CampusConnect 2022 User Conference: Highlights and More

For the second year in a row, Nelnet Campus Commerce was able to bring institutions, partners and Nelnet associates together in the digital world. Though we have not hosted our own in-person conference since 2019, our virtual conference platform seems to be a hit among attendees. We had over 710 institution partners in attendance — the most in CampusConnect history! As usual, this virtual event was completely free for clients. We were thrilled with the number of attendees and engagement across our partners and institutions.

CampusConnect featured 44+ sessions clients could attend ranging in a variety of topics. Some of the well-attended sessions included:

• Sponsor Billing & Payment Preview – Attendees who manage sponsor billing and payments at their institutions got a preview of the new self-service solution and were able to share their feedback in this session.
• Storefront Update – Nelnet associates shared updates on Storefront, including expanded reporting options and demonstrated how easily this product can support a wide variety of goods and events for many departments on campus.
• Student Perspectives on the Value of Education – Through colorful visuals and impactful numbers, Patricia Velázquez, Strategy & Insights Vertical Lead at Google, presented research on insights into the student perspectives on the value of education, along with an understanding of student preferences, expectations, and motivations when perusing higher education.
• Transforming Higher Education – With an inspiring story of transformation and growth, Michael Sorrell, President of Paul Quinn College, shared how his institution dared to be great and gave valuable advice for any organization looking to embark on similar improvements.
• NACUBO: Updates from the Hill – Liz Clark, Vice President for Policy and Research at NACUBO, gave some timely updates from our nation’s capitol that examined how the current political climate is impacting colleges and universities, as well as what budget, tax, and regulatory changes might affect the business office. View this session on-demand now.

A great way to engage with our clients is through the Birds-of-a-Feather focus groups. These groups offer a space to connect as well as discuss challenges and opportunities with peers whose institutions are similar to one another’s. For the first time ever, these groups were divided by ERP as each one deserves and requires its own careful considerations. Having these discussion groups facilitated in this manner ensured attendees were getting the insights most relevant to their day-to-day operations.

No conference is complete without social events for networking and connecting with peers – and this virtual conference had many. From caring for the mind and body, to higher ed trivia, and a pet costume contest, these social events brought the fun!

• Risotto with Paulie – Paul Aries, Nelnet Campus Commerce’s Senior Business Development Executive, put on the apron to demonstrate his family’s secret risotto recipe in this cook-a-long social event.
• Mindfulness Leader Training – Roge Karma, Nelnet Campus Commerce’s Account Executive, taught viewers how to have a more mindful workplace, mindful meetings, and finally, led them in a guided mindful movement stretching session.

Before and during the conference we had a conference survey where we provided a donation to a school for their feedback. The winner was Candis Wilson from Central State University, and her institution will receive a $5,000 donation!

Our event would not be complete without a thank you to our wonderful Gold and Silver Sponsors:

• Anthology
• Convera
• Geokey
• GradGuard
• Navengage
• Nelnet Bank
• Nelnet Renewable Energy
• NextGen
• Union Pay

Missed a session from the conference? Session recordings will be available for a month on the event platform and then will be distributed to clients in a variety of digital ways thereafter.