SAVE THE DATE: MECA has a new home and place on the calendar for 2023! Join your colleagues at Eastern Iowa Community College in Davenport, Iowa on September 14th and 15th. Details (location, hotels, etc.) will be updated here soon.
MECA
M I D W E S T E L L U C I A N C L I E N T A S S O C I A T I O N
C O N F E R E N C E
Thursday and Friday | September 14-15, 2023 | Eastern Iowa Community College
Join us to share, collaborate, explore and plan with other higher education professionals around the use of Ellucian's software products.
MECA allows sponsors to network with higher education professional from across the midwest. Join us and be a part of a great learning experience!
S P O N S O R
A T T E N D E E
Event Registration Information
o v e r v i e w
MECA
2023
Welcome to MECA, a regional professional development conference for users of Ellucian's software solutions. MECA is a conference designed to help bring together professionals in higher education from across the Midwest to present, learn, and discuss the technology issues facing our campuses - today and in the future.​ We strive to collect a broad collection of volunteer and vendor-led content so that any functional area on your campus can find value in our event but we also work to keep our event and session sizes small enough where you can truly connect and network with your peers who are facing the same daily challenges.
After a two-year hiatus triggered by a global pandemic, the conference returned to the Grinnell College campus in Grinnell, Iowa in 2022 and featured 45 total session in 8 different conference tracks. And MECA has a new home and place on the calendar in 2023! MECA 2023 will be held at Eastern Iowa Community College in Davenport, Iowa on September 14th and 15th.
F E A T U R E D S P E A K E R S
Have a suggestion for a future speaker? Drop us a message through our contact box below and let us know!
S E S S I O N S I N F O
In 2022 MECA offered 8 different conference tracks with 45 sessions to choose from, providing a broad range of learning opportunities for all areas of colleges and universities using Ellucian’s software solutions.
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CIO Forum/IT Management - Colleague
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Enrollment and Financial Aid - Colleague
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Financials - Colleague
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Human Resources and Payroll - Colleague
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Registrar and Academic Records - Colleague
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Reporting and Data Governance - Colleague
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Technical Track - Colleague
For detailed descriptions of the sessions we offered last year, take a look at our session listing.
C I O F O R U M
Join IT leaders from around the Midwest as they explore and discuss their vision for the future of their technology solutions. Attend, network and interact to get the information you need to plan your campus’ next technology innovations.
MECA 2022 Schedule
Thursday, October 20th and Friday, October 21st
(We expect the 2023 schedule to be similar and will update this space and details are planned.)
T H U R S D A Y
8:00AM
Vendor registration in the HSSC Atrium
through 11:00am
10:00AM
Attendee registration in the Harris center
through 12:00pm
through 1:45pm
12:15PM
Lunch, Welcome and Keynote Speaker in the Harris Center
2:00PM
through 2:50pm
Conference Sessions in HSSC
through 3:30pm
2:50PM
Break in the Vendor area in the HSSC Atrium
3:30PM
through 5:20pm
Conference Sessions in HSSC
5:30PM
Reception in the HSSC Atrium
through 7:00pm
F R I D A Y
7:00AM
Breakfast in the HSSC Atrium
through 8:00am
8:00AM
through 9:50am
Conference Sessions in HSSC
9:50AM
through 10:30am
Break in the Vendor area in the HSSC Atrium
10:30am
through 12:20pm
Conference Sessions in HSSC
Closing Remarks and Box Lunch Pick-up
12:30pm
through 1:00pm
Vendor Area Closes and Booths packed up
1:00pm
through 3:00pm
MECA​ 2022
S P O N S O R S
A big thank you to all of our sponsors. Without their support, involvement, and enthusiasm we could not accomplish our goal of helping you connect with the other institutions, professionals, products and practices you need to lead your institutions.
R E V I V I N G P A R T n e r
R E V I V I N G S P O N S O R S
C O N F E R E N C E A D V O C A T E S
MECA is the 2017 Ellucian Ellumination Community Award Winner
"Awarded to an individual who creates best practices by collaborating with peers across the higher education community to identify new solutions to common challenges." Presented to Kelley Bradder, CIO of Simpson College at eLive 2017 for reviving the Midwest regional conference (MR-DUG) as the MECA Conference.
Our
Speakers (2022)
Chris Uthe, Director of Product Management, Ocelot
Inspired by a family computer that always needed fixing, Chris Uthe has submerged himself in business and technology for the last 20 years. His first company, a PC repair and networking business, was started at just 16 and successfully fueled a deep interest in solving problems as he helped business customers throughout his hometown adopt technology into their business. He would go on to successfully run a media & managed IT company before joining the Ed Tech industry with a successful 13-year tenure within an ERP/SIS company leading the Student Portal & Learning Management division. His last startup, EdSolio, helped to fuel the winds of competency-based education by providing a comprehensive view of a student's work and achievements. Now focused on creating successful learners by ensuring their interactions with higher ed institutions are at the right time in the right place, he heads the Product Management department at Ocelot, an AI-backed student engagement company.
Location
ABOUT EASTERN IOWA COMMUNITY COLLEGE:
FULL ADDRESS:
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges includes Clinton, Muscatine, and Scott Community Colleges. Stretched along the banks of the Mississippi River, the district covers all of Clinton, Jackson, Muscatine, and Scott Counties, as well as parts of Cedar and Louisa Counties. The district regularly boasts fall enrollments of more than 7,000 students in both Associate in Arts / College Transfer programs as well as more than 30 Career Technology options.
EICC Administrative Offices
101 West Third Street
Davenport, Iowa 52801
Map to Event Site
A I R P O R T
AIRPORT INFORMATION FOR 2023 TO BE UPDATED SOON: Des Moines International Airport is located 60 miles west of Grinnell College. The airport has nineteen connections to major airline hubs, giving customers a wide variety of flights and times to choose from. For more information regarding flights or about the airport, click here to visit the Des Moines International Airport website.
H O T E L s
HOTEL INFORMATION FOR 2023 TO BE UPDATED SOON: The MECA Conference partners with hotels from the local area to ensure a comfortable stay for all conference attendees. This year, MECA has partnered with Grinnell Hotel, Country Inn and Suites, Comfort Inn and Suites, Quality Inn, and Best Western hotels.
T H I N G S T O D O
in grinnell
STATE park
Rock Creek
Rock Creek State Park is one of Iowa's most popular boating lakes. The lake has 15 miles of shoreline, great for fishing or an ideal spot for sunbathing and swimming at the beaches! The Park is home to picturesque picnic spots and provides beautiful campgrounds. For more information, visit the DNR site here .
NATURE prESERVE
Jacob Krumm
Jacob Krumm Nature Preserve is a 450-acre park and nature preserve. Within the preserve is an extensive trail system for hiking and cross-country skiing, as well as a shelter for both summer and winter use. On the rolling terrain of the preserve are to be found prairies, savanna, woodlands, a 25-acre lake, a marsh, ponds, and wildlife plantings. There are 7 miles of hiking trails within the preserve, that offer excellent viewing of a variety of native wildlife species and habitats.
Grinnell College
Museum of art
Presenting exhibitions of regional, national, and international art year-round, the Grinnell College Musuem of Art is the nucleus of Grinnell’s Bucksbaum Center for the Arts. The Grinnell College Museum of Art is free and open to the public. The Grinnell College Museum of Art is free and open to the public. The museum at Sixth Avenue and Park Street is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
in des moines
Science Center
Des Moines
Experience science in new and creative ways at the Science Center of Iowa. Located in the heart of Downtown Des Moines. Pick and choose from many different themed exhibit spaces to visit, go watch a live program, or pay a visit to the domed digital planetarium. Make sure to stop by The Food Chain Cafe for lunch or snacks to refuel in between all your adventures. For more information about what you can do at SCI, visit their site by clicking here.
Sculpture park
Papajohn's
A small oasis in the middle of Downtown Des Moines, Pappajohn Sculpture Park features artwork by 22 different artists. The parks prime location combined with the beautiful structures makes it a park unlike any other. Bring your own food and a blanket to picnic under the arbor of art or choose from one of the many unique restaurants such as Malo, Fong’s Pizza, Magnolia Wine Kitchen, and many more. For more information about the Park, click here.
Sculpture park
Papajohn's
A small oasis in the middle of Downtown Des Moines, Pappajohn Sculpture Park features artwork by 22 different artists. The parks prime location combined with the beautiful structures makes it a park unlike any other. Bring your own food and a blanket to picnic under the arbor of art or choose from one of the many unique restaurants such as Malo, Fong’s Pizza, Magnolia Wine Kitchen, and many more. For more information about the Park, click here.
Zoo
Blank Park
Lions, panda, monkeys, oh my! Experience the wild side of Iowa by visiting the Blank Park Zoo. The zoo can be found in the south side of Des Moines. From Tigers to Tortoises, the zoo provides visitors with 25-acres of an animal kingdom to explore. Make sure to stop by to visit the nine new babies the zoo has had this past year. For more information about the zoo and thier animal friends, visit their site by clicking here.
preforming arts
Temple of
Stop by to see a splendid show in the elegantly designed Temple of Preforming Arts. In order to honor it’s historical significance, the Temple’s beautiful interior architecture and charming exterior design have been renovated to mimic that of its original design from it’s creation in 1913. The temple’s theater room is host to a wide range of musical and theatrical performances throughout the year. For more information about the Temple of Preforming Arts click here or click here to find out more about the shows you can go see.
Center
Botanical
Leave the city behind and immerse yourself in an sanctuary of brightly colored flowers and tropical trees. The Botanical Center has over 1,200 different flora from various parts of the world. The center is desiged so visitors can explore, learn and celebrate the grandeur of the world of plants. Take a break and enjoy the tropical and temperate gardens that make the Botanical Center a unique Des Moines Experience. For more information about the Center, click here.
Grinnell
HOTEL GRINNELL
Located in the heart of Grinnell, this hotel is a brief 10-minute walk to campus. This modern hotel is a remodeled old school building, providing visitors with a truly unique stay.
Rooms Available: No conference block created
Price: Varies - $160 and up + tax
For more information or to book a room, click HERE to visit their site.
Contact
Have any questions or concerns regarding the conference, vendor information/registration, or anything else?
Contact us by filling out the form to the right with your name and email, as well as a short message and we will be happy to answer any and all questions!