NASPA Online Learning Community

2027 Annual Conference Focus Area Virtual Information Session: Adapting with Purpose and Agency in the New Era of Student Affairs

Includes a Live Web Event on 05/08/2026 at 1:00 PM (EDT)

Learning Outcome One: Navigate governance and compliance while preserving mission integrity

[Mid-Level & Senior-Level]

Key Questions:

  • How do we maintain program integrity amid conflicting federal, state, and institutional policies?
  • What ethical frameworks guide decisions when compliance and mission collide?
  • How do we advocate when policies threaten student access or belonging?

Learning Outcome Two: Design strategic partnerships better positioning student affairs as institutional leaders

[All Levels]

Key Questions:

  • Where are high-impact collaboration opportunities with academic affairs, institutional research, enrollment, advancement?
  • How do we translate SA outcomes into language resonating with institutional priorities?
  • What barriers prevent collaboration, and how do we dismantle them?

Learning Outcome Three: Develop responsive strategies meeting evolving needs of emergent student populations

[All Levels]

Key Questions:

  • How do institutions identify and respond to shifting demographics?
  • What evidence-based approaches serve First-gen+, post-traditional, undocumented, limited income?
  • How do we scale innovations without losing culturally responsive support? 

Learning Outcome Four: Align SA strategies with institutional goals while maintaining SA expertise

[Senior-Level]

Key Questions:

  • How do we demonstrate SA's contribution to institutional strategic plans?
  • What does it mean to align without assimilating — strategic partners without losing identity?
  • How do we communicate value to boards, legislatures, donors, and campus partners? 

Creston Lynch

Assistant Vice President for University Life

George Mason University

Creston Lynch, Ph.D. serves as Assistant Vice President for University Life at George Mason University, Virginia's largest and most diverse public university, where he leads division-wide initiatives, oversees student retention and success programs, and supports implementation of the university's strategic plan. He has held senior leadership roles at Southern Methodist University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Western Kentucky University, and Clemson University, building coalitions, strengthening campus climate, and advancing the student experience across institutional contexts. He has been active in NASPA for more than a decade, presenting at the Annual Conference and AVP Symposium and engaging with regional and national planning efforts. He holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of North Texas.

Garrett Naiman

Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Development and Engagement and Dean of Students

UC Santa Cruz

Garrett Naiman leads campuswide strategy and operations that advance student success, engagement, and well-being at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He brings more than 25 years of experience in higher education, grounded in the belief that every student deserves the opportunity to thrive. He has been an active NASPA contributor and most recently served on the 2025 Extended Learning Sessions conference subcommittee. He holds degrees from UC Santa Barbara, the University of Vermont, and the University of San Francisco.

Quincy Spencer

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Engagement

University of Arkansas

Quincy D. Spencer provides strategic leadership for student engagement, belonging, and success at the University of Arkansas, overseeing a portfolio that includes transition programs, college access, student media, leadership and involvement, family programs, community engagement, and multicultural initiatives. His scholarship focuses on family engagement, first-generation student success, and second-year retention, and he draws on experience across large public universities, mid-sized institutions, and medical colleges. A past president of NODA, he is active in NASPA and AHEPPP and works as an independent higher education consultant. He holds a doctorate in Higher Education from the University of Arkansas.

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