The Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU) is hosting its Annual Convention and Exposition next week in Las Vegas, NV. The conference will discuss the innovation, collaboration, and evolution of American private colleges.

!<a href="http://s23.postimg.org/p2q49n0fv/8980424864_157aa2e19f_z.jpg "College students listening to lecture"" target="_blank">College students listening to lecture

# # ##Image courtesy of Sebastiaan ter Burg

The three-day event starts Monday, June 16, 2014 and ends Wednesday, June 18. It will feature five notable speakers — including former governors of Florida and Nebraska and an ex-White House exec — who will discuss the gamut of educational hot topics ranging from education delivery to the student experience.

# What Is the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU)?

APSCU accredits private sector colleges and universities that provide skills-based education opportunities to nontraditional students — such as veterans, working mothers, and parents — to help them achieve academic success and secure employment in today’s workforce.

These (over 1,300) accredited schools provide career-focused learning to students from diverse social and economic backgrounds. APSCU member schools provide higher education opportunities that traditional colleges cannot offer to some of these students.

APSCU’s hope and vision is to work with private sector colleges and universities in which the focus of U.S. higher education is to develop a globally-competitive workforce, and enable all students to achieve their educational and career dreams.

# What to Expect From APSCU’s Annual Convention and Exposition

The conference will break out into open sessions that circulate around leaders innovating and creating evolutional change in these main educational fields:

• Campus leadership
• Education delivery
• Student experience
• Government relations

# Campus Leadership

As schools grow, so do their programs. Students will have to interface with an array of technology that schools use to keep up with innovation. For instance, many non-traditional students will have to learn and navigate software such as Blackboard. Other topics from the conference include how schools use big data to optimize the cost of graduation, how to empower change and solutions through H.R., and how to create an military- and veteran-friendly academic environment.

# Education Delivery

Technological advancements and globalization continues to evolve conversations surrounding the best methods to help students learn. Topics of discussion that will undoubtedly be touched upon include collaborative learning, competency-based education, online learning, and more.

# Student Experience

Professionals in the areas of college admissions, career services, and alumni relations will meet to discuss the before, during, and after of the student experience, as these departments will play key roles during the student lifecycle. Salient topics include enhancing the military student experience, creating financial literacy for students, implementing career service excellence, and innovating student engagement and retention.

# Government Relations

Government and education are closely intertwined, even when it comes to private institutions (which include the schools that are members of APSCU) that aren’t directly funded by taxpayer dollars. Colleges and students alike are directly affected by recent policy issues such as President Obama’s executive action. His plan is to broaden the scope of people eligible to benefit from the law that caps payments on federal direct loans to no more than 10 percent of a borrower’s monthly income.

Stay tuned for interviews with Michael Dakduk, VP of Military and Veterans Affairs who will talk about how institutions of higher ed can be more military- and veteran-friendly and with Shawn Orr, Professional Educator, Peer-to-Peer Faculty Development and Consulting at Cengage Learning to discuss ways educators can better integrate technology in their classrooms.

Sources:

"APSCU: Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities." APSCU: Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities. APSCU, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 11 June 2014. Retrieved from APSCU.

Mattingly, Phil. "Obama to Sign Order to Ease Student Loan Payments." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 8 June 2014. Web. 11 June 2014. Retrieved from Bloomberg.com.

"7 Reasons to Attend the 2014 APSCU Convention and Expo." 7 Reasons to Attend the 2014 APSCU Convention and Expo. APSCU, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 11 June 2014. Retrieved from APSCU.

"Sessions & Speakers." Welcome. APSCU, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 11 June 2014. Retrieved from APSCU.