Council on Public Policy Higher Education (CPPHE) Pre-Conference

CPPHE Pre-Conference Call For Proposals & Volunteers

Proposals and Volunteer Interest Forms due Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 3:00pm Pacific Time

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The ASHE Council on Public Policy in Higher Education (CPPHE) seeks  proposals that examine the link between public policy and higher education with a focus on the conference theme, with a particular focus on the “Collective Movements to Revolutionize Higher Education” element of this year’s theme.” We encourage submissions from an array of scholars in spaces where higher education and policy meet - foundations, think tanks, advocacy organizations, legislative bodies, institutions of higher education, consultancies, and others - with the goal of bringing together the multitude of perspectives and approaches shaping higher education policy today. 

We are especially interested in submissions that show collaboration, crossover and influence of academic work into the policy realm, including work that highlights collaboration between academics and policy organizations, whether at the state or federal level. 

The CPPHE Pre-Conference Forum provides participants the opportunity to explore and discuss significant public policy issues that affect higher education in the U.S. at the local, state, and federal levels. Proposals that emphasize active dialogue and audience participation are particularly welcome. Additionally, CPPHE encourages proposals that bring together researchers and policy actors as partners to help research inform policy. The CPPHE Pre-Conference Forum generally features more applied work than is found in the general conference program.

In light of this year’s conference theme, “Land, Memory, and Power: Collective Movements to Revolutionize Higher Education,” we invite researchers to submit proposals that explore the need for collective approaches to thinking, talking, and acting differently in higher education as the sector faces enormous challenges. 

Proposals that use the theme of revolution as a starting point to take a positive view about what higher education can and should be, not simply in response to present attacks, but because new ways of thinking and doing are required for higher education to retain its power as a force for good in the world, in every possible sense.   

Acknowledging the deep tensions between a higher education system that has been  increasingly framed as leading to individual benefits in terms of higher wages and “return on investment” first narratives, CPPHE is particularly interested in proposals that focus on the value of higher education across multiple dimensions. That is not to exclude the important and valuable individual economic benefits that higher education provides, but to break out of the box that ROI first narratives have created, to think about broader framings that blend individual and societal benefits. Proposals could consider innovative, activist approaches to scholarly work, emphasizing the transformative potential of creativity, discovery, and collaboration in developing meaningful, student-centered policies that foster equity and lasting change. Proposals may also take a more traditional policy-analyst or institutional lens to research and policy analysis. 

The notion of “collective movements” means advancing public policy cannot be confined to those who occupy traditional scholarly roles. In fact, doing so is likely to limit the academy's ability to play a substantive role in current policy debates. Partnerships with policymakers, think tanks, advocacy organizations, and others outside academia are needed for researchers to impact policy. For that reason, we take a broad view of the definition of “scholar” and especially invite proposals from those occupying expected and unexpected spaces, from faculty and students, to policy analysts and strategists, with the goal of breaking down silos and engendering a space where the tough questions are asked, where potential solutions are considered, and where new partnerships across the multitude of scholars in the room are formed. We particularly encourage scholars to submit proposals that address the translation of policy research to policy action (including activism and advocacy), strategies for combating injustice, ongoing challenges in accessing and succeeding from higher education, and other significant events that continue to beset higher education, and the interaction among different levels of policymaking (local and state; state and federal; local and federal) to address timely higher education topics.

Please note that the CPPHE Pre-Conference Forum is different from the General Conference section Policy, Finance, and Economics. Authors can submit to either the general conference or the CPPHE Pre-Conference; however, the same proposal may not be submitted to both.

Proposal formats accepted

Call For Volunteers

We know the quality and success of the conference is contingent upon the collective engagement of each and every member serving as Reviewers, Chairs, and Discussants. Service in these roles helps to ensure the integrity of our conference and, subsequently, the field of higher education scholarship. However, we also know that the rapidly changing landscape of higher education and the challenges we are facing more broadly in society, and within our communities are taking a toll on our members. Please know that we value you and the time and energy you give to ensuring our conference programming can meet the moment.

Learn more about Volunteering

Tentative Schedule (In-Person in San Juan)

Registration Rates

Registration will open in April 2026