NACAC Preconference Seminars are paid, 2.5 hour sessions that will be held on the morning of Thursday, September 18, ahead of the opening NACAC Conference 2025 Main Stage event.
These seminars can be added for an additional fee in the registration process.
Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025
8:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Greater Columbus Convention Center
Seminar Offerings
In today’s higher education environment, the role of chief enrollment officer, as referred to by journalist Eric Hoover, is one of “the hottest seats on campus,” requiring knowledge and expertise across multiple functional areas as well as the ability to effectively navigate relationships up, down, and across the institution. How might the next generation of leaders prepare to take up this role with confidence? What knowledge and skill sets will advance their talents? Investing in emerging enrollment leaders is critical to developing and retaining talent in the profession and supporting the growth and enhancing the capacity of the next generation of chief enrollment officers. Furthermore, this investment has the potential to diversify candidate pools by building confidence for traditionally underrepresented candidates who may count themselves out of job searches based on the job’s required experience. By engaging in tactical advice and strategies, participants will learn how to develop an institutional mindset, move from operational to strategic thinking, identify competencies to enhance their continued leadership development, and leave with concrete plans for how to strengthen those capacities. Through interactive topical scenarios offered during the seminar, attendees will have the chance to put their learning into practice. The facilitators bring leadership perspectives from their experience as enrollment leaders at multiple institutions and institution types, as well as from executive search, consulting, coaching, and non-profit leadership to inform this engaging session. Attendees who will benefit most from this session are senior staff members who are aspiring to chief enrollment officer positions, but who are not yet in those roles themselves.
Speakers:
Laurie Koehler, Principal/Koehler Consulting
Jennifer Desjarlais, Principal/Cambridge Hill Partners
Liz Cheron, Chief Executive Officer/Coalition for College
We live in interesting times. A great deal has transpired that has affected international student mobility in the past year. How can you & your institution adapt and adjust – and stay sane & balanced – while advancing your priorities, goals, mission, vision, and values? A faculty of global education leaders, representing a diverse cross-section of our international higher education & counseling communities, will guide you through recent changes, and will recommend best practices for guiding, engaging with and attracting international students now. This workshop will support the goals of both counselors and admissions professionals working with international students.
Learning Objectives:
For Counselors Guiding International Students:
- Understand the geopolitical, economic, and social pressures impacting global university admissions, and how these trends apply to the journey of international students seeking access to higher education.
- Improve your school systems & your team’s advocacy in guiding international students to global higher education options across borders, that meet the needs of all students, regardless of country of origin or socioeconomic background.
- Gain insights on the path to employment for international students seeking global mobility in the US, and beyond, after completing their undergraduate degree. For Higher Education UG Admissions & Enrollment Professionals:
- Define & explore opportunities ahead for engaging with prospective international students, as well as, their counselors, families, and schools.
- Connect the dots between global demographic changes, political upheaval & impact, and international student decision-making patterns across key regions to guide strategic thinking.
- Identify actionable insights & evidence-based best practices to help higher ed representatives advance mission-driven international enrollment goals during a time of uncertainty & turmoil.
Speakers:
- Clay Hensley, Global Higher Education Specialist
- Additional speakers to be added
Description: Administrators need a comprehensive, practical understanding of the admissions tests and their limitations to make informed decisions about testing policies. This session will feature Akil Bello, an experienced test preparation professional and advocate for test-optional admissions, alongside a respected psychometrician who will provide a thorough exploration of the strengths and limitations of admissions tests, the implications of various testing policies, and strategies for developing an institutional-appropriate policy. With data-driven insights and diverse perspectives, this discussion will equip enrollment leaders with a well-rounded understanding of testing. The session will offer valuable information to guide policy decisions, support advocacy efforts, and effectively communicate your position to your board, president, the media, and the public.
Learning Objectives:
- Full understanding of trends in admissions testing policies
- How various admissions tests policies and practice affect student perception and behavior
- Understanding the various legal and otherwise, implications of various test score use approaches.
Speakers:
- Akil Belo, Senior Director of Advocacy/FairTest
- Andrew Ho, Charles William Eliot Professor of Education/Harvard Graduate School of Education (Tentative)
AI is already shaping the way students navigate the college application process—but how are educators using it in their own work? This hands-on workshop goes beyond theory to equip both college counselors and admissions professionals with practical AI strategies they can apply immediately. Through interactive exercises and active participation, attendees will build a toolkit of ethical AI prompts designed to support counseling, application review, and student engagement while maintaining authenticity. Participants will leave with new skills they can confidently use, as well as the knowledge to lead informed discussions about responsible AI integration in college counseling and admissions.
Learning Objectives:
- Develop Practical AI Skills – Attendees will learn hands-on strategies to incorporate AI into their daily work, gaining skills that enhance efficiency in counseling, application review, and student engagement.
- Build an Ethical AI Toolkit – Participants will create a set of AI prompts and guidelines tailored to their professional roles, ensuring they can use AI in a way that supports authenticity, transparency, and ethical best practices.
- Lead Informed AI Conversations – Educators will gain the confidence and knowledge to guide discussions with students, colleagues, and institutional leadership about responsible AI use in college counseling and admissions.
Speakers:
- Emily Pacheco, Associate Dean of Admission/Case Western Reserve University
- Sebastian Brown, Regional Admission Counselor/ University of Oregon
In this session, through a series of interactive exercises, we’ll explore: How can counselors create a workshop environment that invites openness, vulnerability, and creativity? What’s the role of the facilitator? How much sharing is “too much” when it comes to describing mental health challenges? How can students write about race and culture in a way? What are some simple, effective ways to help students provide one another feedback? We’ll discuss formats for 1-hr, 2-hr, 3-hr, multi-day, and multi-week workshops. Attendees will receive practical handouts (and slides!) they can use with students right away.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn to create a workshop environment that invites openness, vulnerability, and creativity
- Develop a robust set of tools for helping students learn about who they are and how to effectively demonstrate those qualities to colleges
- Get practical handouts and slides you can use with students right away
Speakers:
- Ethan Sawyer, Founder/College Essay Guy
- Hanah Lim, Director of Workshops/College Essay Guy
Pricing
| NACAC Member Rate | Associate Member / Nonmember Rate |
|
|---|---|---|
| Through April 24 | $85 | $150 |
| April 25 – July 24 | $95 | $160 |
| July 25 – September 25 | $105 | $170 |
| Onsite | $115 | $180 |
