LONG BEACH, CA – Dr. Vincent Tinto and Dr. Peter Felten, two of the nation’s foremost experts on student success, will be featured keynote speakers at the inaugural Caring Campus Conference 2025: Building a National Culture of Care, which will take place from Nov. 12-14, 2025, at the DoubleTree Hotel in San Diego.

Dr. Tinto, a professor emeritus at Syracuse University and a leading authority on student retention, and Dr. Felten, executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning and assistant provost at Elon University, and co-author of “Relationship Rich Education,” will share decades of research and insights on how connection, belonging, and a culture of care can drive student persistence, retention, and success.

“These distinguished and impactful keynote speakers will share a wealth of insights and learnings that inspire new ways of thinking about student success,” said Caring Campus founder and CEO Dr. Brad Phillips. “Dr. Tinto’s work on the critical role of belonging and engagement in student success has become foundational across higher education, while Dr. Felten’s pioneering work explores the influence of relationships, purpose, and belonging on students’ lives.”

The conference is a milestone event for Caring Campus, which seeks to embed connection, belonging, and a culture of care in college and university communities, empowering staff and faculty to embrace behaviors that have been proven to increase student success.

Through interactive working sessions, attendees can expect to collaborate across roles, connect with peers, and leave equipped with actionable strategies to implement on their own campuses. The conference’s four distinct strands – Staff Engagement, Faculty Innovation, Leadership Development, and Research and Impact – will allow participants to tailor their conference experience according to their responsibilities and goals, making the event highly relevant for staff, faculty, administrators, and researchers alike.

In addition to workshops and networking opportunities, the conference will feature an awards ceremony for the first-ever cohort of the Caring Campus Certification program, celebrating institutions that have excelled in creating supportive campus environments through Caring Campus.

Registration for the conference opens soon, with early-bird rates available. Spaces are expected to fill quickly as this event brings together like-minded professionals across the nation who are dedicated to transforming student outcomes through care-driven actions. For more information on registration or to submit a presentation proposal, please visit the conference website.

“As we come together in 2025, we are building more than a culture of care on individual campuses, but are establishing a lasting legacy of student success,” Dr. Phillips said. “This conference represents a nationwide commitment to support students in reaching their potential and succeeding in ways they may never have thought possible.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

IEBC_CONFERENCE1: Dr. Vincent Tinto (left) and Dr. Peter Felten, two of the nation’s foremost experts on student success, will be featured keynote speakers at the inaugural Caring Campus Conference 2025: Building a National Culture of Care, which will take place from Nov. 12-14, 2025, at the DoubleTree Hotel in San Diego.

IEBC_CONFERENCE2: Victory Valley College students celebrate their commencement. Victor Valley College is a member of Caring Campus’ national network of colleges and universities dedicated to increasing student persistence, retention, and success. Caring Campus will host its inaugural conference, Building a National Culture of Care, in November 2025.