Community Colleges Institute

The NASPA Community Colleges Institute (CCI) is a pre-conference experience designed specifically by our community college members and held prior to the NASPA Annual Conference. This compact, day and a half event, offers a valuable opportunity to connect with colleagues, leaders, educators, and student affairs professionals from across the nation.

The  institute is designed to enrich your professional development and kick - start your conference experience. Register for CCI and gain access to an exclusive learning environment.

Call for Programs

The conference leadership committee invites you to submit a proposal that addresses the theme and outcomes for our 2026 Institute!

Submission Due date: 
October 22,2025

2026 Community College Theme: 
Community Colleges at the Crossroads: Align. Transform. Evolve.

Learning Outcomes

LEARNING OUTCOME

ALIGN

Strategy, Assessment, and Institutional Agility: Examine how institutions are aligning strategy, assessment, and purpose to stay relevant in a rapidly changing landscape

• Examine strategies for navigating institutional politics and securing alignment across departments, divisions, and leadership levels.
• Explore how data-informed planning and assessment support student retention, guide institutional change, and ensure alignment with institutional goals and mission.
• Analyze how evolving definitions of credentials and degrees (Community College 3.0) are shaping institutional identity and student pathways.
• Discuss how skills, experiences, and leadership approaches translate across two-year and four-year institutions

LEARNING OUTCOME

TRANSFORM

Workforce and Community Partnerships: Explore how community colleges are transforming their role through innovative partnerships that expand opportunity, improve access, and respond to regional workforce needs. 

• Share partnership models with employers, community organizations, and four-year institutions that support student success and regional economic development.
• Identify strategies to engage students early and sustain long-term pipeline development through intentional outreach and design.
• Examine funding models and grant strategies that scale workforce innovation  and expand access to career-connected learning.
• Discuss how cross-sector partnerships and pathways can support credential attainment, transfer success, and meaningful degree completion.

LEARNING OUTCOME

EVOLVE

AI and Innovation in Practice: Discover how community colleges are using AI and digital innovation to evolve operations, instruction, and student support, while staying grounded in mission and strategy. 

• Identify AI tools and practices that extend staff and faculty capacity across teaching, operations, and advising.
• Explore classroom and student services applications of AI that improve access, connection, and responsiveness.
• Discuss frameworks for evaluating ethical, responsible, and inclusive AI use in higher education.
• Introduce forward-looking strategies that integrate innovation into long-term planning, building on institutional insights and evolving student and workforce needs.

Keynote Speakers

We are excited to welcome you to Kansas City at the 2026 Community College Institute. Meet our Keynote Speakers!

Dr. Kimberly Beatty became Metropolitan Community College’s eighth chancellor on July 1, 2017. A champion of access and equity, she is devoted to the community college mission of providing access to higher education for all. In 2019 she penned “The Path Forward,” a vision of MCC’s future that calls for better alignment of workforce programs with industry needs, greater student access to those programs, and enhanced MCC learning environments.

As a lifetime educator, she has made intentional strides in developing and providing the leadership for the development of programs that support students and meet the needs of the business community. At MCC, Beatty casted a vision that built upon the existing Institutes at MCC. In collaboration with the executive leadership team, she led efforts to develop the Advanced Technical Skills Institute in the heart of the city with Automotive and Agriculture Institutes under development.

She has a bold vision for MCC and its footprint in Kansas City, and is dedicated to the Kansas City community through board and volunteer service. She is a member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Civic Council; Full Employment Council Board, Downtown Council, and University Health System. She is also a leader in other regional and national professional organizations.

She came to MCC from Houston Community College, the nation’s fourth-largest community college system, where she served as vice chancellor for instructional services and chief academic officer. She also held leadership positions at community colleges in California and Virginia, and was a tenured associate professor of English.  Dr. Beatty is married to Kelvin Beatty. They are proud parents of three sons, Kelvin Jr., Michael and Ian. They also have five grandsons.

Dr. Darla M. Cooper is an educational leader and expert in research and evaluation dedicated to using inquiry, data, and evidence to improve the lives of community college students.

Having worked in the California Community Colleges system for over 25 years, she is currently the Executive Director for the Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges (The RP Group) and the Past President of the Umoja Community Education Foundation Board.

At The RP Group, she has led landmark research projects: Student Support (Re)defined, a study to identify the factors that support student success; Through the Gate, an analysis of what happens with students who appear ready to transfer, but do not; African American Transfer Tipping Point, an examination of the factors that facilitate or hinder university transfer among African American/Black students; and Geographic Barriers to Transfer, which documents how distance to the nearest public university affects students’ transfer success.

Dr. Cooper has also worked on national projects: Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) Pathways Project. She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego, and an MSEd and EdD from the University of Southern California.

Featured Panel

We are excited to introduce you to 2026 Community College Institute's Featured Panel!

Matt Cettin is a senior higher education administrator with deep expertise in institutional effectiveness, strategic planning, accreditation, and data-informed decision-making. He currently plays a central role in building the planning, assessment, and accountability infrastructure at Erie County Community College (EC3), where he supports collegewide strategy execution, operational planning, and Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) candidacy and self-study preparation. His work bridges institutional research, governance, and operations; ensuring that plans are measurable, evidence-based, and aligned with mission, workforce needs, and regulatory expectations.

His professional focus centers on translating complex data into practical action. Matt has led efforts spanning enrollment and student success analytics, program and workforce alignment, KPI and dashboard development, and cross-functional committee design. He regularly integrates regional labor market intelligence, demographic data, and economic development priorities into academic and operational decision-making, helping institutions move beyond compliance toward continuous improvement and measurable outcomes.

Known for his pragmatic, systems-level approach, Matt brings a project-management mindset to institutional change, emphasizing clarity, accountability, and execution over rhetoric. He frequently collaborates with employers, economic development partners, and civic organizations to align education with regional opportunity, and he is particularly interested in scalable models that connect higher education, workforce development, and community impact.

Tyjaun A. Lee serves as the Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services at Metropolitan Community College. In this position, she is responsible for facilities, finance, campus police, human resources, Procurement Workforce, and Economic Development. Before this role, she served as campus president of the Penn Valley campus at Metropolitan Community College. Where she was responsible for all campus operations including the Health Sciences Institute and Advanced Technical Skills Institute, which encompasses over thirteen health sciences programs. She is also responsible for all academic and student services on the Penn Valley Campus. Prior to arriving at MCC Penn Valley, she served as Vice President for Student Services at Prince George’s Community College.  In that role, she was responsible for managing administrative units, programs, and student services including recruitment, enrollment, student development, retention, marketing, athletics, and the coordination of the operational oversight of auxiliary services for students.  

She was appointed by Mayor Quintin Lucas to serve on the Kansas City Transit Authority, where she serves as Governance and Audit Committee. She serves on the Connections to Success Board and Keystone Innovation CoLab. She is a Board member of the National Alliance of Community and Technical Colleges. Finally, she happily serves as a Board member of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement. She is also the past president of the American Association of Women in Community Colleges, an affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges.  Most recently, she received the Phi Theta Kappa New President’s Paragon Award from the Phi Theta Kappa International Honors Society. She is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated.

She is an adjunct faculty member for Community College Leadership Program at Kansas State University and Capella University’s School of Education, Social, and Behavioral Sciences. The Ohio University School of Education also appointed Lee as the Holmes Scholar, a notable recognition. Adding to her achievements, Lee was recently celebrated by the Kansas City Business Journal in August 2023 as one of the Women Who Do Business. Lee, a Cleveland native, completed her undergraduate and graduate programs at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where she received her Doctorate in Educational Leadership. She is mom of two adorable puppies, Romeo and Jewels. 

Jennifer Libby has been the Director of LEAP Tampa Bay College Access Network since August 2024. LEAP Tampa Bay is a community-focused college access and success initiative based in the Tampa Bay area. It’s a network of more than 70 community partners, including education institutions, businesses, government, and nonprofits—working together to help people access education and training beyond high school.

Jennifer was previously the Chief Program Officer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay where she spent 24 years creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignited the power and promise of youth. Jennifer in her tenure led BBBS Tampa Bay to be one of the largest and most successful Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in the nation.

Jennifer received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and her M.B.A. from the University of South Florida. Jennifer has more than 25 years’ experience in volunteer engagement, program management, partnership development, and grant writing/management. Jennifer is a proud mom of 2 children and has been a Big Sister mentor for more than 20 years and a Girl Scout Leader for 7 years.  

Dr. Feleccia Moore-Davis is a first-generation college graduate whose personal experience underscores a deep commitment to advancing education as a catalyst for individual and community transformation. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana, a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology from Texas A&M University, and a doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Regent University. She leads through a servant and inclusive leadership lens, with scholarly interests centered on mentorship, organizational change, and development. Dr. Moore-Davis brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education, serving in both instructional and cross-functional administrative leadership roles within community colleges.

She currently serves as Campus President of St. Louis Community College–Meramec, having previously held the role of Provost at Tallahassee Community College in Florida. Dr. Moore-Davis began her academic career as a professor of Psychology and has since served in varied leadership roles. Guided by an unwavering commitment to student success and community engagement, she has led transformative initiatives that enhanced teaching and learning, expanded academic support services, and launched innovative programs that increased enrollment, persistence, and completion. An equity-minded, results-driven, and collaborative leader, she spearheads institutional efforts to implement Guided Pathways with a sustained focus on facilitating success for all students.

Dr. Moore-Davis is actively engaged in national conversations on student success and completion. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Association for Women in Community Colleges and has served on the American Association of Community Colleges Commission for Structured Pathways and the American Council on Education Women’s Network. In addition, she is a member of the Boards of Directors for the Kirkwood–Des Peres Chamber of Commerce, the Higher Education Commission, and the Missouri Career and College Attainment Network (MOCAN).

Schedule

The schedule has been designed to provide participants with interactive and engaging programming, opportunities for deeper discussion, and networking. Additional registration is required to attend the institute. The schedule is subject to change. Visit our NASPA Events app for up-to-date information.  

Day 1 - Saturday, March 7, 2026

Day 2 - Sunday, March 8, 2026

Register

We are excited to welcome you to Kansas City at the 2026 Community College Institute. Register now at the early bird rate until February 4, 2026!

The Community College Institute is a preconference institute at the NASPA Annual Conference. *Additional registration is required to attend the institute.  

Attendee Registration Rates

Registration eligibility for member rates is determined based on an individual’s active membership status at the time of the event. If your membership is set to expire before the event date, you will have the opportunity to renew during the registration process in order to retain access to member pricing.

Get Involved

The 2027 Community Colleges Institute (CCI) Conference Leadership Committee (CLC) Interest Form is now open!

The CLC is responsible for developing a high-quality professional development experience for all CCI attendees.Committee members work to identify relevant themes and learning outcomes, seek individuals who can serve as content experts, plan networking opportunities, and review program proposals.

If you are interested in joining us, please complete the application by May 15, 2026. Members who are selected will be notified of the first committee meeting in June.

 We look forward to planning the 2027 Community Colleges Institute with you!

#CCI27 will be held March 6 - 10, 2027 in the National Harbor, MD. 
The conference leadership committee invites you to submit a proposal that addresses the theme and outcomes for our 2026 Institute!

Thank You

Thank you to our 2026 CLC Committee Members! 

• Candice Baldwin, *2026 CCI Chair
• Nicole  Baird
• Iris Castellanos
• Lisa Cooper Wilkins
• Dana Horne
• Fai Howard
• Christina Lee
• Kiantra Loza
• Alexis McLean
• Natasha Otto
• Karey TompkinsPine
• Dantrayl Smith

Learn More!

The Community College Institute is a signature event for the NASPA Community Colleges Division (CCD). 

CCD is a vibrant and engaging home for community college professionals. The CCD examines issues relevant to community college institutions and professionals and hosts a variety of professional development opportunities. The Division provides thought leadership to NASPA through advocacy for community colleges.

For more information and to get involved visit the Community Colleges Division website.