100th ANNUAL CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Concludes Tuesday, April 21, 2026 | 4pm
DEAC’s 100th Annual Conference brings DEAC-accredited institutions, applicants for accreditation, and other practitioners and policy together to advance the enduring legacy of distance education and to equip practitioners to enhance educational quality and outcomes in the century ahead.
The conference begins with an evening welcome reception on Sunday, April 19, and continues with two full days of educational programming for compliance officers; academic leaders; and boards, Presidents, and CEOs.
Conference attendees will receive a certificate indicating their participation in ten contact hours of continuing education.
Featured Speakers
Opening Keynote
Stephen M.R. Covey
How can innovative institutions break the cycle of public skepticism toward higher education?
Before becoming one of the most influential business authors of the 20th century, Stephen R. Covey of Seven Habits fame was a business professor. Honoring his father’s legacy in education, Stephen M.R. Covey—who led the strategy that made The 7 Habits a global phenomenon and built Covey Leadership Center into the world’s largest leadership development company—joins DEAC’s milestone celebration as author of Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others. At this critical inflection point, where the old rules of leadership no longer apply in the workforce of today or the future, Covey’s approach offers a transformative alternative for cultivating trust and demonstrating value based on decades of organizational practice.
Tuesday Morning Keynote
Dr. Jen Mott
What will tomorrow’s learners expect from distance education?
Dr. Jen Mott—middle school principal, circus performer, and TEDx speaker—brings a decidedly relevant perspective on the juggling act facing higher education. Just as Mott has literally juggled fire while balancing dual careers, she understands what institutions are juggling: engaging digital natives, retaining faculty, and staying authentic in hybrid environments. Drawing from her work at one of Ohio’s largest middle schools and her research on teacher perseverance, Mott will challenge you to prepare for the learners heading your way—students who expect innovation, authenticity, and risk-taking.
Closing Keynote
Dr. C. Edward Watson
What will distance education look like in the next several decades—or even century?
Eddie Watson, nationally recognized futurist for higher education and co-author of Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning, considers AI a fundamental change in the DNA of teaching. In this closing session, Watson will deliver an up-to-the-minute assessment of the emerging threats and distinctive advantages the age of agentic AI presents for distance education. As VP of Digital Innovation with AAC&U and founding director of the Institute on AI, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum, Watson equips institutions to ensure students become competent partners with AI rather than anonymous clients of it.
Next-Century Plenary
Monday 4/20 | 10:15 – 11:15 am
Future Ready: The Next Era for Accreditation
With unprecedented changes to federal oversight of higher education likely, leaders of several major institutional accreditors join DEAC’s Executive Director, Dr. Leah Matthews, to consider how accreditors and their institutions can work together to build trust, accountability, and credibility for the next century.
Breakout Sessions
Monday 4/20 | 11:15 am – 4:15 pm
Tuesday 4/21 | 9:45 am – 11:45 am
Inspired by DEAC institutions’ legacy of fostering Freedom to Learn and intent on envisioning the future of quality distance education, this year’s conference participants with learning opportunities in five tracks:
- Teaching & Learning with Technology (including AI)
- Policy, Legislation & Strategy
- Workforce Development & Return on Investment
- Academic Excellence & Assessment
- Leadership & Mission Achievement
DEAC is accepting proposals for session presentations through Friday, January 16. Interested presenters are invited to review the Call for Proposals and complete a breakout session submission form.
Full program schedule will be published February 11, 2026.
Centennial Awards Luncheon
Tuesday 4/21 | 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
The Centennial Awards luncheon honors newly-accredited institutions as well the outstanding graduates, alumni, and volunteers whose dedication and accomplishments exemplify the very best of DEAC’s century-long tradition of quality education and innovation.
