Academic Affairs, Campus Ministry, Evangelism, Student Development


February 26-28, 2025

Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center, Atlanta, Georgia

Overview

Join the CCCU for a time of professional development, networking, and spiritual encouragement at the 2025 Multi-Academic Conference II. This gathering provides the opportunity for advancement, alumni affairs, communications/PR/marketing, enrollment, and financial aid professionals to collaborate and network. The event will feature key note speakers and integrate intentional time with vocation-specific peer groups in specialized breakout sessions.

Speakers

The Multi-Academic Conference always features distinguished speakers involved in the latest and emerging trends impacting Christian higher education. These leaders range from numerous backgrounds including data analytics, communications, public relations, media, and Christian leadership.

Coba Canales

Dean of Students, Azusa Pacific University

Coba Canales is the dean of students at Azusa Pacific University and has followed God's lead into ministry and Christian higher education, serving in various roles in campus ministry and student affairs. Coba is an ordained pastor in the Assemblies of God Fellowship and serves on the pastoral team of a bilingual (English and Spanish) church in Los Angeles, CA. He loves building and guiding talented and passionate teams that do the work of preparing students to thrive as they pursue their God-given calling and identity. Coba and his wife Drea have three kids: Joseph, Ruthie and Micaiah.

David Hoag

President, CCCU

David Hoag, Ph.D., is the president of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU), the leading voice of Christian higher education. Hoag, a CCCU board member, was most recently the president of Warner University, a CCCU institution in Florida, from 2016-2024.

Dr. Hoag demonstrated his lifelong dedication to Christian higher education through decades of leadership in Christ-centered universities, where he served in advancement and executive capacities. His record of success in accreditation, gift-giving and grant management effectively resourced the vision and mission of the schools he served as well as Christian higher education more broadly.

Throughout his career, Dr. Hoag served at four different CCCU institutions: Warner University, Trinity International University, Greenville University, and Asbury University.

Dr. Hoag holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Asbury University, a master’s degree in education from the University of Kentucky, and a Ph.D. in higher education from St. Louis University.

He previously served on the executive committee on the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) and the Council of Presidents for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

He is married to Joanna, his wife of 38 years, and they have two married daughters who are graduates of CCCU institutions.

Nona Jones

Global Ambassador, YouVersion

Nona Jones is a rare combination of preacher, business executive, author, and entrepreneur. She currently serves as Global Ambassador for YouVersion, publicly championing its family of 715M+ downloaded Bible Apps. Her corporate leadership experience includes serving as Chief Content & Partnerships Officer at YouVersion, Head of Global Faith Partnerships at Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, and Chief External Affairs Officer for a multi-state school for at-risk girls.

Nona is the bestselling author of Killing Comparison and Success from the Inside Out. She will release her highly-anticipated new book, The Gift of Rejection, in October 2024. She has been profiled by ESSENCE Magazine as an “Under 40 Woman to Watch” and Florida Trend Magazine as one of Florida’s “30-Something All Stars.” She is a graduate of Leadership Florida and the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program, a joint initiative of President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton.

Nona’s community and civic engagement includes The Links, Incorporated, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Jack & Jill. She serves on the boards of Christianity Today Magazine and Gloo. She holds a Bachelor of Communication and Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida where she has been recognized as an Outstanding Young Alumnus. She has completed graduate studies at the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation. She and her husband, Pastor Tim, lead Open Door Church in Gainesville, FL and are the proud parents of two boys, Timothy, Jr. and Isaac and one Goldendoodle girl, Shiloh.

Luke Jones

Head of Partnership Initiatives, Reclaim Today

Luke oversees the partnership initiatives of Reclaim Today, a division of Our Daily Bread Ministries. With a B.A. in business marketing, an advanced diploma in ministry leadership and a certificate of spiritual formation from Dallas Willard Ministries, alongside over a decade spent in congregational ministry settings, he has a wide range of ministry experiences and a rounded approach to Christian formation and discipleship. Luke is passionate about equipping leaders of this next generation with research insights and practical steps for spiritual development. Luke currently resides in Grand Rapids, MI, with his wife and two young daughters.

Todd Hall

Professor of Psychology, Biola University

Dr. Todd Hall is a professor of psychology at Biola University’s Rosemead School of Psychology and serves as a faculty affiliate in the Harvard Human Flourishing Program.

Dr. Hall teaches in the areas of attachment theory, spiritual formation, psychodynamic psychotherapy and the integration of psychology and theology. He is an award-winning author and researcher, focusing on relational approaches to spiritual formation, virtue and leadership.

Dr. Hall has written/contributed to seven books. His latest books, Relational Spirituality and The Connected Life, articulate a comprehensive relational spirituality paradigm for transformation. He is the founder of the Relational Spirituality Academy where he offers training to Christian leaders in his relational spirituality model of spiritual formation and coaching.

Dr. Hall is the founder of Spiritual Metrics, which provides scientifically validated spirituality and well-being assessments to help faith-based organizations evaluate and improve programs.

Dr. Hall is a licensed psychologist and holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Rosemead School of Psychology and an M.A. and doctoral specialization in measurement and psychometrics from UCLA.

He and his wife, Dr. Liz Hall, also a professor at Rosemead, have two adult sons. They enjoy traveling, hiking and spending time with their sons.

James Bryan Smith

Professor of Christian Spiritual Formation, Friends University

Dr. James Bryan Smith is the Dallas Willard Professor of Christian Spiritual Formation at Friends University, in Wichita, Kansas.  Jim received his B.A. in Religion and Philosophy at Friends University, his M.Div. at Yale Divinity School, and his D.Min. at Fuller Theological Seminary.  Jim has taught at Friends University for over 30 years, teaching primarily in the area of Christian spiritual formation.  He is also the Executive Director of The Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation. In addition, Jim is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, and co-founding pastor of Chapel Hill UMC, in Wichita, Kansas, and is currently a teaching pastor at that church.  He is also a best-selling author of twelve books, most notably The Apprentice Series (InterVarsity Press), which includes The Good and Beautiful God.  He is also one of the original founders, alongside Richard J. Foster and Dallas Willard, of the spiritual renewal ministry, Renovare.  Jim is also the host of the annual Apprentice Gathering, a national conference on Christian formation, and is also the host of the podcast, Things Above, which has had over 1.5 million downloads.

Books by James Bryan Smith:

A Spiritual Formation Workbook, (HarperSanFrancisco, 1992)

Devotional Classics, (HarperSanFrancisco, 1992)

Embracing the Love of God, (HarperSanFrancisco, 1995)

Rich Mullins:  An Arrow Pointing to Heaven, (Hodder & Stoughton, 2000)

Room of Marvels, (Hodder & Stoughton, 2004)

The Good and Beautiful God, (Intervarsity Press, 2009)

The Good and Beautiful Life, (Intervarsity Press, 2010)

The Good and Beautiful Community, (Intervarsity Press, 2011)

Hidden in Christ, (Intervarsity Press, 2014)

The Magnificent Story, (Intervarsity Press, 2017)

The Magnificent Journey, (Intervarsity Press, 2018)

The Good and Beautiful You, (Intervarsity Press, 2022)

 

Program

Our gathering will feature dynamic plenary speakers, targeted breakout sessions, and plentiful networking opportunities. Please view the schedule with current details below. We are still accepting breakout session proposals through September 20. Use the link below to submit a session topic for consideration. We anticipate sharing the full list of selected breakout sessions here in early October.

Registration & Pricing

Full Conference Rates

  Early Bird
(ends 11/15/24
)
Regular
(ends 2/3/25)
Full Price
(ends 2/14/25)
CCCU Member  $700  $775 $900
CCCU Commissioner  $580  $580 $580
CCCU Member Spouse  $700  $775 $900
Partner Faith-Based Institutions*  $700  $775 $900
Non-Member Organization & Sponsors**  $999  $999 $999

 

*Select schools who have spoken with the CCCU's Multi-Academic Conference planning team
**Sponsors who are registering one or more additional attendees not included as part of their sponsorship level's complimentary registration allotment

Hotel & Travel

We look forward to welcoming you to Atlanta, GA and are happy to partner with The Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center to host this event.

Our Sponsors

Thank you to our valued partners for investing in this event. Explore how their services can help you be more effective in your work.