July 17, 2023
Tinley Park Convention Center
Tinley Park, Illinois
2023 CCE Conference – DEIA: The Work We Need to Do
The 2023 College Changes Everything® (CCE) conference theme was DEIA: The Work We Need to Do. The 13th annual CCE conference gathered equity designers from across the state to leverage their knowledge, expertise, and personal experiences to examine Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) issues Illinois students face. A guiding question for the conference was how do we advance educational equity for Illinois students.
Morning Keynote Speaker
The conference’s morning general session highlighted a conversation with Dr. Susie Wise, author of Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities. Dr. Wise is a design leader with experience in the education, tech, and social sectors. She coaches leaders in equity design and innovation practices. She teaches at the d.school at Stanford University and coaches with the Mira Fellowship. Previously she founded and directed the K12 Lab at the d.school and co-created Liberatory Design.
Agenda and Conference Session Presentations
Conference agenda information and presentations from interest sessions are found below. Breakout sessions were presented by state and national leaders and provided purposeful information that engaged the attendees in the critical issues we face, such as: student support services, retention, remediation, college readiness, career development, out of school programs, students with disabilities, nontraditional students, change to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and more.
Check website later as additional interest session presentations and materials are continuing to be added.
General Session Presentations
Keynote: In Conversation with Dr. Susie Wise, Author – Design for Belonging: How to Build Inclusion and Collaboration in Your Communities
Equity Installation: What is the ISACorps Video
Interest Session Presentations and Materials
Round 1
- The FAFSA: Rolling with the Changes
- The Complexity and Opportunities of Student-Centered Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access (DEIA) Work: A New Focus at John A. Logan College
- The Importance of Early Advising and Postsecondary Pathways for Student Success
- Expanding College Access and Success for Latino Students and their Families
- Equity in Higher Education: Setting Priorities for the Higher Education System
- Leveraging the High School Therapeutic Setting to Launch Students into Meaningful CTE Tracks
- Navigating College
- Supporting Student Wellness and Mental Health at Illinois Community Colleges
- Preparing Gen Z Entering the Workforce
- Creating Supportive Pathways Through Higher Education for the Early Childhood Workforce
- Stronger Than They Know: Supporting Students of Color in Recognizing Common Obstacles and Utilizing Resilience to Succeed in Higher Education
Round 2
- A Brisk PaCE
- Supporting First Generation Students from High School to College Completion
- Supporting ESL Students and Families Through the College Application Process
- Conceptualizing Adequacy-Based Funding for Illinois
- A Statewide View of Career and Technical Education
- Focus on Equity: Guidance for Supporting Students with Disabilities and Their Higher Education Transition
- Dual Credit and the PWR Act: Best Practices for Increasing Dual Credit Offerings in Schools
- Overcoming the Effects of Trauma in Postsecondary Programming
- One Million Degrees - City Colleges of Chicago Expanded Partnership, One Year In: Lessons for Practitioners
- Workforce Equity Initiative: Supporting and Credentialing Thousands of Black Learners in High Demand Training Programs
Round 3
- The FAFSA Is Not an Extracurricular Activity
- How Academic Match, Social Fit, and Affordability Impact Enrollment, Persistence, and Transfer Choices
- Unlocking Access: The Power and Promise of Higher Education for Justice-Involved Individuals in Illinois
- CIS360 - College and Career Readiness for All
- Two Steps Ahead: Gamifying First Year College Success
- Collaborating for Student Success; Strategic Partnerships Between Financial Aid and University Support Services
- Working with, for, and about Adult Education Students: A Coaching Experience
- IPP in 2023: Growing to Meet Your Needs - Now with Illinois State Profile Data and More!
- College and Career Pathway Endorsement (CCPE) Overview
- Diagnosis Professional Judgment
Round 4
- Unifying Educational Equity: Illinois' Undocumented Students
- Invest in Biliteracy–The Seal of Biliteracy Earns College Credit
- Rural Illinois: Nurturing Rural Roots, Fostering College Futures
- Textbook Affordability: Why It Matters and How to Take Action
- Illinois workNet - Helps You Overcome Challenges that Impact DEIA
- How We ALL Succeed: A Proven Equity Strategy for Schools
- Public Housing Approaches to Working with the Non-Traditional Student
- Climate and Equitable Jobs Act: A Model for Equitable Workforce Training
Who Attends
One of the key strengths of this conference is that it brings together a diverse audience of stakeholders from across the state for a day of dialogue and sharing information, ideas, and best practices that promote access to postsecondary education, ensure degree or credential attainment, and provide career pathways. Attendees typically include, but are not limited to:
- high school leaders, counselors, and case managers
- college access practitioners
- college and university leaders and administrators
- leaders from state agencies, non-profits, foundations, and community-based organizations focused on educational opportunity and attainment and career pathways
- business leaders
- policymakers and elected officials interested in higher education and workforce development
The conference also serves as an opportunity for participants to renew existing relationships and develop new ones while improving collective leadership as we work toward Goal 2025.
Sessions
Breakout interest sessions provide timely information and engage the audience in thoughtful discussions on the serious issues we face in reaching the state goal, and are presented by state and national experts and practitioners. Topics include:
- college readiness
- navigating the college-going process
- after school programs
- supporting special student populations
- mentoring programs
- student support services
- career readiness
- connecting students and employers
- and more
2023 College Changes Everything Conference Planning Committee
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission
- Illinois Board of Higher Education
- Illinois Community College Board
- Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- Illinois State Board of Education
- Illinois College Access Network
- Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities
- Advance Illinois
- Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University
- ACT Now
- Women Employed
The College Changes Everything® Conference is sponsored
by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.
Helping Illinois reach its Goal 2025: to increase the proportion of adults in Illinois with high-quality college degrees and postsecondary credentials to 60% by the year 2025