We are pleased to offer three pre-conference institutes at the 2026 AAHHE Conference. Please view the details below.
 *Please note that these pre-conference institutes are separate events.

Registration for the conference and pre-conference events is now open!

Register Here for the Pre-Conference Sessions
Register Here for the Main Conference

Please note that registration for the main conference and the pre-conference sessions are under two different registration forms. Registering for a pre-conference session does not automatically register you for the main conference.

The Latino Student Success Institute (LSSI)

March 27, 2026, 8:30am-11:30am PDT
In-person pre-conference session 

Presenters:

Dr. Azuri Gonzalez, Director of Partnerships and Operations, UTEP Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success
Dr. Jesus Cisneros, Department Chair, Associate Professor and Doctoral Program Director, UTEP Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations
Dr. Erin Doran, Associate Professor, Educational Leadership and Foundations, UTEP UT Regents' Excellence Program
Jennifer (Jenna) Lujan, M.Ed., Director, UTEP Center for Community Engagement

Description

As Hispanics are the nation’s second-largest racial and ethnic population, supporting their success in higher education is critical to the future of the workforce, regional economies, and institutional effectiveness. This Institute brings together a nationally engaged group of scholars and higher education administrators from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), a leading Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), to share research-informed strategies and institutional practices that advance Hispanic student success. 

Drawing on UTEP’s experience as an HSI, the Institute will explore how institutions translate knowledge into action through intentional design, leadership, and campus-wide practices that support student progress and achievement. Participants will examine approaches grounded in Hispanic-Servingness and discuss how these strategies can be adapted across different institutional contexts.

Through collaborative learning and discussion, participants will leave the Institute with:

• Concrete examples of effective HSI-aligned practices
• Frameworks for strengthening institutional support for Hispanic students
• Practical insights they can apply to policy, programs, and leadership decisions on their own campuses

AAHHE Latina Leadership Institute (LLI)
Latina Leaders: Thriving on the Empowerment Journey

March 27, 2026, 8:30am-11:30am PDT
In-person pre-conference session

Presenters

Patricia Arredondo, EdD, President, Arredondo Advisory Group, Past Chair, AAHHE
Azara Santiago Rivera, PhD, Professor Emerita, Merrimack College, Consultant, Past Chair, AAHHE

Description

This pre-conference Institute centers on the unique assets of and opportunities for early- and mid- career Latina leaders in higher education. Discussion will be grounded in the cultural competency framework of self-awareness, knowledge-building, and skill sets for empowered practices. Topics include recognizing dimensions of intersecting identities as assets and challenges in work settings, the Mujerista mindset, cultural clashes in predominantly white institutions, and a roadmap for one’s continuing empowerment journey. This institute will be highly interactive, drawing upon individuals’ experiences to share lessons learned.

Objectives

1. Apply a cultural competency framework for one’s personal journey.
2. Define terms relevant to the empowerment journey (i.e., empowerment, Mujerista, and “entre fronteras”).
3. Identify dimensions of intersecting identities that are workplace assets and those that are marginalized.
4. Share culture clashes in the workplace and how these may reflect “entre fronteras” experiences, and how one manages these.
5. Conduct a self-assessment to identify areas of strength and power gaps for one’s roadmap.

Learning Outcomes

Participants will be able to:

1. Identify 2 specific strategies to capitalize on strengths in their leadership role.
2. Identify 2-3 power gaps and specific ways to address them.
3. Identify 2-3 effective ways of incorporating Mujerista mindset principles in their leadership role.
4. Develop a roadmap with priorities for thriving on one’s continuing empowerment journey.

AAHHE Community College Institute (CCI)
From Data to Practice: Equity-Focused Approaches to Retention, Transfer, and Workforce Development in Community Colleges

March 27, 2026, 8:30am-11:30am PDT
In-person pre-conference session 

Moderators: 

Dr. Laura Ramírez, Assistant Superintendent/Vice President of Instruction, Pasadena Area Community College District
Dr. Mike Muñoz, Superintendent-President of Long Beach City College & President in Residence for Excelencia in Education, Long Beach City College

Description

This pre-conference session brings together practitioners and scholars to explore how equity-centered data practices can inform and transform student success strategies in community colleges. Focusing on retention, transfer, and workforce development, the session highlights actionable approaches that address persistent disparities, particularly for Latiné students. Participants will engage with leaders whose practices, partnerships, and policies bridge the gap between data and practice in pursuit of more just and effective educational outcomes. 

Objectives

1. Critically examine equity-centered data practices that illuminate the strengths, aspirations, and educational journeys of Latiné students, moving beyond deficit-based narratives to inform student success strategies.
2. Highlight institutional practices, partnerships, and policies that have demonstrated success in improving retention, transfer, and workforce outcomes for racially minoritized students in community colleges.
3. Facilitate collaborative dialogue among practitioners and scholars to co-create actionable strategies that bridge research and practice, fostering more just and inclusive educational environments.

Presenters

Sandra Sanchez, Senior Advisor, LA Rebuild, California Community College Chancellor's Office
Targeted Recovery: Leveraging Analytics to Rebuild Los Angeles

Under the leadership of Senior Advisor Sandra Sanchez, the California Community College Chancellor’s Office and the Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research developed an interactive dashboard to support program planning, workforce alignment, and strategic decision-making across Los Angeles Regional Consortia (LARC) 19 Community Colleges. Users can leverage the dashboard leverage to explore regional labor market trends, student enrollment, and program outcomes to identify high-demand industries and guide investments in programs that meet regional workforce needs. The dashboard is designed to help faculty, administrators, and partners strengthen pathways from education to employment, with a particular focus on LA Recovery and Rebuild-related academic programs.

Dr. Tameka Alexander, Associate Dean, Transfer Honors and Completion & Yvette Valdez, Transfer Counselor, Pasadena City College
Transfer Boot Camp: An Initiative Established Con Orgullo y Corazon to Honor Student Stories, Inspire Belief, and Advance Equity in Transfer

Pasadena City College’s Transfer Boot Camp was designed in response to disaggregated equity data revealing transfer gaps for Latiné and other racially minoritized students. Rather than relying on deficit narratives, PCC centered culture, identity, and student voice—honoring students’ lived experiences, family histories, and aspirations as assets. By integrating completion metrics and transfer momentum data with students’ stories, PCC redesigned transfer preparation as an intensive, community-centered, culturally responsive intervention. We will highlight how PCC translated equity data into a high-impact practice that increases application completion, university admissions, transfer confidence, and students’ sense of belonging. Participants will learn how cross-campus collaboration, targeted outreach, structured coaching, and culturally affirming practices transformed data insights into measurable transfer outcomes while uplifting and honoring students’ identities.

Dr. Ángel Reyna, President, Madera Community College
Building Transformative Workforce Pathways: The Agave Innovation & Education Initiative

In this session, I will share how our college is leveraging regional assets, industry partnerships, and visionary planning to create a first-of-its-kind workforce and economic development ecosystem centered on agave cultivation and distillation sciences. This presentation will highlight how community colleges can boldly innovate, serve as regional economic catalysts, and design future‑focused programs that blend education, industry, culture, and community impact.