Catch Up On What Happened at Superconvening 2024

It was our biggest and best yet!

At NASH’s 2024 Superconvening in Washington, D.C., leaders from across higher education, philanthropy, business, and government gathered to explore groundbreaking initiatives in postsecondary education.

Themed "Systemness at Scale," this year’s Superconvening gave a record-breaking number of attendees the opportunity to engage with thought leaders and discuss programs to advance prosperity by leveraging systemness in higher education through testing, seeding, and scaling solutions within and across higher education systems.

Notable speakers at the event included:

• James Kvaal, U.S. Under Secretary of Education
• Kate Shaw, Pennsylvania Deputy Secretary and Commissioner of Postsecondary and Higher Education
• John B. King, Chancellor of The State University of New York and Former U.S. Secretary of Education
• Kristen Fox, CEO of the Business-Higher Education Forum
• Michael Collins, Vice President of Center for Racial Economic Equity & Jobs for the Future
• Doug Lederman, Editor & Co-Founder of Inside Higher Education
• Sheila Caldwell, V.P. for Antiracism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Chief Diversity Office, Southern Illinois University System

Check out some of our favorite highlights…

NASH AWARDS

The first-ever NASH Awards were presented to individuals and organizations that have demonstrated excellence and innovation in advancing the goals of systemness. The Seeding, Testing, and Scaling for Change awards served as a testament to the dedication and hard work of those driving transformative change within our sector, and the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Devinder Malhotra for his unwavering commitment to the Power of Systems.

Devinder Malhotra

PANELS + BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Additionally, this year’s Superconvening featured panel discussions that addressed challenges and opportunities for system-level leaders, such as the advantages of system-level data and analytics, courageous leadership in challenging political landscapes, and shaping the future of states and their economic prosperity.

NASH provided an update on its Power of Systems goals related to credential and degree completion, social mobility, and reducing student debt. In addition, a panel of experts shared the ways that they use system-level data, and highlight both the opportunities and challenges of working with large, multi-campus data systems. The session concluded with an open discussion and questions from attendees.

(From Left to Right): Tristan Denley, Deputy Commissioner for Academic Affairs and Innovation, Louisiana Board of Regents, Kathy Booth, Co-Director of WestEd’s Center for Economic Mobility, West Ed, Zachary Pardos, Associate Professor , UC Berkeley, Priyank Shah, Executive Director, Minnesota State Center for Data Access & Analytics & Daniel Knox, Director, Institute for Systems Innovation and Improvement (NASH)

Panelists highlighted evidence-based practices for leveraging systemness to ensure all students, regardless of their background or zip code, have the access and opportunity to attain upward social mobility. The session concluded with an open discussion with the panel taking questions from attendees.

(From Left to Right): Scott Olson, Chancellor, Minnesota State, Rebecca Karoff, Associate Vice Chancellor, University of Texas System, Sheila Caldwell, V.P. for Antiracism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Chief Diversity Office, Southern Illinois University System, Juan Salgado, Chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago & Jillian Kinzie, Associate Director, Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research

In the ever-evolving landscape of our global economy, systems have become critical to shaping the future of states and their economic prosperity. By showcasing real-world examples and successful strategies, this session provided actionable approaches for leaders in higher education, government, and industry to harness the Power of Systems. The session concluded with an open discussion with the panel taking questions from attendees.

Dr. Jason E. Lane, President & Chief Systemness Officer, NASH & Michael Collins, Vice President, Center for Racial Economic Equity, Jobs for the Future

(From Left to Right): Rico R. Reed, Chief Partnerships Officer, NASH, Jessica Todtman, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, NASH, Jonathan Gyurko, President & Co-founder, ACUE, David Belsky, CEO & Founder, Good Rebellion