NATCHITOCHES – Natchitoches and Northwestern State University will host the fifth annual University of Louisiana System’s For Our Future Conference March 10-11. The conference will be held at the Natchitoches Events Center with break-out sessions at Chateau St. Denis.
The conference will draw about 450 participants from the faculty and staff of all nine UL System member institutions, which include Northwestern State, Grambling State University, Louisiana Tech University, McNeese State University, Nicholls State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of Louisiana Monroe and the University of New Orleans.
“We are very excited to introduce our colleagues to the beautiful city of Natchitoches,” said NSU President Dr. Marcus Jones. “The For Our Future conference is an excellent opportunity for sharing research, developing collaborations, networking and professional development.”
The conference’s priority themes include diversity and inclusion, modernization and technology. Keynote speaker will be Carol Geary Schneider, president emerita of the Association of American Colleges and Universities and a Fellow with Lumina Foundation where she is working on initiatives related to equitable access to high quality learning.
Participants will select breakout sessions with topics that include students health, mental health, study abroad, issues of poverty, adult learners, scholarship and research, mentorship, online and hybrid course delivery, financial practices, marketing and communications, public/private partnerships, enrollment management, athletics, leadership development and a variety of other topics that support the UL System’s mission, which is teaching, research and community service to enhance the quality of life for Louisiana citizens.
Dr. Jim Henderson, UL System president and CEO, will keynote the closing lunch and present System awards to the Outstanding Staff Member, Outstanding Faculty Member and Champion of Diversity and Inclusion.
The Universities of Louisiana, one of the nation’s largest higher education systems, serves more than 91,500 students and awards more than 16,500 degrees annually.
