DREAM Studios

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Building a Collegewide Strategy That Connects Credentials to Pathways

Colleges offer more credentials than ever, but students do not always experience them as part of a clear, connected pathway. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore how to build a holistic, collegewide credential strategy that connects noncredit and credit programs into coherent pathways for students. Participants will examine the leadership, data, policies, and infrastructure needed to align credential offerings; strengthen transitions from workforce, ESL, and dual enrollment noncredit programs to credit programs; and position the institution for emerging opportunities such as Workforce Pell. Participants will leave with a practical framework for creating a more coordinated credential portfolio that advances student success, workforce responsiveness, and institutional impact..

Registration Fee:
$210 per workshop for in-Network colleges
$265 for out-of-Network attendees
 

Building Community Partnerships for Economic and Social Mobility
Colleges can play a critical role in their communities as drivers of individual, family, and societal gains, as well as regional economic development. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore how community colleges can expand their role as regional conveners and economic development leaders; strengthen partnerships with employers, nonprofits, other educational institutions, and economic development organizations; and identify actionable strategies that align institutional priorities with regional prosperity.

Registration Fee:
$210 per workshop for in-Network colleges
$265 for out-of-Network attendees


From Assessment to Action: Strengthening Data and AI Governance
Strong data and AI governance is foundational to data empowerment and digital transformation. Effective governance builds trust in data, strengthens institutional capacity to turn information into action, enables greater integration across systems and functions, and creates the conditions for responsible adoption of emerging technologies such as AI.

Participants will explore a new higher education assessment tool and consider how strong data governance can move their institutions from simply having data and technology to using them strategically, creating a stronger foundation for data-informed decision-making, digital transformation, and responsible AI adoption.

Registration Fee:
$210 per workshop for in-Network colleges
$265 for out-of-Network attendees

From Pilot to Practice: Scaling Shortened Academic Terms With Quality

Many colleges have piloted shortened academic terms in select programs, but scaling across an institution requires coordinated decisions about everything from course design to advising and registration. This interactive studio will help campus teams assess their current approach, identify readiness gaps and risks, and work through real scenarios using practical planning tools. Teams will consider where they are ready to expand, where additional capacity is needed, how to protect academic quality, and which early indicators of student progress to monitor. Each team will leave with a draft roadmap to guide next steps.

Participants should bring their current academic calendar, existing shortened-term offerings, and any related student outcome data.

Registration Fee:
$210 per workshop for in-Network colleges
$265 for out-of-Network attendees

Moving Beyond the Margins: Integrating Dual Enrollment Into Strategic Enrollment Management

Dual enrollment represents a significant share of enrollment at many colleges but is often managed separately from broader institutional strategy. This interactive workshop draws on lessons from a national cohort of colleges integrating dual enrollment into their SEM plans.

Participants will explore goal-setting, data dashboards, cross-functional ownership, pathways alignment, and student transitions from high school to college matriculation. They will also explore early lessons and challenges from colleges implementing these plans. Through facilitated activities and peer consultation, participants will assess how dual enrollment fits within their own institutional strategy and identify priorities for a more intentional, integrated approach.
 

Registration Fee:
$210 per workshop for in-Network colleges
$265 for out-of-Network attendees

Preparing for What’s Next: AI, Human Skills, and Changing Career Pathways
AI is changing the skills people need to enter, navigate, and advance in the workforce — but technical and AI skills are only part of the picture. In this interactive workshop, participants will examine what labor market trends and employer insights tell us about the growing importance of uniquely human skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, adaptability, and judgment. Participants will explore what these shifts mean for program design, teaching and learning, career advising, and career-connected experiences, and identify strategies to help students build the combination of technical and human skills they will need to succeed in AI-shaped careers.

Registration Fee:
$210 per workshop for in-Network colleges
$265 for out-of-Network attendees

The Innovation Trap: Why More Initiatives Don’t Always Produce Better Outcomes
When colleges identify a student success problem, the common response is to create a new program, grant project, center, or initiative. But students experience the institution as a whole, not as a set of separate interventions. In this workshop, participants will investigate the historical growth of student success initiatives, diagnose program proliferation and initiative fatigue, and look at examples where fragmentation weakened impact. Teams will complete an initiative integration audit and draft a strategy for aligning programs into a coherent student experience.

Registration Fee:
$210 per workshop for in-Network colleges
$265 for out-of-Network attendees

Work-Based Learning Reimagined for the Students You Actually Have
Most work-based learning models were built for students who can afford to take an unpaid internship, arrange their own transportation, or go without a paycheck for a semester. That’s not the student sitting in class today. In this interactive workshop, participants will reimagine work-based learning — from career awareness and employer site visits to internships, clinicals, and apprenticeships — through the lens of who today’s community college students actually are and what gets in their way. We’ll dig into how basic needs shape participation and leave with concrete strategies to make work-based learning something every student can actually say yes to.

Registration Fee:
$210 per workshop for in-Network colleges
$265 for out-of-Network attendees