursday, 12/10
Friday, 12/11
8:00 am - 9:30 am
Breakfast and Networking
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Breakfast
9:45 am – 11:00 am
Opening Keynote: Washington Update
Jon Fansmith,
American Council on Education Senior Vice President,
Government Relation and National Engagement
11:15 am – 12:15 pm
The High Price of ROI: Recapturing the Societal Benefits of Higher Ed
Kimberly A. Schmidl-Gagne
Keene State College
Patrick Dolenc
Keene State College
Sarah McGregor
Keene State College
Developing Student's Communication Skills in the Age of AI
Ronald S. Harichandran
University of New Haven
Stephanie Gillespie
University of New Haven
Ryan Crawford
University of New Haven
From Remediation to Readiness: CCRI Advantage
Gregory LaPointe
Community College of Rhode Island
Rosemary Costigan
Community College of Rhode Island
Madeline Burke
Community College of Rhode Island
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Network/International Luncheon
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Financial Monitoring: What to Expect in the Current Higher Education Environment
The NECHE Commission: Committees, Commitments, Core Responsibilities and Care
Humanities Meets Industry: A Collaborative Microcredential Model
Molly Phelps
Bunker Hill Community College
Soo Park
Bunker Hill Community College
2:45 pm – 3:15 pm
Break
3:15 pm – 4:30 pm
Wednesday Keynote: Future Trends in Higher Education
Bryan Alexander
Georgetown University,
Writer, Futurist, Teacher, Speaker, Consultant, Researcher
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Reception
8:00 am – 9:30 am
Breakfast
9:45 am – 10:45 am
Assistant/Associate Deans: Leading from the Middle in Assessment and Accreditation
James M. Sloat
Colby College
Advancing Institutional Effectiveness and Student Success Through AI Enabled Analytics
William Salka
Westfield State University
Brian Jennings
Westfield State University
Rajiv Malhorta
Huron Consulting Group
Using Real-Time Student Feedback to Scale Holistic Student Support across a Multi-Campus Institution
Michael Goemans
Connecticut State Community College
Brian Kapinos
Connecticut State Community College
Steve McDowell
Connecticut State Community College
11:15 am – 12:15 pm
Program Data: A Roadmap Not a Report card
Elizabeth Kranz, Ed.D.
Wentworth Institute of Technology
John Cribbs, Ph.D.
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Joe Martel-Foley, Ph.D.
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Cynthia William
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Legal Update and What's on the Horizon
Julie Miceli
Husch Blackwell
Reimagining a Statewide Digital Learning Ecosystem: Student Success Across RI's Public Institutions
Dr. Miko Nino
Rhode Island College
Heather Sharpes-Smith
University of Rhode Island
Christine Sweet
Community College of Rhode Island
12:15 pm – 1:45 pm
Thursday Keynote Luncheon: A Conversation with Jonathan Alger
Jonathan Alger
American Council on Education and American Association of Colleges and Universities,
Inaugural America 250 Fellow
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Knowledge Towns: Colleges and Universities as Talent Magnets
Using the Carnegie classifications as a Tool for Institutional Analysis
Sara Gast
American Council on Education
Mushtaq Gunja
American Council on Education
When Institutions Change Course: Navigating Closures and Mergers
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Break
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Pop-Up Conversations
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Breakfast
9:45 am – 10:45 am
The Chief Everything Officer Framework: Four Principles for Leading Small, Mission-Driven Institutions
Kari Whaley
Vermont College of Fine Arts
Kellie Bean
Boston Architectural College
Hilary Williams
Colby-Sawyer College
Mental Health Issues
Expanding Global Learning: Using COIL to Advance Access, Student Outcomes, and Institutional Value
Amir Reza
Babson College
Lorien Romito
Babson College
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Closing Keynote: News from NECHE: New Standards, New Policies, and the Impact of New Federal Regulations on Accreditation
NECHE Staff
Workforce Development Day
Wednesday, 12/9
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Breakfast
9:45 am – 11:00 am
Opening Keynote: Washington Update
11:15 am – 12:15 pm
From Side Hustle to Strategy: Leading Non-Credit Education as a Strategic Institutional Asset
Robyn Betts
Bentley University
Erin Kelley
Bentley University
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Assessing Job Attainment Outcomes from Per Scholas, an IT/Tech-Focused Adult Vocational Education Program
Jared Cowan
Per Scholas
2:45 pm – 3:15 pm
Break
3:15 pm – 4:30 pm
