SWCHRS REGIONAL INSTITUTES

About the Institutes

The Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies (SWCHRS) at the University of Oklahoma, will host annual gatherings in diverse geographic locations known as the Regional Institute Series to explore systems-level challenges in higher education. Each institute will bring together educators, administrators, policy leaders, and community stakeholders to address key issues that shape access and opportunity for nontraditional and systemically marginalized students.Beginning Fall 2025, the Regional Institute Series will host annual gatherings in diverse geographic locations to explore systems-level challenges in higher education. Each institute will bring together educators, administrators, policy leaders, and community stakeholders to address key issues that shape access and opportunity for nontraditional and systemically marginalized students.

Why Attend?

Learn strategies for navigating federal and state-level policy changes.
Build leadership skills centered on opportunity and innovation.
Network with peers committed to strengthening higher education's role in a changing society.
Access practical tools to enhance workforce development pipelines and institutional resilience.

Regional Institute Focus Areas:

These gatherings are designed not only to convene but to catalyze action—resulting in policy recommendations, resource toolkits, and long-term partnership strategies that participants can take back to their campuses and communities.

Current Regional Focus Areas:

Gulf Coast
Mid-Atlantic
Midwest
Mountain West
Northeast
Pacific Northwest
South
Southwest

If you're based in one of these regions and want to connect with our work, or explore opportunities to collaborate on a Regional Institute, we invite you to reach out.

US Map_Regional Institute

We are pleased to invite proposals, submissions, and recommendations for the upcoming regional institute. Our Institute is guided by seven thematic focus frames that address the most urgent and transformative areas in higher education. We welcome contributions that offer insight, strategy, and innovation across the following areas:

1. Financial Aid and Philanthropy

The complexities of financial aid systems, including the impact of rising tuition costs, student debt burdens, and equitable resource distribution.
New models and strategies for student loan borrowing and repayment, especially in light of changing federal policy.
University campaigns and philanthropic initiatives that reimagine fundraising for access and equity.

2. Student Access and Opportunity

Access pathways for nontraditional students, including those formerly incarcerated, experiencing homelessness, parenting, older adults, and military-affiliated learners.
Programs that support new student entry, navigation, and success.
University-community collaborations and city planning that enable equity in higher ed.
Models that help students build social capital through co-curricular, engagement, or mentorship experiences.

3. The Transition from Learning to Work

Preparing students for a dynamic labor market and addressing skills gaps.
AI’s impact on employability and job readiness.
Clarifying the relative value of hard vs. soft skills in different sectors.
Bridging public and private workforce pathways and cultivating stronger industry-university partnerships.

4. Pedagogy and Learning Models

Differentiating adult learning frameworks from K-12 approaches.
The science of effective teaching and learning.
Trauma-informed pedagogy that supports learner well-being.

5. Redefining and Reimagining the Academy

Strategic organizational mapping and change management in public and private institutions.
Community relevance and innovation amid the rise of AI.
Reframing institutional missions to reinforce the academy’s public good.

6. Leadership, Policy, and Ethics

Tools and mindsets for ethical leadership and accountability.
Practical intersections between policy formation and ethical decision-making.
Responding to shifting demographics and the changing student body.
Language innovation: how to speak about equity without relying on traditional jargon (“The ‘E-Word’”).

7. Student Leadership Development

Models of civic engagement and student organizing.
Approaches to supporting student protest, advocacy, and activism within higher education contexts.

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Contact Us

Have questions or need more information? Reach out to us at swchrs@ou.edu.