* A more detailed agenda will be posted soon. Please note, some sessions may be subject to change as the schedule develops. The website will be continuously updated. Items in bold require additional registration.
Monday, February 22 (LEADS Workshop)
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
- LEADS Fellowship Workshop - 2026-2027 + 2027-2028 Cohorts (12:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
Tuesday, February 23 (Pre-Conferences)
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
- ADFM Board Meeting (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
- ADFM LEADS Fellowship Workshop - 2026-2027 + 2027-2028 Cohorts (8:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
- BRC Fellowship Meeting (8:00 AM - 1:00 PM)
- Administrator's Pre-Conference (8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)
- Leader Development Preconference(1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
- Building Research Capacity Preconference (1:00 PM - 4:30 PM)
- New Attendee Orientation (5:00 PM - 5:30 PM)
- Celebrating the LEADS Fellowship: Fellows, Alumni, Mentors, & Supporters Reception (5:30 PM)
- Dine Arounds + Board Dinner (6:30 PM - )
Wednesday, February 24
6:00 AM - 5:30 PM
- Wellness Session (6:00 AM - 7:00 AM)
- Topical Breakfast Tables (7:00 AM - 8:30 AM)
- Welcome, President's Speech, and Business Meeting (8:30 AM - 9:30 AM)
- General Session (9:30 AM - 11:45 AM)
- Networking Lunch & Strategic Committees Meet (11:45 AM - 1:00 PM)
- Government Relations Update (1:00 PM - 1:30 PM)
- General Session (1:30 PM - 3:00 PM)
- LEADS Ignite Talks (3:00 PM - 4:30 PM)
- Welcome Happy Hour Reception (5:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
Thursday, February 25
6:00 AM - 8:00 PM
- Wellness Session (6:00 AM - 7:00 AM)
- Breakfast + State & Regional Networking Tables (7:00 AM - 8:00 AM)
- General Sessions (8:00 AM - 10:00 AM)
- Innovation Showcases (10:00 AM - 11:00 AM)
- General Session (11:15 AM - 12:30 PM)
- Leadership & Management Dilemmas Session (12:45 PM - 2:45 PM)
- Afternoon On Your Own (12:30 PM - )
Friday, February 26
7:30 AM - 12:45 PM
- Breakfast + Focused Networking Tables (7:30 AM - 8:30 AM)
- Innovation Showcases (8:45 AM - 9:45 AM)
- General Sessions (10:00 AM - 11:30 AM)
- Conference Close (11:30 AM - 12:00 PM )
- 2027 Conference Planning Committee Meeting - All Welcome! (12:15 PM -12:45 PM)
Innovation Showcase
Please consider submitting a proposal on an innovation in your department/work you've done in your department, highlighting new or creative ideas that other departments can learn from and apply in their own institutions. Through the Innovations Showcase, we hope to capture and share new or creative ideas that other departments can learn from and apply in their own institutions across any of a department's mission areas or operations.
The ADFM Conference Planning Committee is especially interested in considering Innovation Showcases on the following topics:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Wellness (what are departments doing to promote faculty and staff wellness?)
- DEI
- Managing organizational change
We anticipate that the Innovation Showcase sessions will take place on Wednesday (2/24) or Friday (2/26) of the conference.
Deadline to Apply: September 7, 2026
Please note: If you are selected to present in an Innovation Showcase, you will be required to register for the conference.
ADFM Staff will notify applicants of their application status by October 9, 2026.
Submit an Innovation Showcase here!
Breakfast Table Topics
The topics for these discussion tables can be specific (e.g. something you are doing in your department that you want to share), general (e.g. open discussion of a topic), or focused on networking. As a facilitator of the discussion topic, you would host two separate groups, 45 minutes allotted for each, during the breakfast hour on Wednesday, February 24, 2027.
Deadline to Apply: October 26, 2026
If you are interested in hosting a Breakfast Table Discussion Topic, please complete this form!
