Advancement, Alumni Affairs, Communications, Public Relations, Marketing, Enrollment, 

Information Technology & Financial Aid

February 24-26, 2025

Atlanta 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 1. 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 keynote 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 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.

Heather Thompson Day

Speaker & Author

Dr. Heather Thompson Day is an interdenominational speaker, is an ECPA bestseller and has been a contributor for Religion News Service, Christianity Today, Newsweek and the Barna Group.

Heather was a communication professor for 13 years, teaching both graduate and undergraduate students in public speaking, persuasion and social media. She is now the founder of It Is Day Ministries, a nonprofit organization that serves churches, leaders and content creators in their communication messaging.

Heather’s writing has been featured on outlets like the Today Show and the National Communication Association. She has been interviewed by BBC Radio Live and the Wall Street Journal.

She believes her calling is to stand in the gaps of our churches for young people. She is the author of nine books, including It’s Not Your Turn, I’ll See You Tomorrow and What If I’m Wrong?

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.

Sho Baraka

Recording Artist, Speaker, Consultant, & Writer

Amisho "Sho" Baraka is a self-described polymath.

​Sho Baraka has spent the last 17 years traveling the world as a recording artist, consultant, speaker and writer. Sho has four solo albums, three feature film appearances and one book, He Saw That It Was Good. 

Whether he is operating as a creative implementer (one who does things... but does them creatively) or as a "solutionary," Sho is wisely discerning the times while attempting to bring restoration and redemption. 

Sho is a co-founder of the AND Campaign and founding member of the internationally known hip-hop consortium 116 Clique and record label, Reach Records. Sho served as a visiting professor at Wake Forest University and Warner Pacific University. Sho is currently working with MyBLVD to build a community called "Good Culture," a space that will galvanize cultivators around story, art and ideas. 

Sho lives in Atlanta, GA, with Patreece, his wife of 21 years, and their three children, Zoë, Zaccai and Zimri. Sho & Patreece have two boys on the autism spectrum and find themselves as ambassadors and advocates in the autism community.

Program

Our gathering will feature dynamic plenary speakers, targeted breakout sessions and plentiful networking opportunities. Please view the full schedule with current details and read through the selection of breakout sessions for each peer group track below.

Registration & Pricing

Full Conference Rates

  Early Bird
(ends 12/6/24) 		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 Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center to host this event.

**The Atlanta Buckhead is experiencing technical difficulties with guest registrations because of the rebranding from the Marriott portfolio to an independent property. As a result, the CCCU will pause the hotel registration section of the site for the Multi-Academic Conferences until the new hotel registration system goes live on Thursday, December 26, 2025.
 
You may continue to register for MAC 1 and 2 during the pause, as the transition to the new hotel system will have no effect on your registration for the conference. When the new system goes live on December 26, you may resume making your hotel reservation with ease.
 
We apologize for the temporary inconvenience and look forward to a time of professional development, networking and spiritual encouragement when we meet in Atlanta in February.

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.