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SPECIALTY INSTITUTES

#NASPA27 • March 7–10, 2027 • National Harbor, MD

#NASPA27 introduces a new kind of pre-conference experience. Specialty Institutes give you time before the general conference begins to go deep with the people who share your role, your institution type, or your community. This isn't a warm-up to AC. It's where the real work starts.

These are not workshops submitted through the Call for Programs. NASPA designed them in partnership with our constituent groups, built as cohort-style experiences for specific professional communities within student affairs.

Each institute is built around three things. Content gives you the frameworks and strategies you'll carry into your sessions at AC. Convening puts you in the room with people who face the same pressures you do, so the conversation moves faster and cuts closer. Connection builds relationships that outlast the conference, the kind you call on all year.

You'll walk into AC already oriented, already connected to a cohort, and already thinking harder about the questions that matter to your work. That's the return on time spent before the conference even opens.

Registration for Specialty Institutes is now open!

Schedule

Saturday, March 6

• AVP Institute
• International Symposium
  
• Military-Connected Institute
• VPSA Institute

Sunday, March 7

• Community Colleges Institute
• HBCU Institute
• International Symposium

• Mid-Level Professionals Institute

• New and Emerging Professionals Institute

• Small Colleges and Universities Institute
• Undergraduate Student Conference

What to Expect

Every institute follows the same structure. Institutes are organized across two pre-conference days. 

Each session block is cohort-style and designed for active learning. Your constituent group shapes the content and facilitation approach within a shared framework.

Content is where you learn and grow.

Convening is where your community comes together for a shared purpose.

Connection is where relationships are built and sustained.

Most institutes follow the same structure:

8:00 a.m.     Breakfast and community networking 
8:45 a.m.     Welcome and introductions 
9:00 a.m.     Session block one (75 minutes) 
10:15 a.m.   Break (15 minutes) 
10:30 a.m.   Session block two (75 minutes) 
11:45 a.m.   Transition (15 minutes) 
12:00 p.m.   Lunch

1:00 p.m.     Session block three (90 minutes)
2:30 p.m.     Break (15 minutes)
2:45 p.m.     Closing and next steps (45 minutes) 
4:00 p.m.     Adjourn

Explore the Institutes

VPSA Institute

For Vice Presidents for Student Affairs and their equivalents. This one-day institute gathers executive-level leaders for guided discussions and interactive sessions designed for the realities of senior leadership. This is a VPSA-exclusive experience.

$295, includes breakfast, an enhanced lunch experience, and afternoon coffee break.

Community Colleges Institute

For community college student affairs professionals. This one-day institute is your space to learn, connect, and lead alongside colleagues who understand the unique demands of two-year institutions. Expect cohort-style sessions, facilitated conversation, and a community that carries well beyond the conference.

$255, includes breakfast, lunch, and afternoon coffee break. 

Small Colleges and Universities Institute

For senior student affairs professionals at small colleges and universities. This one-day institute is designed for senior leaders navigating the distinct challenges of smaller campus environments where resources are limited but impact is not. 

$255, includes breakfast, lunch, and afternoon coffee break. 

HBCU Institute

For student affairs professionals at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This one-day institute creates dedicated space to connect, strategize, and strengthen the work that defines HBCU student affairs.

$255, includes breakfast, lunch, and afternoon coffee break. 

New and Emerging Professionals Institute

For new and emerging student affairs professionals. Continuing the legacy of the NPGS Symposium, this one-day institute is designed for those in the early chapters of their career.

$255, includes breakfast, lunch, and afternoon coffee break. 

Undergraduate Student Conference

For undergraduate students exploring a career in student affairs. This one-day institute offers a first-hand look at the field, the people in it, and the path forward. Includes an offsite activity or campus tour experience.

$115, includes breakfast, lunch, and offsite activity.

AVP Institute

For Assistant and Associate Vice Presidents for Student Affairs. This one-day institute is built for leaders navigating the space between mid-level management and executive leadership.

$255, includes breakfast, lunch, and afternoon coffee break. 

Mid-Level Professionals Institute

For mid-level student affairs professionals. This one-day institute is built for practitioners leading teams, shaping campus culture, and thinking about what comes next.

$255, includes breakfast, lunch, and afternoon coffee break.

Military-Connected  Institute

For student affairs practitioners supporting military-connected students. This an exclusive opportunity to share evidence-based practices from your campus or organization.

$255, includes breakfast, lunch, and afternoon coffee break.

International Symposium

For anyone whose work touches global student affairs and services, whether that is as a practitioner, scholar, interculturalist, or institutional partner.

$375, includes breakfast, lunch, coffee break, and evening reception.

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