UofL’s campus will be in the spotlight during national conference

Next week, about 7,000 secondary and postsecondary college admission counseling professionals from throughout the country will descend on the City of Louisville for the 2019 National Association for College Admission Counseling’s (NACAC) National Conference Sept. 26-28.

NACAC brings together secondary and post-secondary college admission counseling professors to exchange ideas, hear from experts and learn more about the products and services that will enable them to accomplish their goals. Worldwide, there are more than 15,000 NACAC members.

The conference schedule is full, with exhibits; sessions, seminars and forums; committee meetings; a tech lab; idea exchange meetings; a career hub; a town hall and more. 

“The NACAC National Conference is a vital time for college admissions professionals and school counselors from across the country and around the world to gather together to continue to develop,” said Ryan Barbauld, senior associate director of Admissions.

Barbauld adds that he is excited to leverage the professional development opportunity to bring back new ideas to UofL. 

“I always feel energized and walk away learning new strategies that we can implement at our institution. One of the best things about the conference each year that I look forward to is the opportunity to network with other colleagues who have the same passion and drive as myself in helping students achieve their dreams of going to college,” Barbauld said.

Although the conference takes place at the Kentucky International Convention Center, the University of Louisville will have some opportunities to take over the spotlight as well. Attendees will begin trickling into town on Sunday and will have the chance to tour UofL’s Belknap Campus from Sunday through Wednesday. Drop-in, self-guided tours are available, in addition to scheduled tours.

UofL will also host a reception at the SAC on Sept. 25 from 7-9 p.m. for attendees, with transportation provided to/from the convention center. Additionally, an event will be held Sept. 27 at the Speed Art Museum on campus.

The ability to showcase our city and campus to such a large group of college lead generators is not lost on Jenny Sawyer, UofL’s executive director of Admissions.

“Having NACAC in our backyard gives us an opportunity to give high school counselors a taste of what an amazing city Louisville is, particularly to feel our warmth and hospitality and encourage students to consider Louisville for their college home,” she said. “We are making it very easy for them to stop in and see why we are the most beautiful campus in Kentucky and a great place to learn.”

Kentucky’s eight public universities have collaborated as a silver sponsor of the event. Follow the conference on Twitter through the admissions handle, @UofLadm, or the event handle, @NACACConference.