PATHWAYS TO POSSIBILITY: The State of Higher Education Summit

For too long, conversations around higher education have spent more time diagnosing problems than fixing them. The State of Higher Education Summit aims to change that narrative. Hosted by Advance Illinois, Hope Chicago, and the Partnership for College Completion, this solutions-oriented convening moves beyond talk and straight into coordinated action. We are coming together with one simple goal: to build an Illinois where a student's background, age, or income never dictates their ability to get a degree and succeed. To get there, the people closest to the issues — students and families — have to be at the heart of the solution. By bringing student voices into the same room with policymakers, college leaders, researchers, community advocates, and philanthropic partners, the Summit bridges real-life experiences with systemic power. Together, we will reflect and improve upon practical policy shifts, implementation plans, and shared commitments that actually work. Whether you are navigating your own education or shaping the policies behind it, this summit is your seat at the table to help design a fairer, more responsive higher education system for all of Illinois. Agenda 9:00-9:30AM: Check-in and Light Refreshments 9:30-9:40AM: Opening Remarks Presented by Dr. Aaron Kuecker (Hope Chicago) 9:40AM-11:00AM: Keynote: The Value Proposition of Higher Education Presented by Dr. Zack Mabel (Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce), joined by Dr. Wil del Pilar (EdTrust) 11:10AM-12:00PM: Breakout Sessions 12:00PM-1:00PM: Lunch + State Workforce Attainment Address Presented by Kyle Westbrook (Education Systems Center at NIU), joined by Ginger Ostro (IBHE) 1:00PM-1:45PM: Panel Discussion Moderated by Dr. Kyle Southern (Partnership for College Completion), joined by Kelsey Bakken (Advance Illinois), Dr. Aarti Dhupelia (One Million Degrees), Senator Graciela Guzmán (IL Senate District 20), Dom McKoy (To&Through), and Chancellor Juan Salgado (City Colleges of Chicago) 1:45PM-3:30PM: Community Commitments & Agreements