What does it look like for an institution’s mission to show up in measurable results?
That question was at the center of ARC2026: Mission > Action > Impact, where 600 presidents, provosts, accreditation liaison officers, and faculty gathered to explore how institutions can translate purpose into outcomes, particularly at time of new pressures and possibilities for the sector.
Held April 8–10 in San Francisco, the conference featured keynote presentations and expert-led concurrent sessions highlighting artificial intelligence, regulatory changes, accelerated degree pathways, and other topics shaping institutional strategy and decision-making.
ARC2026’s opening plenary featured Khan Academy founder Sal Khan in conversation with Bob Wise, education advocate and former WSCUC Commissioner. Khan explored how artificial intelligence is redefining teaching, learning, and access. His work has long challenged the assumption that access and quality are in tension. At ARC2026, he pushed that challenge further, arguing that artificial intelligence and new delivery models can be catalysts for further innovation and institutional success.
Thursday’s plenary brought a more practical lens to questions of institutional sustainability and mission. Joshua Travis Brown, assistant professor of entrepreneurial leadership in education at Johns Hopkins University and fellow at the Centre for Skills, Knowledge, and Organizational Performance (SKOPE) at the University of Oxford, presented findings from his book “Capitalizing on College”. Brown examined how tuition-dependent institutions are responding to market pressures, urging attendees to consider what past crises reveal about leading today and to pursue disciplined innovation that strengthens, rather than displaces, mission.
WSCUC President Maria Toyoda and other WSCUC leaders headlined the conference’s concluding session, which offered a clear view of the evolving federal policy landscape and its implications for WSCUC and its institutions, including new expectations around student outcomes and return on investment.
“We are in a period of significant regulatory activity and significant uncertainty. There are changes underway — and changes anticipated — that touch on everything from the structure of federal student aid, to the role of accreditation in the broader higher education ecosystem. We are actively preparing for the challenges ahead,” said Toyoda.
President Toyoda and panelists also responded to audience questions on accreditor’s relationships with institutions, federal policy developments, and WSCUC’s updated Standards.
ARC2027 will be held April 7 to 9 in San Diego.