In the face of continuous disruption and declining public trust in higher education, it is more important than ever that we embrace our shared values, advocate for our neighbors, and publicly demonstrate our commitments to our communities and our democracy. So how do we make this a reality? In this keynote presentation, Lumina Foundation President and CEO Jamie Merisotis will make the case for higher education's role as an engine of economic mobility and a cornerstone of democratic life and explore how we can strengthen the connection between learning, work, and citizenship in service of a thriving democracy.

Following the keynote, Jamie will be joined by Kaylei Voorhies, student and Newman Civic Fellow at Indiana University-Bloomington, and one other student civic leader for a panel discussion moderated by Byron White, Senior Consultant at Sova Solutions.

In addition to the panel conversation and keynote, hear directly from Byron about his forthcoming book, “The Community-Centric Path to Rebuilding Trust in Higher Education.“ During this general session, we will also present the Nadinne Cruz Community Engagement Professional Award to Renee Miller Zientek and Campus Compact Student Leadership Awards to Rishika Kartik, Roberto Garcia, Hilary Ramirez Payamps, and Mykala Bledsoe.