October 14-16 • Kansas City, Missouri 

BREAKTHROUGHS START HERE

ASPIRE24 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 discussions, ASPIRE empowers you to implement smart scheduling and planning practices for student progress, academic operations, and financial health.

EXPERIENCE ASPIRE

 

Inspiring keynotes from industry experts

Product roadmap updates and hands-on training

Dedicated programming and content tracks for a tailored experience

One-on-one customer solutions consultations

Peer-to-peer networking

Unwind with brews and tunes

CHOOSE YOUR TRACK

 

Mix and match sessions to build your pathway to progress. From mastering the basics to deep dives with insights, our ASPIRE features three program tracks to provide something for everyone via hands-on training, collaborative roundtables, and peer-led discussions. 

 

 

 

Focus on the core scheduling practices that will enhance efficiency and schedule quality at your institution. This track includes data concepts for analyzing and improving schedules. Aligned with Essential Scheduling and Data-Informed Scheduling solutions, sessions cover training, workshops, client demos, data analysis, and transitioning from Astra Schedule 8 to Ad Astra’s modern platform with data integrations. 

 

 

Dive into advanced scheduling practices aimed at boosting student progress. This track shares best practices for implementing student-centered initiatives and scaling Pathways through schedules. Aligned with Student-Centered Scheduling and Integrated Planning solutions, sessions feature training, data analysis, client demos, and strategic workshops. 

 

 

This track offers content to support emerging strategic initiatives in higher education. This track enables evaluation and discussion of new initiatives across institutions. Sessions include data analysis, workshops, client demos, and presentations to help improve institutional and student outcomes. 

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

 

 

CHARLES ANSELL

VP OF RESEARCH, POLICY & ADVOCACY, COMPLETE COLLEGE AMERICA

Charles Ansell has committed his career to advancing educational justice and equity. At Complete College America, he uses research to support legislation and initiatives aimed at eliminating disparities in college completion across socioeconomic, racial, and generational lines. As the former Chief Operating Officer of the Community College System of New Hampshire, he managed research, strategy, finance, and technology, developing policies that increased college graduation rates and career success. Previously, at the City Colleges of Chicago, he led the implementation of a pathways program that streamlined students' class enrollments based on their academic goals, enhancing academic readiness in key subjects. Charles holds an M.S. in Business Information Technology from DePaul University and a B.A. from Carleton College, and he actively participates in various education and workforce boards.

KELLI CAMPBELL-GOODNOW

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HEART OF AMERICA PATRIOT FOUNDATION

Kelli Campbell-Goodnow, Executive Director of the Heart of America Patriot Foundation, channels her personal tragedy into honoring veterans. After losing her husband, Major Shawn Campbell, in a 2016 military helicopter collision, she moved to Kansas City for family support and stability. Leveraging her experience in nonprofit work, she now leads HOAPF, partnering with educational institutions to offer scholarships to dependents of deceased or disabled veterans. A Texas A&M alumna, Kelli will soon earn an Executive MBA from Rockhurst University.

 

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.

 

CHARLIE STROBLE

VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCT EXPERIENCE, AD ASTRA

Charlie has been a design and product leader for over 15 years. Throughout his career, Charlie has personally performed and managed many of the roles involved in a modern software product organization. His wide range of experiences cover product management, software development, marketing, and user experience design. In 2017, Charlie joined Ad Astra to establish a User Experience practice and eventually transitioned to lead the Product Experience team. His primary focus is on product vision, discovery, design, and delivery of Ad Astra’s third generation product platform. 

 

charlie stroble

READY TO JOIN US?

 AGENDA AT-A-GLANCE

 

 

DAY 1 • OCTOBER 14

7:45am

First Time Attendee Session

8:30am

Welcome Keynote Address & 2024 Product Update

Tom Shaver, Ad Astra

Charlie Stroble, Ad Astra

 

10:30am

Concurrent Sessions

12:30pm

Lunchtime Walk 

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.

 

2:00pm

Concurrent Sessions
3:00pm

Building Bridges to Success: Strategies for Enhancing Educational Equity and College Completion

Charles Ansell, VP of Research, Policy, and Advocacy, Complete College America
4:00pm Birds of a Feather & Networking Happy Hour

5:00pm

Meet, Greet & Out to Eats

Join members of Ad Astra's Client Advisory Board and other conference attendees for dinner in the Plaza area.

 

7:30pm

Rooftop Ballroom Networking Event

 

DAY 2 • OCTOBER 15

9:00am

Opening Doors: Empowering Military Families Through Education

Kelli Campbell-Goodnow, Executive Director, Heart of America Patriot Foundation

10:00am

Concurrent Sessions 

12:30pm

Lunchtime Walk

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

 

1:00pm

Concurrent Sessions 

4:00pm

Closing Session & Reception
5:00pm

Networking Social Event

Join us at The Puttery to network at an immersive indoor mini-golf experience!

 

The Puttery

612 W 47th St, Suite 140, Kansas City, MO 64112

 

DAY 3 • OCTOBER 16

8:30AM

Concurrent Sessions

12:00PM

Departure

 

 

 

"Ad Astra is bringing to bear new data on precisely the right issues that will help us be smarter about confronting barriers and utilizing technology in scaling solutions to college completion."

Charles Ansell

Vice President for Research, Policy and Advocacy, Complete College America

 

WE'RE POWERING UP!

 

ASPIRE24 will be held October 14-16 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.