October 29-31, 2025

Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, Chicago, IL

We are inviting your participation in the second national convening to discuss improving the graduate school experience to better serve our national interests as provider of the gold standard for global graduate education.

Don't miss this opportunity to contribute to the future of graduate education.

The Big Why

While undergraduate education has received much attention over the past forty years, with specific focus on concrete ways to increase student success (e.g. “first year experience”), the same attention has not been paid to graduate students. We think it is time for a more deliberate set of efforts to increase student success using a holistic perspective that addresses student retention, progression, and completion rates, mental health and wellbeing, and career preparation. We are inviting your participation in the second, national convening to discuss improving the graduate school experience in order to better serve our national interests as provider of the gold standard for global graduate education.

Call To Action

More students and their families now decide that an undergraduate degree is not enough. A graduate degree is a new “must.” But the challenges facing them have changed. Students face challenges of transition and more debt and personal responsibilities than ever. Our traditional models for graduate school culture and practices were designed for different students and circumstances. We must be a part of the larger American higher education enterprise to improve our outcomes!

The aims of this conference are threefold:

• reduce graduate student attrition and separations,
• increase credential completion, and
• enhance the total student experience, including students’ well-being, while strengthening post-graduate outcomes.

Participants will come from roles such as:

• graduate school administrators
• graduate faculty and staff of graduate colleges/schools
• graduate students
• graduate teaching assistants
• graduate and undergraduate academic affairs/student affairs/ student success administrators
• undergraduate student success experts
• undergraduate faculty
• student success researchers in higher education
• foundation program officers
• institutional research, assessment, and accreditation liaisons
• state coordinating/governing board staff

Pre-Conference

October 29, 2025 9:00 am- 4:00 pm

Deliberate Innovation for Higher Educators

A One-Day Interactive, Professional Development Workshop

The way we practice higher education administration is perfectly designed to get the results we are getting now! If we want to change the results, we must change the design. Despite our training, experience, and intentions, many of our approaches are not achieving the desired goals of student success, learning, engagement, retention, graduation, reaffirmation of accreditation, and, for some of us, our institutional viability. We must infuse our work and our personal development with deliberate and systemic innovation. This workshop will offer relevant theories, exercises, introspections, practices, and inspiration, drawn from our experience leading four, year-long cohorts of chief academic officer innovators through a process to enhance their functioning as senior officers who practice deliberate innovation. Higher educators at all levels will emerge with an initial plan to incorporate deliberate innovation into their tactical repertoire in ways that support the systemic improvement of student success.

Who should attend:

• Leadership at all levels, 
• Presidents
• Chief Academic Officers
• Assistant or Associate Vice Presidents
• Student Affairs Leaders, and
• Anyone who leads Innovation

Facilitators:

John Gardner, Co-Founder and Executive Chair, of Gardner Institute for Excellence in Higher Education

Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of South Carolina

Vicki McGillin, Associate Vice President, Gardner Institute

Brandon Smith, Associate Vice President, Gardner Institute

Felita Williams, Senior Vice President, Gardner Institute

Fees

Early-bird Registration (Register before August 1, 2025): $795

After early bird date: $855

Student Registration (graduate and undergraduate): $425

Full Day Pre-Conference Workshop: $375 (includes breakfast, lunch, all-day beverages, and afternoon snack)

Registrants from Transformation schools receive a 20% discount on the posted fees.

Registrants from non-Transformation schools who register for both The Graduate Student Experience and the Symposium on Transforming the Postsecondary Experience receive a 10% discount on the combined fees. Contact [email protected] for a discount code.

Registration Fee includes: Opening reception, two breakfasts, two lunches, refreshment breaks, and conference materials.

Hotel:

Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, 301 E North Water St, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

$205/ night

Reserve here:https://book.passkey.com/event/50895938/owner/2233/home

Refund Policy: There will be no refunds given after August 15, 2025. All refunds will be subject to a 5% processing fee. Registration can be transferred to another participant before October 10th, no transfers will be allowed after that. Requests must be made in writing to [email protected].

Conference Location Information:

Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, 301 E North Water St, Chicago, IL 60611, United States

Hotel Information:

Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, 301 E North Water St, Chicago, IL 60611

Air Service:

Chicago O'Hare International Airport (18.0 Miles from the hotel) and Chicago Midway International Airport (12.0 Miles from the hotel).

About the Organizer:

This event will be planned and executed by the non-profit John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Higher Education (Gardner Institute).

The 25-year-old Gardner Institute has been focused on improving teaching, learning, student success, and completion in postsecondary education to ensure that every learner earns a credential that leads to a meaningful career and a highly fulfilling life. The Gardner Institute’s focus to date has been on undergraduate education -- which is the foundation for graduate education, and influences and connects with how graduate education is delivered, with what success, and for whom. This convening explores graduate student success as a logical extension of the Institute’s work. We mean to expand the student success movement to include graduate students.