October 12-15 • Scottsdale, AZ 

A NEW DAY DAWNS

ASPIRE is the conference that brings together higher education professionals on a mission to advance student success through smart scheduling. As the longest-running conference devoted to scheduling, ASPIRE is the place to get inspired by industry experts, connect with peers, and certified on modern solutions. 

For the first time ever, we're taking ASPIRE on the road! Join us in Scottsdale, Arizona, where wide-open skies and vast desert landscapes create the perfect backdrop for innovation and growth. This year promises to be an unforgettable experience, combining exploration of bold, new ideas with the breathtaking beauty of the Arizona desert.

Register by February 15th to get the best price available!

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

Six product certification options

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. 

 

 

This track is tailored for system partners who play a crucial role in supporting academic planning and scheduling across colleges. Explore proven strategies and innovative practices for aligning system and institutional priorities to drive optimal student and organizational outcomes. Engage with industry experts and peers to share insights and solutions, and participate in collaborative sessions designed to foster meaningful partnerships between system and college leaders. 

 

 

Event schedulers unite! This track gives attendees with the tools and expertise to efficiently book events, manage calendars, and streamline workflows. Schedulers will learn to optimize spaces, resources, and user permissions, while mastering event registration, invoicing, and fee collection to enhance their event management processes using Ad Astra’s solutions. 

WHAT'S THE WORD ON ASPIRE?

 

"Attending ASPIRE is a great benefit of being an Ad Astra client because you get to learn pro tips on how to use the software in a better or different way than what you've always used, making things easier and more streamlined in the long run." 

Amy Carlson
Senior Associate Registrar, University of Missouri-Kansas City

 

“I attended ASPIRE because my registrar told me that it was a fantastic, fun, collegial experience. It turns out that's exactly what I found — great information, new strategies, and fascinating people to exchange ideas with.”

Stephen Wells
Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Community College of Allegheny College

 

“One of my favorite things about ASPIRE is being able to network with other colleges to learn how they use the products and what things they've done to accomplish different goals set at their institutions.”

Zach Cannady
Academic Scheduling & Assessment Coordinator, Butler Community College

 

MEET YOUR KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

 

SARITA BROWN

CO-FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, EXCELENCIA IN EDUCATION

Sarita E. Brown is Co-founder & President of Excelencia in Education, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to accelerating Latino success in higher education by linking research, policy, and practice to serve Latino students.

A recognized leader and advocate for equity in higher education, she began her career at the University of Texas at Austin, where she built a national model for increasing the number of students of color in graduate education and in the academy. Once in Washington, DC, Sarita served in leadership roles in higher education associations, at American University and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Institute. She was appointed as the Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans during the Clinton Administration.

As Excelencia’s President, Sarita is responsible for the vision and governance of the organization, working with the Board of Directors to communicate with stakeholders and identify forward-thinking partners, funders and investors to support Excelencia’s mission. With over 30 years of experience catalyzing and supporting higher educational institutions and leaders to address equity, she applies her skills and energies to expanding Presidents for Latino Student Success, Excelencia’s national network of college and university leaders who have committed to making their institutions learning environments where Latino students thrive.

TOM SHAVER

FOUNDER & CEO, AD ASTRA

Tom Shaver is the founder and CEO of 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, completion, 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. 

 

READY TO JOIN US?

AGENDA AT A GLANCE

OCTOBER 12

3:00pm

Registration Opens

 OCTOBER 13

7:00am

Registration and Breakfast

8:00am

First-Time Attendee Session

8:30am

 Keynote Address 

SARITA BROWN, CO-FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, EXCELENCIA IN EDUCATION

10:00am

Vision Center and Client Solutions Center open

10:15am

Concurrent Sessions

12:00pm

Lunch 

1:00pm

Keynote Address & 2025 Product Update

TOM SHAVER, FOUNDER & CEO, AD ASTRA

CHARLIE STROBLE, VICE PRESIDENT OF PRODUCT EXPERIENCE, AD ASTRA

2:00pm

 

Concurrent Sessions

 

5:00pm

Day One Wrap-Up

 

 OCTOBER 14

7:00am

Breakfast

8:45am

Vision Center and Client Solutions Center open

9:00am

Concurrent Sessions

12:00pm

Lunch

1:00pm

Concurrent Sessions

5:00pm

Day Two Wrap-Up

 

 OCTOBER 15

7:00am

Breakfast

8:00am

Vision Center and Client Solutions Center Open

8:30am

Concurrent Sessions

1:00pm

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