General Sessions 

GS1 - Reimagining the Higher Education Leader in a Time of Uncertainty
Monday, May 2 | 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM MDT

Session Overview

As the son of immigrants, and a first-generation college graduate, Dan Arvizu, Ph.D., achieved more than his parents could have ever imagined. Following successful careers as an engineer, a national laboratory administrator, and as a champion for efforts that join science, technology and philanthropy, Dr. Arvizu has discovered one thing: the more diverse your skillset, the more capable you are of navigating change.

Learning Objectives

For this session, Dr. Arvizu charts the course that took him from a rural town in the American Southwest, to all corners of the globe – multiple times. He’ll provide first-hand accounts of several challenges that seemed insurmountable at first, but were eventually overcome by engaging with the right people at the right time. Participants will also hear how those with diverse backgrounds and a wide range of personal experiences may be in the best position to help guide institutions through times of uncertainty.

About the Presenters

Dan Arvizu
Chancellor
New Mexico State University
Photo: Dan Arvizu Dr. Arvizu has had a long-distinguished career in advanced energy R&D, materials and process sciences, and technology commercialization. He started his career at Bell Labs and served in executive roles at Sandia National Labs, CH2M Hill Companies, Ltd., and Emerson Collective. In January of 2005 he was appointed as the 8th Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, where he served for more than a decade. In 2004 and 2010 he was appointed to serve on the National Science Foundation governing body, the National Science Board (NSB), by two successive presidents—George W. Bush and Barack Obama respectively. He was twice elected NSB Chair by his peers. Dr. Arvizu presently serves on several boards, panels and advisory committees, including the Stanford University Precourt Institute for Energy, Singapore International Advisory Panel on Energy, MRI Global Board of Directors, and State Farm Mutual Board of Directors. In 2021 he was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve on the President’s Council of Advisors for Science and Technology (PCAST) charged with making science, technology and innovation policy recommendations to the President and the White House.  He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Public Administration. Dr. Arvizu has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico State University, and a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.

 

GS2 - “Business Officers Matter Now …More than Ever”  
Eligible for 1.5 Personal Development CPE Credits
Tuesday, May 3 | 3:45 PM – 5:00 PM MDT

Session Overview

In this presentation, Joe will focus on his experience across sectors in discussing current and future challenges and opportunities and the critically important role of the business officer to the success of the CEO, leadership team, and the organization to meet the challenges now and in the future.

Learning Objectives

1) Identify current and future challenges for higher education including potential current and long-term impacts of COVID-19.

2) Describe the critical role and responsibility of business officers in working across the organization to solve complex challenges and to act boldly to make opportunities.

3) Discuss possible future trends in higher education in an era of pervasive change across American life.

About the Presenters

Joe Garcia
Chancellor
Colorado Community College System 
Photo: Joe Garcia Joe Garcia is the Chancellor of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS). As CCCS Chancellor, Garcia leads the state’s largest system of higher education, which serves 137,000 students annually at 13 colleges and 40 locations across Colorado. Garcia brings demonstrated leadership and commitment to advancing access and equity in higher education through various roles in both the public sector and in higher education. Prior to his role at CCCS, Garcia served two years as President of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (“WICHE”) from June 2016 to June 2018. WICHE is an interstate compact created to provide access to, and improve the quality of, higher education opportunities for residents of the western United States. From 2011 to 2016, he served as the Lt. Governor of Colorado and as the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education. During his time as Lt. Governor, Garcia focused on increasing equity in outcomes for all students, particularly those from low income backgrounds and communities of color. From 2006 to 2010, he was President of Colorado State University-Pueblo, which was named the 2008 Outstanding Member Institution by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Under his leadership, CSU-P saw enrollment increase dramatically, a blossoming of capital projects that improved capacity and the image of the University, and a dramatic increase in private gifts. Perhaps most notably, Garcia also raised private funds to build a stadium and start a football program that won the NCAA Division II National Championship in its 7th year in existence. From 2001 to 2006, Garcia was President of Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado’s second largest community college. During his time at PPCC, he was twice recognized as President of the Year by Colorado students and several minority and student focused organizations, such as the NAACP, LULAC, The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Phi Theta Kappa. Garcia’s previous public service positions included serving as a member of the Cabinet of Governor Roy Romer and as a White House appointee under President Bill Clinton. He was the first Hispanic partner in the 100-year history of Denver based Holme Roberts & Owen where he focused on public education law. Garcia earned his Bachelor of Science in International Business (1979) from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Juris Doctorate (1983) from Harvard Law School. Garcia currently serves on the Board for the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF), Complete College America, the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI), the Colorado Workforce Development Council (CWDC), and the Business Experiential Learning (BEL) Commission. Garcia has four grown children and is married to Dr. Claire Oberon Garcia, the Dean of Faculty at Colorado College.

GS3 - Preparing for the Unexpected: A Look at Higher Education Trends in the West
Wednesday, May 4 | 8:45 AM – 10:00 AM MDT

Session Overview

To say the world around us is changing rapidly is clearly an understatement. Changing demographics, the influence of rapidly advancing technology, economic and financial uncertainty, and a global pandemic are all impacting higher education and the students we serve in ways that we couldn’t have imagined even just three years ago. For instance, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education’s 10th edition of Knocking at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates, that was released in December 2020 projects the number of high school graduates for the nation, four geographical regions, and the states, including public high school graduates by race/ethnicity and depicts one aspect of this changing student landscape. These data show increasing diversification of high school graduates, how graduation rate improvements have increased the number of projected graduates between 2010 and 2019, as well as overall growing enrollments of public and private middle and high school students through 2025. Contributing to these demographic shifts are the impacts from COVID-19 and the opportunities and challenges that rapidly advancing technology present to our campuses, all in a context of volatile enrollment and finance trends. This session will highlight some important patterns and set the stage for a discussion about how postsecondary institutions and budget officers in the West can better serve the diverse student populations of the future.

Learning Objectives

1) Participants will have a high-level understanding of demographic change facing higher education in the West.

2) Participants will understand postsecondary enrollment and finance trends that are relevant to budget officers.

3) Participants will have access to useful data that supports their work and decision making as postsecondary education emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

About the Presenters

Demarée Michelau
President
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education 
Photo:

Demarée Michelau is president of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), an interstate compact that partners with states, Insular areas, and postsecondary institutions to share knowledge, create resources, and develop innovative solutions that address some of society’s most pressing needs. From promoting high-quality, affordable postsecondary education to helping states leverage their technology investments and addressing behavioral health challenges, WICHE improves lives across the West through innovation, cooperation, resource sharing, and sound public policy. Michelau previously was WICHE's vice president of policy analysis and research and was responsible for data and research and externally-funded projects. She has experience in higher education policy issues, including closing attainment gaps, adult learners, affordability, and workforce. Previously, she held positions with the National Conference of State Legislatures and former Colorado Congressman David Skaggs. Michelau earned her B.S. from Northern Illinois University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
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