October 16-18 • Kansas City, Missouri 

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

ASPIRE23 is the industry conference that brings together higher education professionals on a mission to advance student success. Through thought leadership, solutions exploration, and peer-to-peer problem-solving, ASPIRE empowers you to implement strategic scheduling and planning practices for academic operations and financial health.

EXPERIENCE ASPIRE

 

GUEST SPEAKERS FROM
TOP INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS

INTERACTIVE SESSIONS ON
STUDENT SUCCESS & EQUITY

PEER-LED SESSIONS ON OPTIMIZING
ACADEMIC & EVENT SCHEDULING

ONE-ON-ONE CUSTOMER
SOLUTIONS CONSULTATIONS

PEER-TO-PEER
NETWORKING

UNWIND WITH DOGS,
BREWS & TUNES

WHAT'S THE WORD ON ASPIRE?

 

"This is my FAVORITE conference to attend. So inspiring and such a great reminder that students always come first. When in the weeds of higher ed...I feel like that gets lost sometimes."

Ashley Hayes, Cleveland University-KC

—

"Love the vision—the focus on improvement of student outcomes and philanthropy."

Terri Vogel, Northwest Missouri State University

—

"Great information, great vibe, packing hygiene kits, Maizey, lunchtime walks, evening activities, and GREAT information."

Mari Clements, Glenville State University

 

MEET YOUR KEYNOTES

 

 

TOM SHAVER

FOUNDER & CEO, AD ASTRA

Tom Shaver is the founder and CEO at Ad Astra, which launched in 1996. Since founding, Tom has been responsible for the strategic direction of much of the development of Ad Astra’s software and reporting systems that are used on over 1,000 College and University campuses.

In 2004, Tom authored a successful U. S. business process patent application for Ad Astra’s inventions in the scheduling software market. Tom also led Ad Astra’s efforts in developing the Higher Education Scheduling Index®, a peer database that allows institutions to benchmark their performance in allocating faculty and academic space against peers and longitudinally.

Tom is the leading industry expert on strategic scheduling of academic resources to improve student Degree Velocity®, retention, completions, and financial sustainability of academic programs. Prior to his work at Ad Astra, Shaver was a partner at The Shaver Partnership, his family's architectural and consulting firm.

 

DR. GARY MORSCH

FOUNDER, HEART TO HEART INTERNATIONAL, DOCS WHO CARE & GLOBAL CARE FORCE

Dr. Gary Morsch is an emergency medicine physician who has dedicated his life to volunteer service. He founded several mission-focused organizations, including Heart to Heart International, Docs Who Care, and COVID Care Force/Global Care Force, which Dr. Morsch began in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 1992, Dr. Morsch co-founded Heart to Heart International, a nonprofit organization focused on disaster response and improving healthcare access in the U.S. and across the world. Over the past 30 years, Heart to Heart has delivered over $2.4 billion in medicine and aid to 131 countries and maintains a network of thousands of volunteers. In 1995, Dr. Morsch also founded Docs Who Care, a medical staffing company that provides ED and in-patient staffing to 100+ hospitals throughout the Midwest. When the pandemic began, Dr. Morsch quickly mobilized a group of healthcare professionals to deploy to hot spots and areas of critical healthcare staffing shortages. Many of these under-resourced communities begged Dr. Morsch not to forget them after the pandemic. Global Care Force continues to send volunteer healthcare professionals to underserved locations experiencing critical staffing shortages.

He has authored numerous books, including the best-seller, The Power of Serving Others, and his latest, You’ll Never Be the Same.

 

 

READY TO JOIN US?

AGENDA AT-A-GLANCE

 

DAY 1 • OCTOBER 16

8:15am

First Time Attendee Session

9am

Keynote Address

Tom Shaver, Founder & CEO, Ad Astra

10:15am

Concurrent Sessions

Highlighted Session: 

Avoid the Cancellation Cave-In: Practical Strategies for Using Reporting and Registration Trends to Right-Size the Schedule

12:30pm

Lunchtime Excursion

Walk - don't stop - and smell the roses.  Join us for a brief walk to Jacob L. Loose Park where you'll  learn the history behind Kansas City's most iconic park & rose garden.

1:15pm

Ad Astra Product Keynote

Charlie Stroble, Director of Product Experience, Ad Astra

2:15pm

Concurrent Sessions

Highlighted Session: 

Outlining the Strategy: How the Community College of Allegheny County Created a Tactical Plan for Strategic Enrollment

6pm

Meet, Greet & Out to Eats

Join members of Ad Astra's Client Advisory Board and other conference attendees for dinner at one of 4 restaurants in the Plaza area. Space will be limited - stay tuned for sign up information!

8pm

Rooftop Karaoke

What's a road trip without some tunes? Join us back at the hotel for karaoke & good times!

Client Solutions Center open from 10am-1pm & 2:15-5pm

DAY 2 • OCTOBER 17

9am

Keynote Address

Dr. Gary Morsch, Founder, Heart to Heart International, Docs Who Care & Global Care Force

10am

Concurrent Sessions 

Highlighted Session: 

Providing Evidence: Demonstrate How Your Course Scheduling Data Supports Accreditation Requirements

12:30pm

Lunchtime Excursion

Join us for a brief walk through the Country Club Plaza & learn the history of KC's Mill Creek Fountain.

1:15pm

Concurrent Sessions 

Highlighted Session: 

Build Your Toolkit: Using Strategic Reporting to Maximize Course Scheduling

4:45pm

Networking Happy Hour @ Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge

Take a stroll through the historic Country Club Plaza or enjoy a quick trolley shuttle to Monarch Bar for drinks & appetizers.

Client Solutions Center open from 10am-4:15pm

DAY 3 • OCTOBER 18

8:30am

Closing Session

9:15am

Concurrent Sessions 

Highlighted Session: 

Rethinking the Approach: How Lamar University Transitioned to an Annual Schedule

12pm

Departure

Client Solutions Center open from 9am-12pm

"The course schedule is essential to both equitable student success and institutional financial sustainability. Ad Astra is a trusted partner of AASCU, and our members, and I look forward to attending this year’s conference to learning how institutions are using the important student success strategy.”

Terry Brown, AASCU, Vice President of Academic Innovation and Transformation 

 

Thank you to our sponsors!

We're preparing for the journey.

 

ASPIRE23 will be held October 16-18 in Kansas City, Missouri at the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza. Stay tuned for our full schedule of speakers, sessions, and events! In the meantime, contact us with any questions.