Elevated Education Exchange continues advancing student success

More than 250 Auburn University faculty and staff recently gathered for the 2026 Elevated Education Exchange (EEE), a campus professional development event focused on sharing innovative practices, strengthening collaboration and advancing student success across campus.

The Elevated Education Exchange supports Auburn’s Quality Enhancement Plan, AUBURNACHIEVE, by providing a forum for faculty and staff to highlight programs, partnerships and strategies that enhance student academic achievement and post-graduation outcomes. The event brings together colleagues from across campus to share ideas, explore higher education trends and strengthen cross-disciplinary connections.

This year, the event featured university spotlights showcasing how colleges and units create real-world learning experiences through hands-on opportunities, community partnerships and career-focused initiatives. The event also highlighted strong campus engagement, with 20 passive poster submissions showcasing research, program innovations and best practices from across the institution.

Sara Finney delivered the keynote address, focusing on aligning institutional intentions with student experiences and using data-informed approaches to support continuous improvement in teaching and learning.

For the first time, the event also included five post-event workshops designed to provide attendees with practical strategies they could apply immediately in their roles.

Stuart Miller, chair of the Elevated Education Exchange Planning Committee, said the event continues to grow in both reach and impact across campus.

“I was very excited to see many returning attendees and just as many new faces in the room with us at another great Elevated Education Exchange,” said Miller. “There was a lot of excitement around Dr. Finney's keynote address and the first-time addition of post-event workshops, illustrating the desire of many on campus for outlets to learn, grow and engage with their colleagues.”

First-time attendee Siobhan Patterson, career services specialist for Graduate Services, said the event created valuable opportunities for connection and learning across campus.

“I really enjoyed getting to attend my first Elevated Education Exchange event,” said Patterson. “As a newer Auburn employee, it was a wonderful opportunity to connect with others throughout the university and learn from those whom I don't get to interact with on a regular basis. I loved getting to see how each college creates real-world experiences for their students and the importance of connection in everything they do.”

Patterson also had the opportunity to join the inaugural post-event workshops, an addition she felt provided hands-on experience in implementing newly learned concepts.

“Ending the day in a workshop format was the perfect bookend, as it provided the chance for us to gain valuable tips and apply them in real time.”

The Elevated Education Exchange continues to serve as a key opportunity for the Auburn community to share ideas, strengthen partnerships and support student success.

For more information about the Elevated Education Exchange or to read more about previous years, visit aub.ie/elevatededucationexchange.