Sunday, October 18-Wednesday, October 21, 2026
About the Conference
The Norris University Center and Campus Life teams are excited to welcome you to Northwestern University! Colleagues from across Big 10 student unions and student activities will convene in Evanston, IL from October 18-21, 2026.
The Northwestern campus is uniquely located within driving distance for our Midwest peers, and centrally located for our East and West Coast friends to travel by air. Evanston has the charm and walkability of a college town, with easy access to the city of Chicago, coupled with an urban transit system that is second to none, all situated along the beautiful coast of Lake Michigan.
Leveraging our partnerships with Follett Higher Education and Compass/Chartwells, we are excited to offer our Big 10 colleagues an array of dining and retail experiences, front and back of the house tours, and a showcase of our recently constructed Cohen Lawn, Kahn Pavilion, Luna's Pub & Grill, and the new Ryan Field. We will glide along the Chicago River exploring the city's unique architecture, hear from Northwestern and Student Affairs leadership, explore our F&SL and student organizational structure, share information across our programs, learn from experts in the field, and of course spend plenty of time socializing and networking with each other.
This webpage is designed to serve as your information hub for our Big 10 Conference and will be updated with new information as it becomes available. We can't wait to see you all soon!
Corbin Smyth, Executive Director
Norris University Center
Tracey Gibson-Jackson, Director
Student Organizations & Activities
Registration
- Registration cost: $475
- includes all meals, sessions, activities & conference related transportation
- Registration deadline: Friday, September 18
Thank You to Our Supporting Partners
About Northwestern
Northwestern is a comprehensive research university that is deeply interdisciplinary across multiple schools and units. Our rigorous yet empathetic academic environment provides a robust mixture of theory and practice, with an emphasis on top-tier research, new knowledge, creative expression and practical application.
Schedule & Speakers
The below schedule offers a sneak peek of the opportunities our team is planning for attendees. Times, details and locations will adjust as the conference nears; however, overall conference dates and start/end times will not change as you book your travel. Keep an eye on this page for updates as we near!
Sunday, October 18
| Afternoon | Arrival and check in | The Graduate by Hilton, Evanston (1625 Hinman Ave) |
|---|---|---|
| 5:15pm | Shuttle pick up from hotel | Optional. Easy 0.3 mile walk |
| 5:30pm | Welcome dinner and reception | Guild Lounge, in Scott Hall (601 University Place) |
| 7:30pm | Performance and dessert | Guild Lounge, in Scott Hall (601 University Place) |
| 8:00pm | Shuttle back to hotel | |
| 8:30pm | Fred Armisen SPACE show (optional, required rsvp) | Cahn Auditorium, in Scott Hall |
Monday, October 19
| 8:00am | Shuttle to Norris pick up | Optional. Easy 0.5 mile walk |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30am | Breakfast and welcome | Northwestern Room (Norris University Center, 2nd floor) |
| 9:00am | Combined Session: Finding the College Union on Campus (Dr. Corbin Smyth - Executive Director, Norris University Center) | Northwestern Room |
| 10:00am | Break | |
| 10:15am | Tours of Norris | |
| 11:30am | Bookstore visit | |
| 11:50am | Choose your own lunch in Norris | |
| 1:30pm | Bus pick up for Ryan Field tour | Outside Norris ground floor |
| 1:45pm | Tour of new Ryan Field | Return to Norris post tour |
| 3:30pm | Union Session: Data & Salary Review | Northwestern Room |
| 3:30pm | Activities Session: To be or Not to be... Programming boards vs. non-programming boards (K. Parker Hess - Assistant Director of Student Organizations & Activities) | Lake Room |
| 4:30pm | Happy hour & trivia in Luna's Pub | Luna's Pub |
| 6:30pm | Dinner and bonfire on Lakefill | Lakefill fire pit - dress for weather! |
| 8:00pm | Shuttle back to Graduate & Hospitality room open |
Tuesday, October 20
| 8:00am | Shuttle to Guild pick up | Guild Lounge, in Scott Hall |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30am | Breakfast in Guild Lounge | Guild Lounge |
| 9:00am | Combined group session: How AI is Transforming Early Talent and How AI Can be Integrated into Our Work (Dr. Mark Presnell, Executive Director, University Career Services; Laura Droste, Associate Director, University Career Services) | Guild Lounge |
| 10:00am | Group photo at the Arch | Arch |
| 10:00am | Curated walking tours of campus spaces | Start and end at Scott Hall |
| 11:30am | Unions Session: Why should we care about the Student Union: Exploring the legitimacy of the College Union (Ian Crone – Director, Student Union at University of Tennessee) | Guild Lounge |
| 11:30am | Activities Session: God Knows we don’t ask for much……annual requirements and training for student org leaders. (Joe Lattal - Associate Director of Student Organizations & Activities) | Scott Hall, 201 Seminar Room |
| 12:30pm | Evanston Lunch & free time | Downtown Evanston, depart together from Scott Hall |
| 2:45pm | Meet to depart for downtown Chicago, via CTA | Meet at Davis Street El Stop |
| 4:30pm | Chicago Architecture River Cruise | Dress for weather! |
| 6:30pm | Walk to downtown dinner | Jake Melnick's - 41 E. Superior St. |
| 8:30pm | Bus back to Evanston | |
| 9:00pm | Hospitality room at The Graduate open | The Graduate |
Wednesday, October 21
| 8:00am | Shuttle to Norris pick up | |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30am | Breakfast | Louis North Room, 2nd floor |
| 9:00am | Unions Session: ACUI Update (Dr. John Taylor - CEO ACUI) | Northwestern Room |
| 9:00am | Activities Session: Open Topics | Lake Room |
| 10:00am | Unions: Open Topics | Northwestern Room |
| 10:45am | Group photo at the "N" | Wear your school pride! |
| 11:00am | Break/ACUI meet the candidates | Lake Room |
| 11:30am | Combined Closing Discussion | Louis North Room |
| 12:30pm | End. Grab and go boxed lunches | |
| 12:45pm | Shuttle to hotel departs |
Travel & Lodging
Guest Lodging
We are happy to offer a reservation block of rooms at the Graduate Hotel (1625 Hinman Avenue), in the heart of Evanston and just a short walk to campus! Easy walk to Norris. The conference will also provide shuttles at specific times (schedule to come).
| Saturday Hotel Nightly Rate | $269 |
|---|---|
| Sun, Mon, Tues Hotel Nightly Rate | $179 |
| Hotel Block Booking Deadline | Friday, September 18, 2026 |
| Overnight Parking | $35/car/night (no need to pre-book) |
Parking on Campus
Parking is available for $9 day (pay by CC), in the South Parking Garage (no overnight parking).
Evanston & Chicago
Things To Do in Evanston
Consistently ranked as one of America's top college towns, Evanston has beaches, shops and restaurants to explore. The perfect combination of a college town and bustling small city, Evanston offers everything you could need or want, and all just steps away.
Helpful Evanston Sites
- City of Evanston
- Evanston Chamber of Commerce
- Downtown Evanston
- Main-Dempster Mile
- Central Street Evanston
- Evanston Made
- Visit Chicago Northshore
Things To Do In Chicago
There's nowhere quite like Chicago. For a quick trip into the city, simply board the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)'s Purple Line or cruise down Lakeshore Drive; you'll be there in about the same amount of time it takes to walk the length of our Evanston campus.
Helpful Chicago Sites