Compact26 will take place over the course of three days and feature a wide variety of engaging, interactive sessions focused on civic engagement, community-engaged research, civic- and service-learning, institutional change, university-community partnerships and more.
Join a pre-conference institute for a deep-dive on a given topic before the official kickoff of Compact26 on Monday, March 16 Pre-Conference Institutes are offered at an added rate of $90 per participant. Breakfast and lunch are included.
Each year, members of The Research University Civic Engagement Network (TRUCEN) affinity network gather before the kick-off of the annual conference. TRUCEN members are highly encouraged to join for the annual meeting and stay for the full conference.
Sunday & Monday American Democracy Project at Compact26
We're pleased to announce that we are partnering with AASCU as they bring American Democracy Project (ADP) to Compact26! Join in on Sunday, 3/15 and Monday morning, 3/16 for for a day and a half of ADP-focused dialogue, collaboration, and collective envisioning.
Scroll down to find all the great sessions that Compact26 has to offer! Looking for something specific? Use the filter buttons to narrow down your agenda to the sessions you'd like to see.
Want to host a meet-up for your community, affinity group, or special interest? Submit a Compact26 meet-up request form! We'll field requests and assign groups rooms and times for meet-ups. Space and time availabIlity is limited, so be sure to submit your request ASAP!
Space is limited! Submissions accepted on a rolling basis through February 13, 2026.
Join a pre-conference institute for a deep-dive on a given topic before the official kickoff of Compact26 on Monday, March 16. Pre-Conference Institutes are offered at an added rate of $90 per participant. Lunch is included.
Campus Action Planning: Sustaining Impact through Civic & Community Engagement
Matt Farley, Campus Compact Laura Weaver, Campus Compact
This is a critical moment for American democracy and higher education’s place within it, with trust in public institutions at historic lows. Now is the time to re-envision what an institutional commitment to community and civic engagement looks like. Over the past year, Campus Compact has engaged a team of design Fellows to help us reimagine what developing a campus-wide plan for civic and community engagement looks like. Participants will be among the first to see the newly updated Campus Action Plan for Civic & Community Engagement (CAP) framework, which highlights strategic planning methods to advance community-campus partnerships. The hands-on activities in this session are designed to introduce participants to action planning in a way that can move them forward once they return to their campus, while also reflecting on how this process builds on current priorities and activities. Attendees will share their experiences with various types of campus planning and discuss how this method is similar and different, and why it is essential for rebuilding trust and confidence in higher education. Don’t miss the chance to join your higher education colleagues for learning, planning, networking, and collective inspiration as we work to bring our college and university’s mission to life through civic and community engagement. We welcome higher education senior administrators, engagement center directors, community engagement professionals, faculty, and student affairs professionals with experience in engagement, outreach, extension, and economic and workforce development who seek to strengthen and implement impactful, sustainable civic initiatives. This experience has been designed with individual participants in mind; however, small teams from a single institution are also welcome.
Diane Doberneck, University Outreach and Engagement, Michigan State University
This half-day pre-conference workshop is aimed at community-engagement professionals (CEPs), early career faculty, and graduate students--particularly those who want to published about their work. CEPs who encourage others to write and publish at their own campuses and community partners are also welcome at this workshop. We will cover 1) definitions and the importance of foundational scholarship, 2) community partner voices in writing, 3) "unfurling" a single project into multiple pieces, 4) common structures of journal articles, and 5) potential conferences and journals for dissemination. The workshop is broken into multiple interactive sections, so that participants will have a chance to work on specific, practical skills individually and in small groups. Participants will come away with tools and strategies to use in their own community work when they return to their campuses.
Pathways of Social Impact: Higher Education for the Public Good
Will Brummett, Campus Compact Sean Crossland, Utah Valley University
Join members of the Pathways working group as we explore and strategize the future of the Pathways framework and survey tool. The Pathways framework is a robust tool designed to help educators understand and support students’ diverse interests, motivations, and evolving civic identities. The framework identifies six distinct approaches to social change including Direct Service, Community-Engaged Learning and Research, Policy and Governance, and Community Organizing and Activism. Pathways are a proven approach to improving program design, responding to shifting student needs, and establishing a shared vocabulary across the field. We will strategize ways to leverage the recently published Pathways of Social Impact: Higher Education for the Public Good in the current sociopolitical contexts in which each member of campus communities finds themselves. The volume is organized into three powerful sections: 1) Practitioner Profiles introduce the core knowledge, skills, and dispositions associated with each of the six Pathways; 2) Current Uses features innovative case studies from eight institutions that have successfully adopted the framework, offering blueprints for everything from strategic planning to curricular reform and general education requirements; 3) Theoretical, Empirical, and Critical Reflections presents new data and critical analysis on the framework's potential to enhance the quality and equity of civic and community engagement programs. Designed for faculty, student affairs professionals, administrators, community partners, and students alike, this session will cultivate insights and ready-to-use tools to advance high-quality, equity-centered learning experiences and ensure that higher education fulfills its public purpose of cultivating informed, active, and socially responsible citizens. This session is open to members of the working group, those interested in joining the working group, and those learning about the Pathways for the first time.
Student-Led Strategic Planning: A How-To Workshop with Student Design Fellows
Soniy Alamdari, Campus Compact Hannah Botts, Centre College Jesskia Crockett-Murphy, Villanova University Morgan Goodwin, Campus Compact Emmanuel Gómez, Long Beach State University, Pasadena City College Ru R, College of Dupage Markya Reed, Johns Hopkins University
Strategic plans for student civic leadership are typically written for or about students—rarely by them as paid leaders guiding every step. Campus Compact aims to change that model. With support from the Lumina Foundation, Campus Compact launched the Student Design Fellowship to model a new vision for student civic leadership driven by student voices. Over two years, our Student Design Fellows investigated students' aspirations for creating a more equitable future for civic leadership and the challenges blocking their way. Their findings—organized into six themes and seven programmatic ideas—provide a clear roadmap that Campus Compact's Student Engagement team is now implementing. Campus Compact now wants to take this model and support campuses that aim to do the same by centering student voice and leadership. In this 3-hour interactive workshop, you will: - Learn design-thinking methodology from our Student Design Fellow experts. - Explore how to replicate this model on your campus. - Practice hands-on exercises to plan your own student design process. - Brainstorm additional ways to center student leadership in your organization. - Hear lessons learned from the Design Fellows, including best practices and pitfalls to avoid - Collaborate with peers in the field to share best practices and troubleshoot challenges. - Learn how to get further involved in student voice and leadership work with Campus Compact. - Walk away with a clear set of exercises and a draft process/roadmap you can take back to your campus. Interested faculty, staff, administrators, and especially students are invited to join us to experience how strategic planning with students—not just for them—reshapes service narratives and empowers the 'leaders of tomorrow' who are already leading today.
Using Better Discourse Across Campus to Build Capacity and Bridge Divides
Sara Mehltretter, Wabash College Allison Briscoe-Smith, Greater Good Science Center Nicholas Longo, Providence College Lisa-Marie Napoli, Indiana University Rachel Rains Winslow, George Fox University
Higher education is increasingly focused on fostering civil discourse across all parts of campus. This interactive session, inspired by Campus Compact’s Better Discourse: A Guide for Bridging Campus Divides in Challenging Times, will support faculty and practitioners in examining the diverse and dynamic ways that dialogue and discourse can transform curricular and co-curricular experiences, while also exploring the associated opportunities, boundaries, and tension points. This workshop will begin with stories of challenges related to division and polarization, as well as “what’s working” on college campuses to bridge divides, based on data gathered by Campus Compact. Workshop facilitators will highlight a series of curated field resources, and participants will engage in a collaborative reflective assessment process. Participants will have the opportunity to explore topics such as the importance of civil discourse, how to move from initial projects to broader impact, ways to integrate discourse work in curricular and co-curricular settings, and how to build campus-wide support. They will reflect on the role they play in bringing this work to the forefront across their campus, and leave having experienced dialogue and discourse models, considered campus archetypes and structures, and reflected on how to bring this work to scale. Whether you are new to discourse work or looking to deepen your approach, you will leave with clear strategies, adaptable resources, and the confidence to support better discourse across your campus, further preparing students for thoughtful, inclusive engagement in an increasingly complex world. This session is facilitated by Campus Compact’s Scaling Discourse in Higher Education Fellows, who are all nationally recognized experts in dialogue and deliberation.
This year, the TRUCEN Annual Meeting will take place on Saturday and Sunday in advance of Compact26. TRUCEN Members are highly encouraged to join us for the Annual Meeting and stay for the conference!
Registration opens soon!
Session types
To encourage diverse opportunities for learning and exchange, sessions may take one of the following formats. Presenters must select their session type when submitting a proposal for consideration.
Roundtable
In Roundtable discussions, presenters workshop ideas, gather feedback, and work collaboratively toward solutions. Presenters will discuss an initiative, project, or program at a single round table with a maximum of 8 participants.
Poster
Poster presentations are intended to promote exchange between presenters and attendees on civically and community-engaged projects. A physical poster must be provided that highlights the purpose, strategies utilized, and outcomes. Poster presentations have a dedicated session to promote dialogue and exchange. Poster presentations are an excellent opportunity to include student collaborators.
Author Talk
Author talks provide participants with an opportunity to engage with the author of an impactful publication (e.g., book, book chapter, special journal issue, or journal article) in the civic and community engagement field. The session should be a blend of presenting key takeaways from the publication and dialogue with attendees.
Knowledge-to-Action Workshop
Knowledge-to-Action sessions are focused on sharing specific knowledge, theories, skills, or methods for practical application. These sessions should be interactive, and participants should leave with actionable recommendations for practice.
Promising Practice
Promising Practice sessions highlight a civic and community engagement project, infrastructure, or approach working effectively to inform and inspire participants for potential replication and ideas. Promising practice sessions each contain two groups of speakers, who will share one 45-minute block. Each group will have 15 minutes to present with 5 minutes for Q&A.
Meet-Ups
Meet-ups are held at the beginning and end of conference days. The format is open and can be designed to suit the needs of the facilitator and attendees. These meetings can support geographically focused groups, affinity networks, design teams, in-person meet-ups for communities of practice, and others.
