For generations, the Council of College and Military Educators (CCME) has brought together leaders, educators, and professionals dedicated to expanding educational opportunities for the military-connected community.

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The 2027 CCME Professional Development Symposium will honor the trailblazers, partnerships, programs, and traditions that built the foundation of military voluntary education while exploring innovative ways to serve today’s learners.

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Our legacy is our foundation. Our future is innovation.

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This year’s symposium will unite professionals from education, the military, government, workforce development, and industry to advance practical, forward-looking solutions for service members, veterans, military spouses, dependents, and other military-connected learners.

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Together, we will honor where we have been, celebrate where we are, and help shape where military education is going next.​

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PLEASE SEE CALL FOR PROPOSALS BELOW:​

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CCME invites military, education, government, workforce development, and industry professionals to submit engaging, practical, and forward-looking proposals for concurrent sessions.

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Proposals should align with one or more of the following tracks:

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1. Honoring Our Legacy, Leading Through Change

Topics may include:

• Military voluntary education and its continued purpose

• Federal education policy and its impact on military-connected learners

• Tuition Assistance, Credentialing Assistance, and GI Bill benefits

• Institutional accountability and compliance

• Advocacy for military and veteran higher education

• Preserving institutional knowledge

• Preparing the next generation of VolEd professionals

• Cross-sector partnerships and learner representation

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2. Ready for What Comes Next: Education as a Force Multiplier

Topics may include:

• Installation access and institutional partnerships

• Supporting deployed, mobilized, and geographically separated learners

• Academic flexibility during operational changes

• Continuity of advising, registration, and student support

• Education’s role in readiness, retention, and resilience

• Mental health, wellness, and transition-related stress

• Accessibility, childcare, housing, food security, and other basic needs

• Support for spouses, dependents, veterans, Guard members, and reservists

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3. Beyond the Degree: Demonstrating Pathways to Career Success

Topics may include:

• Degrees, certifications, licenses, and stackable credentials

• Credit for military training and prior learning

• Competency-based and flexible education models

• Skills-based hiring and evolving degree requirements

• SkillBridge, apprenticeships, internships, and work-based learning

• Translating military experience for civilian employers

• Employer and workforce-development partnerships

• Employment, earnings, retention, advancement, and economic mobility outcomes

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4. AI, Innovation, and Integrity: Transforming Learning and Work

Topics may include:

• Responsible and ethical use of generative AI

• AI in teaching, learning, advising, and student support

• Academic integrity and AI-generated work

• AI literacy for learners, faculty, staff, and employers

• Privacy, cybersecurity, bias, accessibility, and data protection

• AI-enabled tutoring, advising, and benefits navigation

• Preparing military-connected learners for AI-influenced occupations

• Human oversight and accountability in AI-supported decisions

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Selected sessions should provide participants with practical insights, promising practices, research, tools, strategies, or partnerships they can apply in their professional settings.

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Submission deadline: December 6, 2026

Proposal notifications: Late December 2026

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