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.

 

 

 

This conference programming framework serves as a guide for program submissions, keynote and featured speakers, institute curricula, and all educational offerings at the NASPA 2026 Western Regional Conference in Vancouver, Canada. Rooted in the realities of higher education across the western United States and Canada, this framework is designed to help practitioners and scholars respond to present challenges while imagining more just, sustainable, and interdependent futures. The conference planning committee has identified  thematic areas that reflect urgent priorities in student affairs and higher education.

 

This conference and the themes noted as part of our curricular framework creates intentional space for reflection, understanding the importance of global learning, and the responsibility to engage place, people, and practice with intention. This conference aims to foster learning around addressing how place, environment, regional histories shape institutions, policy, and practice across our geographical regions. Interwoven into the conference framework, brining a lens of inclusive excellence, truth in higher education, we aim to create a vibrant program that encompasses the whole person, considering multiple identities and perspectives in centering our work. 

 

Each theme is designed to support actionable learning, meaningful dialogue, future collaboration opportunities, and practical takeaways for individuals working and leading in a wide range of institutional contexts.

 

1. Health, Collective Wellbeing & Basic Needs (HWB)

This conference theme centers the holistic wellbeing of students, employees, campus communities and their surrounding neighborhoods. Sessions in this area explore topics including, but not limited to, mental health, emotional wellbeing, belonging as a contributor to wellness, and the institutional conditions that shape how and if individuals thrive. This theme also considers basic needs work, recognizing that food security, housing, financial wellness, and access to care are essential foundations for student success and equitable participation in learning and student experience. Programming may address proactive and integrated approaches to supporting wellbeing and care, engagement with purposeful partnerships, updated ways to facilitate crisis response, trauma-informed practice, understanding burnout and compassion fatigue, and the creation of healthier campus cultures that support both students and professionals. 

Possible session topics:

• Mental health and trauma-informed student support
• Basic needs ecosystems and institutional partnerships
• Burnout, supervision, and sustainable staff care
• Disability, access, and wellbeing
• Public health, prevention, and crisis response
• Holistic models of student thriving

2. Belonging, Identity & Community (BIC)

This category focuses on the relationships, identities, and communities that shape campus life. Sessions will examine how institutions cultivate belonging, connection, and trust across differences, while honoring the lived experiences of students, staff, faculty, and surrounding communities. Programming may explore coalition-building, intergroup dialogue, student voice and activism, intercultural engagement, and community-centered approaches to leadership and support. This area should also invite proposals that consider cross-border identities, migration, multilingual communities, and the distinct social, cultural, and political dynamics of our geographical region.

Possible session topics:

• Belonging initiatives and assessment
• Student identity development and campus climate
• Coalition-building across communities
• Intergenerational and intercultural connection
• Student activism, voice, and democratic engagement
• Community partnerships and regional collaboration

 

3. Leadership, Policy & the Future of Higher Education (LPF)

This category equips attendees to navigate the complexity, uncertainty, and opportunity shaping higher education today. Sessions in this area may focus on governance, legal and policy issues, compliance, ethics, data-informed decision-making, emerging technologies, and the evolving workforce. This theme also creates space for strategic imagination: how institutions can reimagine systems, structures, and student affairs practice in response to demographic change, political pressures, labor realities, climate concerns, and technological transformation. Programming should support leaders at all levels in making thoughtful, values-based decisions in increasingly complex environments across both U.S. and Canadian contexts.

Possible session topics:

• Policy and governance across changing contexts
• Free speech, protest, compliance, and institutional risk
• AI, technology, and ethical innovation
• Data, assessment, and strategic decision-making
• The future of the profession and workforce sustainability
• Climate, demographics, and long-range planning

To support building a robust conference program, we are seeking proposals for the following session types:

• General Interest Sessions
  
  
• SA Speaks Sessions
  
  
• Roundtable Sessions

Details for each of the session types is listed below. 

 

Program proposals are due on Friday, July 24th, at 11:59 PM PST

 

 

One great way to be involved with NASPA or the Western Regional Conference is to serve as a program reviewer.

Each reviewer will be assigned between 5-10 programs to review. Reviewers will thoroughly read the proposal and offer rankings and written (anonymous) feedback.

 

The program review process enables NASPA to select the best programs for the conference.  Its success depends on the willingness of reviewers from all levels of professional service, whether you are a graduate student or an experienced professional, to share your time, expertise, and perspective. 

 

Your experience, knowledge, and unique perspective enable you to provide helpful advice to the NASPA Western Regional conference committee on the merits of the proposals and provide constructive comments to proposers.  In making our final decisions on proposals and the conference schedule, the conference committee finds the participation of reviewers invaluable.

 

In addition to providing a great service to NASPA and the student affairs community, reviewers benefit from gaining first-hand knowledge of the review process, gaining perspective on the proposal-writing process, and discovering strategies to write their own strong proposals in the future.  Serving as a reviewer is a great professional development opportunity.

 

Reviewer applications are due by July 8th 2026 at 11:59pm PST

Session Types

 

The 2026 NASPA WRC features multiple session formats to share your research, best practices, knowledge, and expertise. Choose one of the formats below before starting your proposal:

 

General Interest Sessions:

50-minute sessions on the conference theme, successful campus programs, or current trends. These sessions are designed to provide valuable insights and practical strategies that can be implemented on your campus.

 

SA Speaks Sessions:

10-minute talks sharing personal narratives and insights. These sessions will provide a platform for Student Affairs professionals to share their stories, experiences, and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in our field.

 

Roundtable:

Less formal ways to engage other attendees around a central topic or program area. Roundtable discussion sessions will be held concurrently throughout the event in a specific space. Facilitators usually provide a brief introduction to a topic (5-10 minutes) and then lead a discussion with several prompting questions.

 

Preparing a conference proposal is an opportunity to share your expertise, innovative practices, research, and ideas with colleagues across the field. Whether this is your first proposal or one of many, we encourage you to take advantage of the resources available to support your success.

 

We're here to help! Explore the resources below to strengthen your proposal, receive feedback from Writing Lab consultants, connect with potential collaborators, and access tips for crafting a clear, engaging, and competitive submission. We are here to help you refine your ideas, strengthen your submission, and confidently prepare your proposal for review.

 

Looking for a Co-Presenter or Collaborator?

The Conference Programming Committee is here to help if you are interested in presenting at NASPA WRC 2026 and are looking for a co-presenter, collaborator, thought partner, or facilitator. The planning team will use responses to help facilitate potential connections among attendees and professionals with shared interests. 

 

Link - https://forms.gle/TZZjQMGJG5DwLyG16

 

Join us for a writing lab!

The Conference Programming Committee is excited to also host conference proposal writing labs to assist individuals in brainstorming proposal topics, talk through questions related to submitting a conference proposal, and be able to provide general feedback on conference proposal drafts. 

 

Drop-In Writing Lab Hours: Pop in for any window of time in the sessions below for support!

 

• Wednesday, July 1, 2026 - 2:30pm-4:30pm PST - RSVP HERE to get the drop-in zoom link for this session
  
  
• Monday, July 6th 1pm-4pm PST - RSVP HERE to get the drop-in zoom link for this session

 

We will continue to add drop-in writing lab hours while the call for programs is open!

 

Can’t make it to any of the drop-in writing lab hours? That’s okay! Request individual writing lab support. We are here to help!

 

NASPA WRC 2026 Individual Writing Lab Support - https://forms.gle/vVhkZ65mp9po3AYZ9

 

Thinking about submitting a program proposal for the NASPA Western Regional Conference? Whether you're a first-time presenter or a seasoned facilitator, we've developed a set of resources to help you craft a strong, engaging, and competitive proposal.

 

Successful proposals do more than describe a topic; they clearly articulate participant learning, demonstrate relevance to current issues in higher education, and create meaningful opportunities for engagement. To support you throughout the proposal development process, we encourage you to explore the resources below before submitting your proposal.

 

Proposal Development Guide

A comprehensive guide that walks you through each component of a successful conference proposal, including titles, abstracts, learning outcomes, participant engagement strategies, and common proposal pitfalls.

Download the Proposal Development Guide - Guide to Building A Strong Conference Proposal.pdf

 

Proposal Planning Worksheet

A step-by-step planning tool designed to help you organize your ideas, clarify your session goals, develop measurable learning outcomes, and align your proposal with conference priorities.

Download the Proposal Planning Worksheet - Conference Proposal Planning Worksheet.pdf

 

Proposal Readiness Assessment

Before you submit, use this self-review tool to assess the strength of your proposal. The assessment will help you evaluate alignment, learning outcomes, participant engagement, practical application, and overall proposal quality.

 

Download the Proposal Readiness Assessment - Complete A Proposal Readiness Assessment.pdf

 

 

 

Schedule At-a-Glance

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Agenda

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