On May 19\u201321, 2026, the Wisconsin Higher Education Summit was held in the Great Hall at the Memorial Union on the UW\u2013Madison campus. The event was jointly hosted by the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (WAICU), the Universities of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). This combined summit brought together higher education professionals from Wisconsin and other states for three days of learning, networking, and innovation.<\/p>\n
Participants heard from national and local experts on key topics, including the current state of higher education, student success, financial aid, Artificial Intelligence, federal regulations, policy initiatives, compliance structures, and more.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ren\u00e9e Wachter opened the summit with a thoughtful and welcoming message. Throughout the event, sessions were led by members of the UWSA team, including Paige Smith, Amy Missinne, Quinn Williams, and Wade Harrison. In addition, tabletop conversations were facilitated by Claire Edwards, Melissa Vergara, Paige Smith, Amy Missinne, Quinn Williams, and Wade Harrison on a variety of timely topics. This group\u2019s involvement was key to ensuring the event was relevant, timely, and interesting for those who attended.<\/p>\n
A huge thank you to the UW employees from across the Universities of Wisconsin who attended the event. Your support is greatly appreciated.<\/p>\n
We look forward to co-hosting the 2027 Higher Education Summit next year.<\/p>\n
Additional information:<\/strong>
\n2026 Higher Education Summit \u2013 Agenda<\/a>
\n2026 Higher Education Summit \u2013 Session Descriptions<\/a>
\n2026 Higher Education Summit \u2013 Speaker Bios<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t