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Members

CIMA Meetings & Events

CIMA provides a forum around effective and efficient use of data to guide campus planning and decision making. The topics and content of the Summer Meeting and Annual Meeting sessions reflect this aim. Summer Meeting sessions typically focus on how APLU campuses are engaging with predictive analytics, creating a cross-campus culture of evidence, and determining costs of instruction, as well as how our national research partners handle big data and post-collegiate outcomes reporting.

Upcoming Meetings & Events

2026 APLU Annual Meeting. Hosted by the University of Texas at San Antonio from November 15-17 in San Antonio, Texas, this meeting brings together leaders across departments at APLU institutions for substantive discussions, collaborative workshops, and strategic networking focused on advancing the education, research, and engagement mission of public and land-grant universities. More details are provided here.

Previous Meetings & Events

CIMA Repository

APLU developed a resource that consolidates all CIMA presentations from past APLU Annual Meetings, CIMA Summer Meetings, and CIMA Webinars into a single, searchable dashboard. This tool includes presentation slides and recordings dating back to 2015.

Note: Click on the arrow in the bottom right corner to expand to full screen mode.

Recent Meetings/Webinars

Sunday, July 12, 2026

Session 1: Engaging Faculty, Staff, and Students in a Culture of Academic Innovation
Speakers:
Paul Marty, Professor of Information and Associate Vice Provost for Academic Innovation, Florida State University
Michele J. Hansen, Associate Vice President, Institutional Research and Planning, The Ohio State University
Melissa Vito, Vice Provost of Academic Innovation, The University of Texas at San Antonio
Moderators:
Angela Gunder, CEO, Opened Culture; Online Faculty and Innovative Pedagogy Specialist, The University of Arizona
Josh Herron, Lead Faculty & Associate Professor, University of Arizona Global Campus

Session 2: From Strategy to Insight: Building Data Ecosystems that Drive Institutional Action
Speakers:
Godwin Ahiase, Graduate Student, University of North Dakota
Ryan Zerr, Associate Vice President, University of North Dakota
Shane Schellpfeffer, Director of Institutional Effectiveness & Accreditation, University of North Dakota
Jeff Aird, Chief Data and Analytics Officer, Utah State University
Rob Hopkins, Assistant Vice Provost for Analytics & AI, Virginia Tech

Monday, July 13, 2026

Joint CIMA & CAA Session: Collaborative Responses to Pending Accreditation Requirements

Joint CIMA & CAA Session: APLU Artificial Intelligence Steering Committee Update
Speakers:
Roy Haggerty, Provost and Executive Vice President, Oregon State University
Matt Riley, Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Chief Information Officer, University of Illinois Chicago
Riccardo Purita, Assistant Director, Office of Digital Transformation for Student Success, APLU

CIMA Business Meeting

Session 3: Changing Accreditation from SACSCOC to HLC – A case study
Speakers:
Timothy Letzring, Professor and Senior Vice Provost, University of Central Florida
Heidi Watt, Assistant Vice President, University of Central Florida

Session 4: Balancing Improvement and Accountability: Analytic and Leadership Dimensions of Program Prioritization
Speakers:
Shari Ellertson, Associate Vice Provost for Strategic Insights & Institutional Effectiveness, Boise State University
Zeynep Hansen, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs / Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, Boise State University

Session 5: From KPIs to Coordinated Action: Cross-Unit Collaboration Models that Move Data into Practice
Speakers:
Geoffrey Johnson, Assistant Vice President, Academic Operations and Initiatives, Florida Atlantic University
James Capp, Senior Associate Vice President, Strategic Planning & Student Success, Florida Atlantic University
Bonnie J. Becker, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success, University of Washington Tacoma
Becky L. Sartini, Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Professor, College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS), University of Rhode Island
Emily Orr, Assistant Director, Institutional Research, University of Rhode Island

Session 6: From Data Governance to Data Literacy: Practical Strategies for Improving Campus Data Understanding
Speakers:
Matt Anson, Director, Data, Analytics, and Insights, The University of Iowa
Marissa Green-Francescon, Assistant Director, Institutional Research and Assessment, The University of Iowa
Heather Epstein-Diaz, Program Director, Data Governance and Analytic Services, Florida State University

Tuesday, July 14, 2026

Joint CIMA & CAA Session: APLU Student Success Framework Discussion
Speaker:
Levi Shanks, Assistant Vice President, Academic & Student Affairs, APLU

Session 7: Expanding Student Success Analytics: Integrating Holistic Profiles and Early Well-Being Indicators
Speakers:
Robert L. Miller Jr., Director of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness, Stony Brook University
Michael Bolen, Senior Director, Office of Decision Support, University of South Florida
Iyshia Lowman, Assistant Director, Office of Decision Support, University of South Florida

Session 8: Building Data Capacity through Tech-Enabled Mentorship: Early Lessons from the MAPSS Initiative
Speakers:
Megan Tesene, Assistant Vice President, Digital Transformation for Student Success, APLU
Lauren Apgar, Assistant Director for Analytics and Modeling, The University of Texas at San Antonio
Brendan Parmenter, Assistant Director, Data & Policy Analysis, APLU

Session 9: From Actionable Insights to Innovation: Engaging in Structured Conversations
Speaker:
Jessica Turos, Associate Director, Office of Academic Assessment, Bowling Green State University

This webinar covered how postsecondary-to-workforce outcomes are currently tracked in some states, the strengths and limitations of commonly used data sources, and how the U.S. Census Bureau’s Postsecondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) data can complement existing approaches.

It provides practical guidance on joining the PSEO and using the dataset and visualization tool in program review and accountability, institutional planning, and other decision-making.

Slides

Recording

This webinar covered key updates from the U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking process affecting earnings‑based accountability, STATS reporting, and Workforce Pell data requirements. Data‑focused professionals across APLU member institutions should gain practical insight into upcoming changes, data challenges, and how to prepare.

Slides

Recording

Final Agenda
Sunday, November 9, 2025
Beyond the Price Tag: Data Tools for Higher Education Investments
Moderator: Beth McCuskey, Vice Provost for Student Life, Purdue University
Justin Draeger, Senior Vice President of Affordability, Strada Foundation
Paul Garton, Assistant Vice Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis, East Tennessee State University
Levi Shanks, Assistant Vice President, Academic & Student Affairs, APLU
Loralyn Taylor, Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics, Ohio University

Monday, November 10, 2025
Implementing the One Big Beautiful Bill
Moderator: Amanda Wintersteen, Associate Vice President for Federal Relations, Pennsylvania State University
Lowell Davis, Vice President for Student Affairs, University of Texas at Arlington
Michelle Hansen, Associate Vice President for Institutional Research and Planning, Ohio State University
Michelle Trame, Executive Director, Office of Student Financial Aid, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; National Chair of the Coalition of State University Aid Administrators

Innovation in Action: What Members Are Teaching Each Other About Technology
Daniel Newell, ED Career Services, San Diego State University (Strada)
Paul Marty, Associate Vice President of Student Advocacy and Engagement, Temple University
Rick Burnette, Senior Vice Provost, Chief (Academic) Strategy Officer & Institutional Data Administrator, Florida State University
Deanne DeCrescenzo Assistant Vice President of Student Advocacy and Engagement, Temple University
Junius Gonzales, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, California State University
Melissa Vito, Vice Provost for Academic Innovation, The University of Texas at San Antonio,

Critical Consideration in Leveraging AI for Operational Effectiveness
Moderator: Nancy Gonzales, Provost, Arizona State University
Matt Riley, Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Chief Information Officer, University of Illinois Chicago,
Wendy Hensel, President, University of Hawaii
Pranesh Aswath, Provost, Texas State University

The Future of Accreditation
Alex Cartwright, President, University of Central Florida
Robert Moran, BOSE Public Affairs Group
Maria Toyoda, President and CEO of WASC Senior College and University
Cameron Howell, Senior Advisor, Commission for Public Higher Education; Secretary of the University and of the Board of Trustees, University of South Carolina