Nearly 200 staff, faculty, and administrators from across the country gathered in San Diego on Nov. 12-14 for three days of connection, collaboration, and fresh thinking at the inaugural Caring Campus Conference: Building a National Culture of Care. Attendees left energized and equipped with new ideas, strategies, and tools to strengthen student success efforts on their own campuses.
“My favorite part of the conference has been the connections I’ve made and knowing we’re not alone in this pursuit,” Hinds Community College Vice President of Student Services Dr. Jennifer Scott-Gilmore said. “There are so many others nationally doing this work and believing in the Caring Campus model. We can see that the model is working and what everyone is achieving.”
The conference featured engaging keynote sessions by Dr. Peter Felten and Dr. Vincent Tinto, two national leaders whose careers have centered on championing student success.
“Every word you speak matters,” Tinto said. “Students hold their futures in their hands, and one wrong action or one wrong word can turn them away for good. The smallest interaction can shape whether a student stays or walks out the door.”
Through interactive sessions led by Caring Campus implementers nationwide, participants exchanged ideas, learned practical tools, and gained fresh inspiration.
The conference closed with the first-ever Caring Campus Awards Ceremony, honoring colleges and universities that have demonstrated exceptional Caring Campus implementation, including the inaugural cohort of nine campuses to earn Caring Campus Certification.
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