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Join us Oct. 18-21 online and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!

Schedule

The Digital Collegium Annual Conference schedule is filled with opportunities to connect, learn and lead — whether you’re joining us in person or online. From collaborative sessions to career-shaping insights, every moment is designed to deliver real value, all within a flexible hybrid format at an affordable price point.

Whether you’re a seasoned digital professional or new to the field, you’ll find a welcoming community eager to share practical strategies, fresh ideas and innovative solutions for higher ed’s digital future.

Schedule at a glance

  • Pre-conference workshops (in person): Sunday, Oct. 18, 1-4:30 p.m. EDT
  • Conference sessions (in person and online): Monday, Oct. 19, 8:30 a.m. - Wednesday, Oct. 21, 12:45 p.m. EDT
  • Post-conference workshops (in person): Wednesday, Oct. 21, 1-4:30 p.m. EDT

‍ AI and emerging tech (AIET)
Discover tools and techniques that drive smarter decisions.
Track chairs: Isaac Williams and Andy Shearouse
‍

Higher ed strategy and trends (HEST)
Tackle emerging trends and timely challenges in our field.
Track chairs: Doug Tschopp and Glenn Donaldson
‍ Marketing and communications (MCOM)
Strengthen your strategy and connect with your audiences across channels.
Track chairs: Lori Packer and Stephen Fornal

‍ Management, teams and personal development (MTP)
Grow your leadership skills and support thriving teams.
Track chairs: Michelle Tarby and Jeff Stevens
‍ Data, analytics and tools (DAT)
Turn data into insights with the right tools to drive informed decisions.
Track chairs: Jim Kittle and Dan Demmons
‍ Development, programming and CMS (DPC)
Dive deep into code, platforms and technical know-how.
Track chairs: Aaron Knight and Keiran Pillman
‍ Usability, accessibility and design (UAD)
Build more inclusive, intuitive and effective user experiences.
Track chairs: Dan Laird and Ben Kaminsky

Detailed schedule

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Sunday, October 18, 2026

11:00 AM -
5:30 PM

Conference check-in and information desk
in person

12:00 PM -
1:00 PM

Lunch for workshop attendees and presenters
in person

1:00 PM -
4:30 PM

Make your data dashboards sizzle
Pre-conference workshops (WKS)
in person
content strategy, data and analytics, marketing and communications, performance, search and discoverability
intermediate
Generative engine optimization: Audit, monitor and improve your college's AI visibility
Pre-conference workshops (WKS)
in person
AI, content strategy, marketing and communications, research, search and discoverability
beginner
Create a governance framework that works for you
Pre-conference workshops (WKS)
in person
intermediate
UX for non-UXers
Pre-conference workshops (WKS)
in person
design, research, UX and UI
beginner
The AI tasting menu: A hands-on workshop to find what you'll order again and again
Pre-conference workshops (WKS)
in person
AI, automation, content strategy, design, marketing and communications
beginner

2:30 PM -
3:00 PM

Workshops afternoon break
in person

5:30 PM -
6:00 PM

Conference welcome and orientation
in person

6:00 PM -
8:00 PM

Welcome reception — sponsored by NewCity
in person

Monday, October 19, 2026

7:00 AM -
5:00 PM

Conference check-in and information desk
in person
Attendee support spaces
in person

7:30 AM -
8:30 AM

Breakfast — sponsored by Mighty Citizen
in person

8:30 AM -
9:15 AM

Generate your way to better communication: Using generative AI for images
AI and emerging tech (AIET)
in person, online
AI, design, email, marketing and communications, social media
beginner
A website secret shop on any budget to reduce enrollment friction
Data, analytics and tools (DAT)
in person
AI, data and analytics, engagement, research, testing and QA
intermediate
Naming things is hard: Why words become technical debt, a design+dev alignment guide
Development, programming and CMS (DPC)
in person
CMS, content strategy, design systems, governance, training and user support
beginner
After the AI hype: Digital shifts universities must make before 2027
Higher ed strategy and trends (HEST)
in person, online
AI, CMS, content strategy, marketing and communications, search and discoverability
intermediate
Who owns the front door? Making the case for marketing-led web strategy
Management, teams and personal development (MTP)
in person
collaboration and outreach, governance, management and leadership, marketing and communications, website management
expert
There’s an AI in authority: Rethinking higher ed content strategy for discovery
Marketing and communications (MCOM)
in person, online
AI, content strategy, data and analytics, marketing and communications, search and discoverability
intermediate
UX villains: A field guide to chaotic design patterns
Usability, accessibility and design (UAD)
in person
accessibility, design, design systems, UX and UI, web standards
intermediate

9:30 AM -
10:15 AM

Operationalizing AI in marcom: From experiments to integrated workflows
AI and emerging tech (AIET)
in person, online
AI, marketing and communications, web standards
intermediate
BYOB: Be your own benchmark
Data, analytics and tools (DAT)
in person
content strategy, data and analytics, marketing and communications, social media
beginner
Accessible wayfinding: It’s not uncharted territory
Development, programming and CMS (DPC)
in person
accessibility, design, UX and UI, web standards
beginner
Activate your brand platform with content strategy
Higher ed strategy and trends (HEST)
in person, online
intermediate
Beyond the build: Governing content at scale in higher education
Management, teams and personal development (MTP)
in person
content strategy, governance, management and leadership, marketing and communications, web standards
beginner
Breaking the CRM barrier: From ad spend to enrolled students
Marketing and communications (MCOM)
in person, online
data and analytics, engagement, integrations, marketing and communications, performance, social media
proficient
Ensuring website accessibility through automated and manual testing
Usability, accessibility and design (UAD)
in person
accessibility, UX and UI
beginner

10:15 AM -
11:15 AM

Break activity for online attendees
online
Siteimprove’s PDF checker lounge
in person
Refreshments in the exhibit hall — sponsored by VDX.tv
in person

11:15 AM -
12:00 PM

From SEO to AEO: 10 practical ways higher ed websites can show up in AI and search
AI and emerging tech (AIET)
in person, online
AI, content strategy, marketing and communications
beginner
57% fewer unanswered queries: What strategic AI site search can do for engagement
Data, analytics and tools (DAT)
in person
AI, content strategy, data and analytics, search and discoverability, UX and UI
intermediate
Surviving the swarm: Bot and crawler protection for Drupal sites
Development, programming and CMS (DPC)
in person
AI, CMS, performance
intermediate
Same destination, different maps: Creating alignment in institutional–vendor partnerships
Higher ed strategy and trends (HEST)
in person, online
collaboration and outreach, engagement, management and leadership, project management, redesigns
intermediate
From chaos to craft: Maturing a decentralized web editor model
Management, teams and personal development (MTP)
in person
collaboration and outreach, governance, management and leadership, training and user support, website management
intermediate
From burnout to buy-in: Designing an intentional mission-driven social media workflow that actually works
Marketing and communications (MCOM)
in person, online
content strategy, data and analytics, engagement, marketing and communications, social media
beginner
Accessibility at scale: From exceptions to systems
Usability, accessibility and design (UAD)
in person
accessibility, collaboration and outreach, governance, legal and policy, management and leadership
intermediate

12:00 PM -
1:00 PM

Lunch — sponsored by Concept 3D
in person

1:00 PM -
1:45 PM

Collegium Chat
in person, online

2:00 PM -
2:45 PM

Preparing for AI search: What did and didn't work for us
AI and emerging tech (AIET)
in person, online
AI, content strategy, front-end development
intermediate
Democratizing data: Building a culture of transparency with Google Data Studio
Data, analytics and tools (DAT)
in person
content strategy, data and analytics, management and leadership, marketing and communications, research
intermediate
Fixing the timeline: Accessibility before the bugs exist
Development, programming and CMS (DPC)
in person
accessibility
intermediate
Why AI makes now the best time to pay down your content debt
Higher ed strategy and trends (HEST)
in person, online
AI, collaboration and outreach, content strategy, governance, search and discoverability
intermediate
Connecting strategy, systems and story: Designing a practical marcom analytics program
Management, teams and personal development (MTP)
in person
collaboration and outreach, data and analytics, management and leadership, marketing and communications, performance
intermediate
Embrace digital media to maximize faculty PR
Marketing and communications (MCOM)
in person, online
collaboration and outreach, content strategy, engagement, social media
beginner
When brand meets access: Micro-decisions that shape inclusive design
Usability, accessibility and design (UAD)
in person
accessibility, design systems, UX and UI, web standards, website management
beginner

2:45 PM -
4:00 PM

Siteimprove’s PDF checker lounge
in person
Refreshments in the exhibit hall — sponsored by Modern Campus
in person

4:00 PM -
4:45 PM

Know the tropes. Spot the slop. Make it human.
AI and emerging tech (AIET)
in person, online
AI, content strategy, design, marketing and communications
beginner
Bloated, sprawling and soon illegal: What to cut from your website (and how to win the fight)
Data, analytics and tools (DAT)
in person
accessibility, content strategy, marketing and communications, search and discoverability, website management
proficient
The dark side of user choice: Why your site should implement dark mode
Development, programming and CMS (DPC)
in person
accessibility, design, UX and UI, web standards
beginner
The Y2K of digital accessibility: Navigating the DOJ rule hangover
Higher ed strategy and trends (HEST)
in person, online
accessibility, diversity and inclusion, governance, legal and policy, management and leadership
intermediate
Finding your voice. Mentorship and leadership in higher ed digital teams
Management, teams and personal development (MTP)
in person
collaboration and outreach, diversity and inclusion, management and leadership, training and user support, website management
beginner
The digital front door: How design, content and governance build trust in higher ed
Marketing and communications (MCOM)
in person, online
accessibility, content strategy, governance, marketing and communications, UX and UI
beginner
PDF search and rescue: Problematic documents to findable, accessible content
Usability, accessibility and design (UAD)
in person
accessibility, AI, website management
beginner

5:00 PM -
6:30 PM

Happy hour with Beacon Technologies
in person

6:00 PM -
8:00 PM

Dinner with friends
in person

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

7:00 AM -
5:00 PM

Attendee support spaces
in person

7:30 AM -
8:30 AM

Breakfast — sponsored by Terminalfour
in person

7:30 AM -
5:00 PM

Conference check-in and information desk
in person

8:30 AM -
9:15 AM

As AI steals the click, steal back the answer
AI and emerging tech (AIET)
in person, online
AI, content strategy, marketing and communications, search and discoverability, website management
intermediate
What higher ed can learn from e-commerce
Data, analytics and tools (DAT)
in person
data and analytics, engagement, marketing and communications, research
intermediate
How the University of Wisconsin–Madison is migrating thousands of sites to the WordPress Block Editor
Development, programming and CMS (DPC)
in person
accessibility, automation, back-end development, CMS, front-end development
intermediate
Copilot, not autopilot: Responsible AI use in dev workflows
Higher ed strategy and trends (HEST)
in person, online
AI, automation, CMS, programming, project management
beginner
Align before design: Why stakeholder misalignment derails digital projects
Management, teams and personal development (MTP)
in person
governance, management and leadership, project management, website management
intermediate
The website is dead. Long live the website: New digital strategies for the AI era
Marketing and communications (MCOM)
in person, online
AI, content strategy, marketing and communications, UX and UI, website management
intermediate
Beyond the buzzwords: Topical authority for the AI-first student journey
Usability, accessibility and design (UAD)
in person
content strategy, data and analytics, marketing and communications
intermediate

9:30 AM -
10:15 AM

Using Claude Code to scale content strategy
AI and emerging tech (AIET)
in person, online
AI, automation, content strategy, governance, website management
proficient
The connected campus experience: Unifying digital touchpoints through partnerships
Data, analytics and tools (DAT)
in person
CMS, content strategy, design systems, engagement, marketing and communications
beginner
Your AI strategy is a content governance problem: Why higher education cannot automate its way out of web portfolio sprawl
Development, programming and CMS (DPC)
in person
AI, governance, website management
intermediate
Can AI build better personas? A skeptic's proof of concept (starring Christopher Walk'n as dial-up internet)
Higher ed strategy and trends (HEST)
in person, online
AI, engagement, marketing and communications, research
intermediate
The 'human' element in a digital world: Balancing automation with authentic, empathy-driven interaction
Management, teams and personal development (MTP)
in person
AI, automation, diversity and inclusion, integrations, management and leadership
intermediate
Beyond the send button: Technical precision meets digital strategy
Marketing and communications (MCOM)
in person, online
accessibility, content strategy, email, marketing and communications, testing and QA
intermediate
Taking control of an out-of-control website through thoughtful and intentional redesign
Usability, accessibility and design (UAD)
in person
content strategy, project management, redesigns
intermediate

10:15 AM -
11:15 AM

Siteimprove’s PDF checker lounge
in person
Refreshments in the exhibit hall — sponsored by Cludo
in person

11:15 AM -
12:00 PM

Allychemy: Leveraging AI to build a user-friendly accessibility checker
AI and emerging tech (AIET)
in person, online
accessibility, automation, back-end development, programming, training and user support
intermediate
Inform your marketing
Data, analytics and tools (DAT)
in person
data and analytics, marketing and communications, performance
intermediate
From blocks to brilliance: Creating editorial freedom in Drupal for UChicago Law's alumni magazine
Development, programming and CMS (DPC)
in person
content strategy, design systems, front-end development, redesigns
intermediate
Build your automated insight collaborator
Higher ed strategy and trends (HEST)
in person, online
intermediate
Demystifying AI agents for higher ed: From buzzwords to building blocks
Management, teams and personal development (MTP)
in person
AI, integrations
beginner
Preserving your individuality in a brand alignment
Marketing and communications (MCOM)
in person, online
collaboration and outreach, content strategy, marketing and communications, project management, redesigns
intermediate
Designing accessibility training that sticks: Applying learning science for retention and long-term accessibility ownership
Usability, accessibility and design (UAD)
in person
accessibility, collaboration and outreach, governance, management and leadership, training and user support
intermediate

12:00 PM -
1:00 PM

Lunch — sponsored by Evolving Web
in person

12:45 PM -
1:45 PM

Lightning talks
Lightning (LIT)
in person, online
beginner

2:00 PM -
2:45 PM

Why students can’t find what they need on your website (and how TCU is fixing it with AI)
AI and emerging tech (AIET)
in person, online
CMS, content strategy, data and analytics, marketing and communications, UX and UI
intermediate
Stop asking for permission: How small wins build big institutional change
Data, analytics and tools (DAT)
in person
collaboration and outreach, content strategy, data and analytics, management and leadership, marketing and communications
intermediate
Beyond SaaS: How non-coders can build university applications with AI assistants
Development, programming and CMS (DPC)
in person
AI, automation, CMS, content strategy, programming
intermediate
Consistency at scale: Unified digital experiences through governance, standards and communities of practice
Higher ed strategy and trends (HEST)
in person, online
content strategy, governance, management and leadership, UX and UI, web standards
intermediate
Center community and use what you have: A case study in building a community of practice at a university
Management, teams and personal development (MTP)
in person
collaboration and outreach, content strategy, governance, management and leadership, training and user support
beginner
Why your analytics reports are not answering leadership's real questions
Marketing and communications (MCOM)
in person, online
AI, data and analytics, performance, search and discoverability
intermediate
Passing isn’t accessible: Why manual testing still matters
Usability, accessibility and design (UAD)
in person
accessibility, testing and QA
intermediate

2:45 PM -
4:00 PM

Refreshments in the exhibit hall — sponsored by Siteimprove
in person
Siteimprove’s PDF checker lounge
in person
Break activity for online attendees
online

4:00 PM -
4:45 PM

'What are the best schools for…' — How AI decides who makes the list
AI and emerging tech (AIET)
in person, online
AI, CMS, content strategy, search and discoverability, website management
intermediate
From content hoarding to data-driven decisions: Using AI to audit content at scale
Data, analytics and tools (DAT)
in person
AI, content strategy, governance, marketing and communications
beginner
Capsule content: One block — six ways
Development, programming and CMS (DPC)
in person
CMS, design, engagement, front-end development, UX and UI
intermediate
Oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip? Cookie consent that isn’t half-baked
Higher ed strategy and trends (HEST)
in person, online
data and analytics, front-end development, legal and policy, programming, UX and UI
beginner
Solving the right problem: Why web governance fails when it starts with control
Management, teams and personal development (MTP)
in person
CMS, content strategy, governance, management and leadership, website management
intermediate
No new trends: Challenging the fundamentals of institutions and their websites
Marketing and communications (MCOM)
in person, online
AI, content strategy, marketing and communications, research, search and discoverability
intermediate
Beyond static: Bringing stanford.edu to life
Usability, accessibility and design (UAD)
in person
accessibility, design, front-end development, redesigns, UX and UI
intermediate

7:00 PM -
10:00 PM

Big social event
in person

9:00 PM -

Karaokeplane 2026  — sponsored by DubBot and Evolving Web
in person

Wednesday, October 21, 2026

7:00 AM -
4:30 PM

Attendee support spaces
in person

7:30 AM -
8:30 AM

Breakfast — sponsored by GMB
in person

7:30 AM -
1:00 PM

Conference check-in and information desk
in person

8:05 AM -
8:15 AM

Red Stapler announcement
in person

8:30 AM -
9:15 AM

Red Stapler sessions
in person, online

9:30 AM -
10:15 AM

AI community group
Community groups (CG)
in person
AI
beginner
UX community group
Community groups (CG)
in person
UX and UI
beginner
Social media community group
Community groups (CG)
in person
social media
beginner
Management and leadership community group
Community groups (CG)
in person
management and leadership
beginner
Email marketing community group
Community groups (CG)
in person
email
beginner
Analytics community group
Community groups (CG)
in person
data and analytics
beginner
Accessibility community group — sponsored by Siteimprove
Community groups (CG)
in person
accessibility
beginner

10:15 AM -
10:45 AM

Refreshments in the exhibit hall
in person
Siteimprove’s PDF checker lounge
in person

10:45 AM -
12:00 PM

Awards and keynote
in person, online

12:00 PM -
1:00 PM

Lunch
in person

1:00 PM -
4:30 PM

Siteimprove user group
in person
Student journey mapping: Learning from students to unlock new opportunities
Post-conference workshops (WKS)
in person
data and analytics, engagement, management and leadership, marketing and communications, research
beginner
Content strategy and AI — from fundamentals to future-ready
Post-conference workshops (WKS)
in person
content strategy, data and analytics, marketing and communications, search and discoverability
beginner

2:30 PM -
3:00 PM

Workshops afternoon break
in person