The University of Tennessee at Martin hosted the first Southern Regional Branch Campus Administrators’ Conference on Nov. 7-8 in the Boling University Center’s Duncan Ballroom.

The National Association of Branch Campus Administrators represents more than 100 university, community, state and technical college campuses in the United States and abroad. According to the organization’s website their mission is to promote the interests of branch and regional administrators and explore opportunities that affect institutions. The NABCA is committed to supporting the mission and goals of higher education professionals who work at a location that is separate from their main campus. They aim to equip institutions with the tools and resources they need to support the parent campus, students and the communities they serve.

Dr. Joseph Rives, president of NABCA, welcomed conference attendees Nov 7, after which Dr. Dawn Fortin Mattoon, from Ruffalo Noel Levitz, gave the keynote address titled “Transitioning Your Branch Campuses to Influencer Hubs: Making Place Matter.” Attendees were then able to choose from several concurrent networking sessions on topics such as fighting declining enrollment with increasing online presence; advising and student success; successful collaboration and communication with the “mother ship”; student and mental health services at off-campus locations: centralized and decentralized funding; distance learning rooms; and organizational structures of off-campus sites.

Institutions attending the event included Florida Atlantic University, Ole Miss, University of West Virginia, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, University of West Georgia, Western Illinois University, Northwest Mississippi Community College, Nashville State Community College, Faulkner University and Murray State University.

For more information, contact Erica Bell, director of educational outreach, at 731-881-7089 or visit nabca.net.

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