2026 NASPA Region II Annual Conference

Primarily our regional scholarship opportunities are geared towards graduate students and new professionals. Mid-level and senior-level professionals may also be considered. Our region deeply values the benefit of remaining engaged and learning alongside your colleagues and professional network.

The cost of early-bird, member-rate registration is covered for any individual who is awarded a NASPA Region II Conference Scholarship.

Individuals who are awarded a conference scholarship will be responsible for securing funding for transportation, meals, lodging, and other experiences.

Applicants will be notified in writing of their application status on or before March 2, 2026. 

If you are not a current member and are employed by a college or university that is an institutional member, you can join as a professional affiliate member for $80. If your institution is NOT a member, you can join as an associate affiliate member for $250. Both membership types provide access to the individual member rate for the event. Please visit the membership section of the NASPA website to learn more about membership types and benefits. We hope you’ll consider joining today!

Registration as a member is based on individual membership status at the time of the event. If your current membership will expire prior to the event, you will have the option to renew at the time of registration to receive the member rate.

Refunds will be given for cancellations, received in writing by May 31, 2026, less a $50.00 processing fee. In addition, a processing fee of $50.00 per registration will be charged for credit cards declined. For a comprehensive listing of NASPA registration policies, please visit this page. 

If you have any additional questions, please email us at [email protected]. 

New Professional / Graduate Students (NPGS)

This pre-conference will focus on supporting graduate students and new professionals who may be on the job market or in their first position. Participants will explore the job search process, how to navigate a new job, and considerations to make when determining your next step. The pre-conference will also explore dynamics of supervision and how to navigate internal bureaucracy. The session will also incorporate a panel of seasoned professionals and opportunities to network and ask questions.

The overarching goal is to have individuals leave with a sense of community and best steps to navigate early career moves. 

Mid-Managers

Mid-level managers play a pivotal role in higher education—translating institutional strategy into action while supporting staff and advocating for students. This NASPA pre-conference equips mid-level administrators with practical tools and frameworks to lead effectively within this complex space.

Grounded in NASPA’s core competencies, participants will explore strategic leadership, communication, supervision, operational management, crisis response, and student advocacy through interactive activities and higher education–based case studies. Emphasis is placed on influencing without authority, navigating change, and building resilient teams.

Participants will have an opportunity to network with other mid-managers, leave with greater clarity around their leadership identity and actionable strategies to strengthen their impact and lead with confidence from the middle.

Vice President for Student Affairs / Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAO)

General Purpose / Goal
To support Senior Student Affairs Officers in navigating shared responsibility for student success and well-being by clarifying Student Affairs’ strategic role as an integrator across campus and translating national frameworks into campus-ready practice.

Core Themes / Topics

• Student success and well-being as shared, institutional work
• Student Affairs as the operational and relational hub of student success
• Moving from fragmented initiatives to aligned ecosystems
• Governance, collaboration, and partnership across divisions
• Region II examples of student success work in practice, including UIA-aligned collaboration

Learning Outcomes
Participants would leave able to:

• Articulate a clear, executive-level narrative for Student Affairs’ role in student success and well-being
• Identify opportunities to better align student success structures across their campus
• Distinguish when Student Affairs should lead, convene, or partner in shared initiatives
• Learn from Region II peers about effective collaboration models
• Identify one actionable strategy to advance on their campus

Call to Action
This preconference invites SSAOs to step out of reactive mode, engage with peers facing similar challenges, and leave with practical strategies to strengthen alignment, clarity, and impact around student success and well-being.

NABITA Risk Rubric Certification

This one-day certification course is a valuable opportunity for participants to learn how to use the NABITA Risk Rubric. This tool is designed to consistently assess the general risk of every case referred to the BIT/TAT/CARE team, ensuring consistent scoring across the team.

The training will include: an exploration of the importance of objective risk assessment, a detailed teaching of the NABITA Risk Rubric tool, and the opportunity to practice assessing risk and developing interventions across several case studies. By the end of the course, participants will have enhanced their risk assessment skills and be better equipped to manage various cases. Whether you or your team are new to the NABITA Risk Rubric or are seasoned with a few years of risk assessment experience under your belt, this course can help you and your team calibrate and ensure effective use of NABITA’s objective risk rubric for each and every report received.

Registration for NABITA’s Risk Rubric Certification coming soon!