The Way Up Leadership Conference 2026

Students step away from their academic journey for many reasons, including academic dismissal, extended time away, or shifting personal and professional priorities. When they return, however, the path forward is often unclear, inconsistent, or unnecessarily difficult to navigate. What should be a pitstop on the way up can instead become a barrier to continued progress.

This interactive session explores how institutions can better design the road back for students reengaging with their academic goals. Recognizing that student pathways are rarely linear, the session highlights how returning students build momentum over time and how institutional structures can either support or slow that progress.

Drawing on more than a decade of data, cross-campus collaboration, and practical experience, presenters will examine multiple return pathways and the systems that shape them. Importantly, the session will also focus on the role of staff and faculty in supporting students on this path, including how professionals interpret policy, coordinate across units, and develop the skills needed to support increasingly complex student journeys.

Participants will engage in hands-on activities to map the return experience, identify where students lose momentum, and redesign key institutional pitstops to better support both student success and staff effectiveness. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to strengthen support for returning students while also advancing their own leadership and practice.