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NACUBO 2026

Your unofficial guide to NACUBO 2026 featuring must-see sessions, keynote speakers, events, and ideas worth exploring.

ChatGPT Image Jun 18, 2026, 11_39_30 AM

Your Unofficial Guide to NACUBO 2026

With packed schedules and many sessions happening throughout the week, this unofficial guide gives you a quick view of the agenda, along with must-see sessions, keynote speakers, key events, and exciting presentations worth adding to your schedule at NACUBO.

Visit Kuali's Booth

Schedule at a Glance

Saturday July 18 | 6:00 - 8:00 PM — Mission Meets Moment Opening Event

Key Events

Sunday

7:30–8:30 AM: Breakfast

July 19

Key Events

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    8:30 AM: Sessions Begin

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    11:30 AM: The EXPO + Lunch

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    5:15 PM: Happy Hour in The EXPO

Monday

7:30–8:30 AM: Breakfast

July 20

Key Events

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    Stop by Kuali Booth #616

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    8:30 AM: Sessions Begin

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    11:30 AM: The EXPO, Lunch, and TECHTalk Sessions

Tuesday

7:30 - 8:30 AM: Breakfast

July 21

Key Events

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    8:30 AM: Sessions Begin

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    10:15 AM: Main Stage

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    11:30 AM: Refreshment Farewell

Session Spotlights

Key sessions that you don't want to miss.

NACUBO 4

Benchmarking the Numbers

Linking Staffing Intensity and Service Quality to Strategic Outcomes

This session explores how public universities use staffing, payroll, and service data to make smarter resource decisions. Learn practical benchmarking strategies and real-world approaches to aligning investments with outcomes.

  • Speakers

    Govind Acharya (University of California Davis), Haley Bergsten (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Kim Salisbury (University of Idaho), and Paul Seitz (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

  • When
    July 20: 4:15 - 5:15 pm 
Add to Calendar
Conference Signage Kuali 2026 AI V2

Experience the Agentic Campus

Visit us in the Exhibitor Showcase | Kuali Booth #616
Discover how AI-powered automation is transforming curriculum management, academic approvals, student records processes, and campus workflows.
  • See for Yourself
    AI isn’t just assisting institutional work anymore. It’s starting to do it. 
NACUBO 3-1

The AI Investment Decision

Build, Buy, or Shared Services?

This session explores how higher education institutions can evaluate AI investments, whether through commercial tools, custom solutions, or shared-service models. Learn practical frameworks and real-world lessons for making strategic, scalable AI decisions.

  • Speakers

    Justin Barkhuff (California Lutheran University, Brett Pollak (University of California San Diego), and Lindsay Wayt (NACUBO)

  • When

    Monday July 20: 4:15–5:15 pm PT

Captain Jack Sparrows Pirate Ship 2

Chart Your Course to the Agentic Campus

Visit the Expo Hall | Kuali Booth #616

Learn how Kuali's AI-native platform is transforming higher education. Explore live demos — from workflow automation and research administration to curriculum management, governance, and operational intelligence.

  • Lego Set Give-Away
    Enter for a chance to win a LEGO® Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Ship set at the booth.

About Kuali

Explore the AI Native Platform Behind Modern Academic and Institutional Operations.

Agentic Campus Simple View v3

The Agentic Campus

Kuali's agentic architecture brings together institutional data, operational workflows, and mission-critical application into a AI-native platform designed to simplify, automate, and coordinate work across the modern institution.

AI-Native in Action

While traditional SaaS platforms helped institutions digitize workflows, governance, and processes, Kuali's AI-native platform helps institutions understand, coordinate, and accelerate the work happening inside them in ways that were never possible before.

Gateway Image-1
CFOs

Shadow AI is becoming a hidden line item in campus budgets.

AI purchases are happening across departments, often without centralized oversight. Kuali AI Gateway brings AI governance, visibility, and cost control together through a single, secure reverse proxy layer built for higher education.

  • Meet the First AI Gateway Built for Higher Ed.
Build with Connector V3
Institutional Leaders

AI isn’t just assisting institutional work anymore. It’s starting to do it.

Ask AI to build forms, workflows, automate approvals, identify bottlenecks, and keep institutional work moving. Kuali helps higher education teams streamline processes through AI-native automation, connected workflows, governance, integrations, and no-code applications.

  • AI-Native Forms, Workflows & Automations
Kuali Research with AI
Research Administrators

Talk to your research administration system like it’s part of your team.

Manage research administration, compliance, and operations through connected workflows, centralized records, and an AI-native platform that simplifies reviews, accelerates approvals, and improves visibility across the research lifecycle.

Registrars
Registrars & Provosts

Curriculum, catalog, syllabus, degree audit and planning are just the beginning.

Kuali brings curriculum, catalog, and syllabus together with AI-native workflows that help registrars manage not just core academic systems, but the everyday operational work around them, from transcript evaluations and exemptions to grade appeals and more, all in one connected platform.

"Where other workflow tools struggled, Kuali scaled."

Errol Erez

Application Architect  |  Tufts University

"I highly recommend exploring everything Kuali has to offer.” 

Marlise Sipes

University Registrar   |  CSU Global

“Kuali combines a scalable platform with a responsive, collaborative team that truly understands higher education.”

Molly Thompson

Senior Deputy University Registrar  |  Vanderbilt University

“The automation, student autonomy, and access to data are unmatched."

Sarah Jeffery

Senior Coordinator of Peer Education   |  University of Georgia

“Kuali streamlines complex research workflows, and the people behind it bring the expertise and guidance to help us work more efficiently.”

Dawn Boatman

Assistant VP for Research Administration  |  Portland University

“We launched 100+ Kuali applications in six months, with more coming soon. Our Staff saw transformative improvements in efficiency and collaboration across campus.”

John Whitehouse

Director of Data Systems  |  Gettysburg College

Explore What's Possible

Imagine a campus where approvals don't stall, processes don't get lost, and AI helps keep work moving. Kuali is redefining what's possible in higher education.

Talk to an Expert

Customer Stories

Explore customer stories, operational insights, and strategies from institutions using Kuali to modernize workflows, governance, research administration, and campus operations.

Louisiana State University of Alexandria

318% Increase in On-Time Degree Conferrals
Case Study

University of Connecticut

Scaling From 204 to 1,400 Workflow Apps
Case Study

University of Maryland, Baltimore

Reducing Research Training Time by 50%
Case Study

Southern New Hampshire University

Streamlining 2,000 Curriculum Competencies
Case Study

Point Park University

Transforming 39 Continuity Plans Into One Live System
Case Study

Utah State University

43% Improvement in Grant Win Ratio
Case Study