The power to lead what’s next in higher education and the workforce is in our hands, just as it always has been. This November, CCA is coordinating that power to set the agenda for change. Along with hundreds of education leaders, we are seizing our chance to share what we know, learn what we don’t, and reimagine higher education’s role as a force for transformation—not just resilience.
Since 2009, Complete College America has championed transformative approaches to higher education. We don’t just identify barriers—we dismantle them through bold action and evidence-based strategies. By trusting data over public opinion, we’ve built a movement of leaders committed to doing what it takes to increase college completion rates.
In 2025, we are headed to Baltimore, Maryland, where we will collectively reframe challenges as opportunities and set a decisive agenda for change.
What You Can Expect
Coalition of Changemakers. Connect with a broad community of educators, policymakers, and advocates who are unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom and hold themselves publicly accountable to create a new higher education system.
Data-Driven Strategies. Discover tested strategies that clarify degree paths, facilitate strong starts, align college experiences to student goals, and address co-curricular needs—all implemented with precision and confidence.
Scalable Solutions. Engage with approaches specifically designed to eliminate institutional performance gaps and increase completion rates for all students.
Coordinated Momentum. Experience how cross-sectional teams can synchronize efforts across institutions, systems, and states—creating higher education environments that help all learners graduate on time.
Pricing
Regular Registration – $900 | Until October 15 18
Late Registration – $1,000 | October 19 through on-site registration
Cancelation Policy
Any registrations canceled before September 13 are eligible for a 100% refund. Cancelations between September 14 and October 18 are eligible for a 50% refund.
Cancelations past October 18 are non-refundable.
Location & Accommodations
The 2025 Annual Convening will be held at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, and a room block is available there with rooms at a discounted rate of $239 per night.
To book your hotel room, use the link provided with your registration. If you have any questions regarding accommodation, please email events@completecollege.org.
Please note that the room block for Sunday, November 16, is sold out, so you may need to book directly with the hotel or consider a nearby alternative for that night. Rooms are still available within the block for the nights of Monday, November 17 and Tuesday, November 18.
Schedule Preview
Monday, November 17
- Morning – Pre-conference activities (by invitation)
- 2 to 3:15 pm – Opening main stage session, including panel, “Leading Change in the Nation’s Capital Region”
- Moderator:
- Yolanda Watson Spiva, PhD, President, Complete College America
- Panelists:
- Makola M. Abdullah, PhD, President, Virginia State University
- Maurice D. Edington, PhD, President, University of the District of Columbia
- Daria J. Willis, PhD, President, Howard Community College
- David K. Wilson, EdD, President, Morgan State University
- Moderator:
- 3:45 to 4:45 pm – Breakout sessions
- 6 to 8 pm– Off-site reception (heavy hors d’oeuvres provided)
- 8:15 to 9:30 pm – 10th anniversary special screening of No Greater Odds documentary
Tuesday, November 18
- 8 to 9 am – Breakfast
- 9 to 10 am– Breakout sessions
- 10:15 to 11:15 am– Breakout sessions
- 11:30 am to 12:30 pm – Innovation Exhibition
- 12:30 to 1:30 pm – Lunch
- 1:30 to 2:45 pm – Plenary session featuring Chike Aguh, senior advisor on the future of work and innovation at the McChrystal Group and senior advisor for Harvard University’s Project on Workforce
- 3:15 to 4:15 pm – Breakout sessions
- 4:30 to 5:30 pm – Regional meetings
- 8:15 to 9:30 pm – Special screening of Counted Out documentary
Wednesday, November 19
- 8 to 9 am – Breakfast
- 9 to 10 am – Breakout sessions
- 10:15 to 11:30 am – Plenary session and closing call to action, including panel, “AI as a Catalyst for Postsecondary Transformation”
- Moderator:
- Vistasp Karbhari, PhD, CCA Board Member and Fellow; Immediate Past President, University of Texas at Arlington
- Panelists:
- Gregory W. Fowler, PhD, President, University of Maryland Global Campus
- Stephanie Khurana, MBA, MPP, CEO, Axim Collaborative
- Norman Palmer, MBA, MS, Director of Innovation Technology, Complete College America
- Karen Vignare, PhD, Vice President, Digital Transformation for Student Success, Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
- Mara Woody, EdD, Director, Strategic Partnerships, Riipen
- Moderator:
Concurrent Sessions
We’re still finalizing the specific scheduling for these sessions, but here’s a preview of the topics we’ll explore together to drive change and college completion.
- Sessions on Changemaking Coalitions
- Sessions on Coordinated Momentum
- Sessions on Data-Driven Strategies
- Sessions on Scalable Solutions
These presentations will take place on Tuesday, November 18, at 11:30 a.m., and this will be an opportunity for participants to engage with presenters in a more intimate setting after brief presentations about their innovative work. The Innovation Exhibition is all about making ideas and strategies collide with like-minded colleagues who are scaling college completion.
Presentations on Scalable Solutions
Presentations on Changemaking Coalitions
Sponsors and exhibitors
Support the creation and execution of ambitious change agendas designed to eliminate institutional performance gaps and increase college completion for students from underserved communities. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Andrew Morse at amorse@completecollege.org.
Download 2025 Sponsorship Prospectus
CCA is grateful to our sponsors and exhibitors for their support of NEXT: The 2025 CCA Annual Convening.
Impact Sponsors
Changemaker sponsors
Access Sponsors
Momentum Sponsors
Support Sponsors
CCA would also like to thank Gates Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York for their support for the organization’s general operations.
Exhibitors
Host committee
CCA is grateful to our partners across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, for their time, ideas, and energy in bringing NEXT: The 2025 CCA Annual Convening to Baltimore. In particular, we are thankful for the 2025 Host Committee:
- Scott Anderson, Common App
- Alessandra Cipriani-Detres, National College Attainment Network
- Kristin Clarkson, Maryland Higher Education Commission
- Melisa Hypolite, CollegeBound Foundation
- Jennifer Lynch, University System of Maryland
- Ryan Maltese, Morgan State University
- Brad Phillips, Maryland Association of Community Colleges
- Elena Quiroz-Livanis, Maryland Higher Education Commission