2026 NASPA Western Regional Conference

November 7-10, 2026 • Vancouver, British Columbia

The 2026 NASPA Western Regional Conference (WRC) provides and engaging engaging environment to learn, connect, and recharge. Designed to foster both professional growth and personal renewal, the conference features thought-provoking educational sessions, innovative practices, and meaningful dialogue that extends well beyond the formal program. Attendees will have opportunities to exchange ideas, build lasting professional relationships, and explore emerging trends shaping higher education and student affairs.

Set against the inspiring backdrop of Vancouver, WRC 2026 is more than a conference, it is an immersive experience, one that energizes participants, broadens perspectives, and strengthens our collective commitment to supporting student success. Whether you are an emerging professional or a seasoned leader, WRC 2026 offers space for reflection, inspiration, and impactful collaboration.

We look forward to learning from your experiences, research, innovations, and best practices. Thank you for helping us create a dynamic and meaningful conference experience for student affairs professionals across the Western Region.

Schedule At-a-Glance

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Sunday, November 8, 2026

Monday, November 9, 2026

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Require additional registration and fee

Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAO) 

Paul Bennion, Vice President for Student & Dean of Students, The College of Idaho (Lead - SSAO Institute) 

Leslie Webb, Vice Provost Student Affairs, University of Montana (Co-Lead - SSAO Institute) 

This institute is designed for the senior student affairs/services leader at their institution, serving as an opportunity for SSAOs to engage in trusted dialogue with colleagues on shared, important and timely matters affecting our unique roles and campus experiences. 

AVP: Leading Student Affairs Through Complexity, Constraint, and Change

Kim Holapa, Senior Associate Vice Provost for External Relations and Strategic Initiatives, Washington State University (Lead - AVP/DOS Institute) 

This institute is designed for senior student affairs leaders who serve as the #2, deputy, associate/assistant vice president, dean of students-equivalent, or member of the executive leadership group. 

By the end of the institute, participants will have: identified shared leadership challenges across U.S. and Canadian institutional contexts; compared strategies for navigating financial, enrollment, compliance, and workforce pressures; developed language for demonstrating the value of student affairs; and drafted practical tactics for sustaining both institutional momentum and personal leadership capacity. 

Community College

Greg Toya, Dean of Students Affairs, Santa Ana College (Co-Lead - Community College Institute) 

Lui Amador, Dean Student Equity and Success, Cerritos College (Co-Lead - Community College Institute) 

The 2026 NASPA Western Regional Conference (WRC) is more than an event—it’s a space to recharge, reimagine, and illuminate the future of student affairs. As community colleges across the western United States and Canada navigate rapidly evolving administrative policies, funding shifts, and political pressures, student affairs leaders are being called to respond with clarity, courage, and creativity. 

Join us in Vancouver to shape the future of student affairs—together. Gain actionable strategies. Build lifelong connections. Leave with renewed clarity, confidence, and a recharged sense of purpose. 

Undergraduate Students

Nancy Nguyen, Assistant Dean of Students, Stanford University (Lead - Undergraduate Student Institute) 

The Undergraduate Student Institute at the Western Regional Conference (WRC) is a multi-day, immersive pre-conference experience. It is designed to mentor, develop, and connect undergraduate fellows exploring careers in student affairs and higher education.

Require additional registration and fee

Entry Level Professionals

Sheena Harvey, Director Fitness and Recreational Sports, University of Nevada, Reno (Lead - Entry Level Pre-Con) 

This interactive pre-conference institute is designed for graduate students, new professionals, and early career practitioners who are preparing to launch or strengthen their careers in student affairs. Through facilitated dialogue, reflective activities, case studies, and peer learning, participants will explore the evolving role of student affairs, examine current challenges facing the profession, connect theory to practice, and develop an individualized professional growth plan. 

Participants will leave with practical strategies, expanded professional networks, and greater confidence in navigating their careers while remaining grounded in their personal values and commitment to student success. 

By the end of the pre-con, participants will: 

• Develop a deeper understanding of the student affairs profession and its evolving role within higher education. 
• Examine current issues and challenges impacting higher education and student success.
• Identify leadership strengths and professional values.
• Build strategies for career planning, networking, and professional engagement.
• Create an individualized professional development roadmap. 

Mid-Level Professionals

Kathleen Massey, Vice Provost for Students, University of Lethbridge (Lead - Mid-Level Pre-Con) 

Student Affairs Leadership and Flourishing: Shaping Environments, Relationships, and Organizational Practices that Support Collective Wellbeing  

Purpose:  

Equip student affairs leaders to foster collective wellbeing by embodying flourishing personally, relationally, and organizationally. 

Description:  

As student affairs leaders, we spend our careers creating conditions for students and colleagues to thrive. Yet many of us are navigating increasing complexity, constant change, and growing demands that can leave our own wellbeing overlooked. What if flourishing wasn't another initiative to implement, but a way of leading? 

Drawing on the work of Corey Keyes, this highly interactive workshop invites mid-level leaders to explore the "multivitamins of flourishing"—helping others, continuous learning and growth, transcendence and meaning, play, and high-quality relationships—as essential ingredients for both personal wellbeing and healthy campus cultures. 

Through reflection, conversation, experiential activities, and collaborative design, participants will experience these practices firsthand and examine how they show up in their own leadership. Together, we will explore how leaders cultivate belonging, model sustainable ways of working, create opportunities for growth, connect teams to purpose, and foster cultures where people can thrive. 

By the end of the workshop, participants will: 

• Understand flourishing as a leadership competency. 
• Reflect on their own flourishing practices and leadership habits. 
• Experience Keyes' "multivitamins" directly. 
• Identify ways to model flourishing within teams and campus culture. 
• Leave with concrete commitments to leadership practices that foreground health and wellbeing. 

Join us to reimagine leadership through the lens of flourishing—and discover how small, intentional practices can create lasting cultural change. 

Wellness

Matt Dolf, Director Wellbeing Strategy and Health Promotion, University of British Columbia (Tri-Lead - Wellness Pre-Con) 

Jennifer Pagala Barnett, Associate Director for Student Equity, Excellence and Diversity, UH Manoa (Tri-Lead - Wellness Pre-Con) 

Gerald Corporal, Event Services Manager, University of Washington (Tri-Lead - Wellness Pre-Con) 

Promoting collective wellbeing: From within Student Affairs to being part of building a healthy campus 

Health, Collective Wellbeing, and Basic Needs (HWB) are one of three pillars of the 2026 Western Regional Conference Curricular Framework. This pre-conference centers the wellbeing aspect of HWB and will situate attendees to draw inspiration from the University of British Columbia’s Gateway Health Building. 

UBC has decades of investments in the health promoting campus (HPC) approach, which centers on what actively creates health, rather than just preventing illness. This session is for anyone new to the approach, or looking to share ideas with colleagues on how to implement it at their own campus among student affairs professionals. 

We will trace the history of the HPC movement and dig in to the Okanagan Charter and Limerick Framework for action. Participants will gain a shared language and foundational tools to integrate salutogenic principles back to their home institutions. 

Shifting the lens inward, the program will also address the vital connection between institutional environments and personalized sustainability. Through interactive sessions and a panel of diverse student affairs leaders sharing their personal wellness journeys, struggles, and triumphs, participants will explore the intersections of occupational, emotional, and systemic wellness. 

By the end of the workshop, participants will: 

• Actionable Frameworks 
• Workplace Wellbeing Strategies 
• A Renewed Professional Network 

The call for programs has now closed. Thank you to folks who submitted proposals!

The call for reviewers has now closed. Thank you to folks who signed up to serve as reviewers!

Agenda

Coming Soon...