Oracle Higher Education Summit Agenda

Oracle Student Strategy Council (by invitation only)

Oracle Community College Roundtable (by invitation only)

Oracle CHRO Council Roundtable (by invitation only)

Registration

After you register, be sure to visit our demo area for personalized one-to-one demonstrations. Our sponsors will also be on hand with exhibit tables.

Oracle keynote

Maz Songerwala, Senior Vice President, Oracle Applications Service Experience

Customer keynote

Networking reception at the University of Tennessee Student Union

Breakfast

Visit our demo area for personalized one-to-one demonstrations. Our sponsors will also be on hand with exhibit tables.

Tennessee’s Cloud Journey: Successes and Lessons for Higher Education

Join a dynamic main stage panel featuring leaders from Tennessee’s higher education institutions as they candidly discuss their cloud transformation journeys. Panelists will share real-world successes, unexpected challenges, and invaluable lessons learned along the way. Explore how cloud solutions have impacted student outcomes, operational efficiency, and long-term strategy. Whether you’re just starting out or already on your path, gain practical insights and inspiration to guide your institution’s adoption and evolution in the cloud.

Panelists

• Brian Dickens, Chief Human Resources Officer, University of Tennessee System
• Christina A. Graham, Chief Financial Officer for Business and Finance, East Tennessee State University
• Drew Harpool, Vice President for Business & Finance, Middle Tennessee State University
• Shahrooz Roohparvar, Ed.D., Vice President, Finance & Administration (CFO), Austin Peay State University

Moderated by Laura Shevling, Director, Higher Education Strategy, Oracle

Campus Solutions track

PeopleSoft Campus Solutions Strategy and Innovation Roadmap

Join Oracle’s Higher Education Product Development team for an in-depth look at the strategy and innovations shaping PeopleSoft Campus Solutions. This session highlights recent enhancements through PeopleSoft Update Manager (PUM) images and previews what’s ahead. Whether you’re optimizing your current environment or seeking modernization ideas, you’ll discover new features and initiatives to bring added value to your institution.

Speaker

• Steve Brawn, Director, Product Strategy, Higher Education Applications Development, Oracle

Applications track

Roundtables with Peer Perspectives: Real-World Insights from Oracle Cloud Leaders in Higher Education

Join fellow higher education leaders for an interactive roundtable session led by institutions actively implementing Oracle Cloud. To spark discussion, each session begins with a real-world lesson learned. Connect with peers, share experiences, and ask candid questions about topics related to IT, finance, and HR. Take this opportunity to build your network and gain practical insights from those shaping the next generation of campus operations.

Moderator

• Laura Shevling, Director, Higher Education Strategy, Oracle

Technology track

AI Fabric for Research: Advancing HPC and GPU Workloads with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

Discover how Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) empowers research institutions with purpose-built, high-performance AI infrastructure. OCI’s AI fabric seamlessly integrates RDMA-networked GPU clusters and ultralow-latency interconnects, enabling researchers to easily scale workloads for LLM training, genomics, climate modeling, and complex simulations. Leverage bare metal NVIDIA H100/A100 GPUs and optimized high-throughput storage for AI/ML pipelines. Beyond world-class hardware, OCI provides integrated AI and machine learning services that streamline every research phase—from data preparation to model deployment and inference at scale.

Speaker

• Rock Whitney, Director of Cloud Engineering, Government and Education, Oracle

Campus Solutions track

PeopleSoft Technology Strategy and Innovation Roadmap

Oracle continues to invest in PeopleSoft technology, driving innovation and enhanced value for customers. In this session, we will take a look at the key features delivered in the latest release and provide a roadmap for future developments. We’ll dive into user experience improvements, advanced search capabilities, actionable PeopleSoft Insights, and Oracle’s comprehensive suite of cloud-ready lifecycle management tools, including PeopleSoft Cloud Manager. We will also explore emerging technologies and discuss what’s next for PeopleTools, giving you practical insights you can apply within your institution.

Speaker

• Sasank Vemana, Director, PeopleTools Product Strategy, Oracle

Applications track

Talent E.D.G.E. at Rice University: Transforming Performance and Learning with Oracle Cloud

Discover how Rice University expanded its Oracle HCM Cloud footprint with Performance Management. Learn how they used the solution to empower leadership, elevate career development conversations, and align talent strategies with institutional goals. Hear real-world insights as they share their strategy, key outcomes, and lessons learned on their journey to driving growth through talent development.

Presenters

• Dr. Pam Minigan, PhD, Director of Organizational & Talent Development, Rice University
• Yesenia Servellon, Director of HRIS, Rice University

Technology track

From Data to Degrees: Using Oracle’s AI Data Platform to Improve Student Outcomes

This session highlights how higher ed leaders can use Oracle AI Data Platform to transform institutional data into predictive insights that improve student persistence, completion, and success. Attendees will explore how AI-driven analytics identify students at risk and reveal opportunities for earlier intervention and how unified data supports cross-campus collaboration on student success. You’ll gain an understanding of governance considerations for using AI responsibly—all while maintaining data security, privacy, and trust.

Speaker

• Scott Howe, Cloud Engineering Senior Manager, Oracle

Break

Visit our demo area for personalized one-to-one demonstrations. Our sponsors will also be on hand with exhibit tables.

Campus Solutions track

Maximizing Your Oracle and Campus Solutions Investment

This session will provide a comprehensive overview of Selective Adoption strategies using PeopleSoft Update Manager (PUM) selection criteria, covering automation options using PUM Automated Updates (PAU), adoption of the Classic Plus interface, and best practices for leveraging tracking groups for uptake. Attendees will also gain insights into the annual PeopleSoft Image release schedule, enhanced support resources via My Oracle Support community, and the new features of My Oracle Cloud Support with its modern Redwood interface and AI capabilities.

Speakers

• James Douglas, Senior Principal Application Engineer, Oracle
• Edo Ketanja, Senior Manager, Customer Support, Oracle

Applications track

Modernizing Higher Education Finance: AI, ERP Innovation, and Real-World Impact

Discover Oracle’s vision for the future of higher education finance through the latest ERP roadmap and AI-driven enhancements. Learn how new features advance process automation, deliver actionable insights, and empower data-driven, agile decision-making. Explore how these innovations boost financial transparency, improve compliance, and create a foundation for continuous improvement. Hear from a peer institution about their journey to Oracle Cloud ERP and its impact on their organization.

Speaker

• Laura Shevling, Director, Higher Education Strategy, Oracle

Technology track

Coming soon

Campus Solutions track

Unlocking Potential: Bring Underutilized Campus Solutions Features to the Forefront

Campus Solutions is a comprehensive platform with a wide array of features designed to streamline academic, administrative, and self-service processes. Yet many institutions and users leverage only a fraction of its capabilities, leaving substantial efficiencies and user value untapped. This session aims to showcase key underutilized functions within Campus Solutions—spanning both Classic and Fluid interfaces—that, if adopted, can enhance productivity, improve user experience, and reduce manual workload. We will provide live demonstrations and real-world use cases and share strategies to drive awareness and adoption across your campus.

Speaker

• Kevin O’Connor, Senior Principal Product Manager, Higher Education Applications Development, Oracle

Applications track

Advancing Research Excellence: Oracle Cloud Grant Management Solutions and Roadmap

Discover how Oracle’s Cloud Grant Management solution helps research-intensive universities streamline and modernize the administration of sponsored research. This session will showcase current capabilities tailored to the complex needs of higher education institutions, as well as an insider’s look at the solution roadmap, highlighting upcoming innovations including AI driven capabilities to automate workflows, enhance transparency, and support strategic research growth.

Speaker

• John Kostecki, Director, Product Strategy, Oracle

Technology track

Modernizing Higher Education Application Stacks with OCI and Oracle Cloud VMware Solution

Learn how higher education institutions are modernizing mission-critical applications, such as Ellucian Banner and PeopleSoft, by performing a straightforward lift-and-shift from on-premises VMware to VMware on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure using Oracle Cloud VMware Solution. This session will cover how colleges and universities can migrate existing application stacks with no refactoring, retain familiar VMware tools and operational models, and gain the scalability, performance, and security of OCI. We’ll also highlight examples that have successfully adopted this approach to support student systems, administrative workloads, and campus growth

Speakers

• Ryan Patel, Master Principal Cloud Architect, Oracle
• Rock Whitney, Director of Cloud Engineering Government and Education, Oracle

Lunch

Visit our demo area for personalized one-to-one demonstrations. Our sponsors will also be on hand with exhibit tables.

General session

Who Answers the 2 AM Questions? Oracle Student in Action

Late at night, your students’ most pressing questions often go unanswered—until now. Join us as Oracle Student harnesses the power of AI to transform those anxious moments into opportunities for clarity and progress. See for yourself with dynamic product demos designed around real student needs—from understanding tuition costs to mapping out degree requirements.

Plus, hear directly from University of Tennessee students on what it means to have their toughest questions answered when it matters most. Discover how Oracle Student is setting a new standard for transparency, support, and student agency in higher education.

Speakers

• Nicole Engelbert, Vice President, Product Strategy & Campus Solutions Product Management, Oracle
• John Hanna, Group Manager, Oracle Student Product Management
• Sarah McConville, Principal Product Manager, Oracle Student
• Chris Thompson, Director, Product Management, Oracle
• Students from the University of Tennessee System

Break

Oracle Student Financial Aid

Presenter

• John Refila, Vice President, Higher Education Product Management, Oracle

Break

Breakout sessions

Reception at Neyland Stadium

Breakfast

Visit our demo area for personalized one-to-one demonstrations. Our sponsors will also be on hand with exhibit tables.

Volunteer

Join us as we give back to the community by packing bags for the Big Orange Pantry, which supports students in need by providing nonperishable foods, fresh produce, hygiene products, and essential items.

General session

Campus Solutions track

Realizing the Modern Student Experience: A Customer Panel

What does it take to deliver a truly modern campus experience? In this panel, Oracle moderates a discussion among institutions that have implemented (or are piloting) major PeopleSoft Campus Solutions user experience improvements, including ClassicPlus, Fluid UI, next-gen landing pages, and accessibility features. Panelists will share adoption strategies, ways to drive user engagement, and how student and staff feedback has reshaped their projects.

Moderator

• Kevin O’Connor, Senior Principal Product Manager, Higher Education Applications Development, Oracle

Applications track

Leading the Human-Agent Workforce with Confidence

AI is reshaping every corner of higher education. At the center of this transformation is HR—tasked not only with adopting new technology but with redesigning how work happens in the new human-agent workforce. The stakes are high: Organizations that fail to embrace AI risk falling behind. Learn how Oracle Cloud HCM cuts through the noise to empower HR with agentic workflows that actively participate in the work itself, reducing complexity while giving leaders the insights they need. Then, Vanderbilt University will share real-life examples of how they implemented AI to elevate performance and drive better outcomes.

Speaker

• Nancy Estell Zoder, Group Vice President, Oracle Cloud Product Strategy

Technology track

Turning Student Data into Action: A Hands-On AI Workshop with Oracle Autonomous Database

Unlock the power of your student data—no coding needed. In this interactive workshop, you’ll use Oracle Autonomous Database and Select AI to ask real questions in plain English and receive instant, actionable insights. Identify students who need support, spot trends impacting retention, and deliver data-driven answers to leadership on the spot. Experience how Oracle’s retrieval-augmented AI turns static reports into dynamic, explainable decision-making tools—all while keeping student data secure and private. Bring your laptop. We’ll provide everything else. Walk away ready to put AI-driven insights to work at your institution.

Facilitators

• Scott Howe, Senior Manager, Cloud Engineering, Oracle
• Rock Whitney, Director, Cloud Engineering Government and Education, Oracle

Campus Solutions track

Run PeopleSoft in the Cloud—What’s New in Cloud Manager

Sasank Vemana, Director, PeopleTools Product Strategy, Oracle

Campus Solutions and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) are better together. Discover how your institution can get more value from PeopleSoft—reducing admin overhead, maintaining currency, controlling costs—and explore the newest capabilities in PeopleSoft Cloud Manager when moving to OCI.

Speakers

• James Douglas, Senior Principal Application Engineer, Oracle
• Edo Ketanja, Senior Manager, Customer Support, Oracle

Applications track

Small Teams, Sustainable Systems: Delivering Enterprise Value with Oracle in Higher Education

What happens when small or mid-sized colleges roll out Oracle Fusion with lean IT, HR, and finance teams? Join leaders from Allegheny, Davidson, Flagler, Seton Hill, and Trinity for a candid panel on making Fusion work on a smaller campus. Learn practical strategies, creative workarounds, and tough trade-offs for keeping things running with limited resources. Discover how these colleges organize small teams, tap into partner and peer ecosystems, and use Fusion to drive change amid tight budgets.

Speakers

• Melissa Alsing, Chief Information Officer, Seton Hill University
• Kevin Davis, Chief Information Officer, Davidson College
• Kristen Eshleman, Vice President for Library and Information Technology Services, Trinity College
• Katrina Yeung, CIO & Chief Information Security Officer, Allegheny College

Break

Campus Solutions track

Practical Paths to the Cloud: Institutions Share Their Own Journeys

Hear directly from higher education professionals who are planning or progressing with their migration journey to Oracle Student. Panelists will discuss decision criteria, lessons learned, strategies for building stakeholder alignment, minimizing disruption, and maintaining value with PeopleSoft Campus Solutions en route to the cloud. This candid session is designed for sharing actionable tips, potential pitfalls, and tested success factors.

Moderator

• Lucas Heymans, Director, Product Strategy, Higher Education Applications Development, Oracle

Applications track

Beyond Technology: Building a Culture of Continuous Innovation with Oracle Cloud

Texas Woman’s University’s move from a legacy EBS system to a unified Oracle ERP and HCM Cloud platform was more than a technology upgrade—it sparked a cultural shift toward continuous innovation. In this session, TWU shares how cloud modernization enabled campus-specific agility while strengthening cross-campus alignment through standardized processes, end-to-end automation, and improved grant management. Learn practical strategies to drive data-informed decision-making and build a sustainable culture of continuous improvement—where innovation is an everyday mindset, not a one-time project.

Panelists

• Subhendu Rath, Executive Director, Finance Strategy & Operations, Texas Woman’s University
• Jason Tomlinson, Vice President for Finance and Administration and CFOO, Texas Woman’s University

Moderated by Laura Shevling, Director, Higher Education Strategy, Oracle

Campus Solutions track

Simplifying Interoperability with Emerging Data Standards: A Customer Case Study

Join Oracle’s Higher Education Product Strategy team to learn about our work with EDU-API, the emerging 1EdTech data standard. This session covers an EDU-API project overview and update, practical integration benefits, and a case study from an institution that partnered with Oracle in testing the standard. Hear lessons learned on testing, overcoming integration challenges, and long-term strategies your institution can leverage as data standards evolve.

Presenters

• Steve Brawn, Director, Product Strategy, Higher Education Applications Development, Oracle
• Representatives from the North Dakota University System

Applications track

Accelerate Your Journey: Unlocking Value with Cloud Success Navigator

Discover how Oracle’s Cloud Success Navigator empowers your organization to maximize cloud value at every stage. This presentation and demo explores key features and best practices designed to streamline adoption, drive business outcomes, and ensure ongoing cloud success. Learn how guided resources and expert support shape seamless migrations, foster innovation, and deliver measurable results

Presenters

• Emily Panzica, Principal Product Manager, Oracle Cloud Success Navigator
• Jessica Wright, Director, Oracle Cloud Success Navigator Customer Adoption

Campus Solutions track

PeopleSoft Campus Solutions Community Forum and Q&A

Bring your questions, challenges, and successes to this open mic session with product experts and peer institutions. Share feedback, exchange tips, and network with others facing similar journeys in managing and modernizing Campus Solutions.

Moderator

• Nicole Engelbert, Vice President, Product Strategy, Higher Education Applications Development, Oracle 

Applications track

Advancing Campus Safety: Innovative Solutions with Oracle Public Safety

Learn how Oracle Public Safety brings next-generation technology to higher education institutions, enhancing campus security and student well-being. This presentation and demo explores cloud-based tools that empower campus police and administrators with real-time insights, streamlined operations, and collaborative emergency response. Discover how Oracle supports safer, smarter, and more connected campus communities.

Speaker

• Ben Statema, Solutions Engineering Manager, Oracle

Summit concludes