4/12/26: MECA and UMBUG (Upper Midwest Banner Users' Group) are joining forces for 2026! There will be both Banner and Colleague-oriented sessions, Birds-of-a-Feather (BOF) sessions, and more. Website to be updated with more details by June.
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
UMBUG
U P P E R M I D W E S T B A N N E R U S E R G R O U P
Thursday and Friday | October 29-30, 2026 | Kirkwood Community College
Join us to share, collaborate, explore and plan with other higher education professionals around the use of Ellucian's software products.
MECA & UMBUG allows sponsors to network with higher education professional from across the Midwest. 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 & UMBUG
2026
MECA (Midwest Ellucian Client Association) and UMBUG (Upper Midwest Banner User Group) are joining forces in 2026. Details will be added to this space as they are confirmed.
F E A T U R E D S P E A K E R S - 2025
Erin Rollenhagen 'The Feeling Moves the Needle':
We obsess over features, performance metrics, and user flows - but what if we're measuring the wrong thing? This keynote explores why the emotional experience of using software is the most powerful predictor of success, and why teams that prioritize how their product feels consistently outperform those chasing feature parity. Through real examples of products that won (and lost) based on emotional resonance rather than technical superiority, you'll discover why hope, fear, confidence, and joy matter more than your roadmap might suggest. We'll examine practical approaches for making 'feeling' a first-class consideration in your design and development process - not as a soft skill, but as a competitive advantage. The implications
reach far beyond software. Once you recognize that feelings move the needle, you start seeing it everywhere: in how teams collaborate, how leaders motivate, how relationships deepen. This keynote will change how out think about building not just better products, but better experiences in every dimension of work and life.
Sinikka Waugh 'Enabling Change and Empowering Change Makers':
There are few forces that are more disruptive in the workplace than change, yet change is everywhere and constant! Our ability as leaders and influencers within organizations to anticipate, navigate, and communicate through change can impact the people around us as well as the organization as a whole. Change makers are the individuals who have the tools, the processes, the influence skills, and the know-how to get from A to B, and to bring others with them successfully. With the right set of tools, individuals can become influencers; list makers become change makers. Equipped with just a handful of key concepts, change makers can enable change in a way that protects business interests, empowers people, and simplifies the journey from where we are today to where we want to be.
This interactive capstone session will provide practical tools and strategies to help participants lead through uncertainty, empower their colleagues as change makers, and strengthen resilience across their organizations. Attendees will engage in reflection and application activities and take actionable steps they can apply immediately in their own work.
S E S S I O N S I N F O
NOTE: These details will be changing for 2026. In 2025, MECA will continue to offer 8 different conference tracks, 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 2026 Schedule
Thursday, October 29th and Friday, October 30th. (Specific times are NOT yet finalized for 2026.)
T H U R S D A Y
8:00AM
Vendor registration
through 11:00am
10:00AM
Attendee registration
through 12:00pm
12:00PM
Lunch, Welcome and Keynote
through 1:45pm
2:00PM
Conference Sessions
through 2:50pm
2:50PM
Break
through 3:30pm
3:13PM
Conference Sessions
through 5:20pm
5:20PM
Social Hour
through 7:00pm
F R I D A Y
7:00AM
Breakfast
through 8:00am
8:00AM
Conference Sessions
through 9:50am
9:50AM
Break
through 10:30am
10:30AM
Conference Sessions
through 11:20 am
11:30am
Capstone Presentation
through 12:30pm
Closing Remarks, Door Prizes and Box Lunch
12:30PM
through 1:00pm
MECA​ 2026
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.
V I S I O N A R Y S P O N S O R S
T R A I L B L A Z E R 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
Opening Keynote: Erin Rollenhagen
Erin Rollenhagen is the founder and CEO of People-Friendly Tech, where she's led the charge behind over 200 successful tech launches by putting human experience at the center of innovation. Author of Soul Uprising: It's Never Just Business and Love at First Launch: A Visionary's Guide to Bringing Extraordinary Tech to Life, Erin bridges the gap between technical excellence and emotional intelligence, proving that the best products aren't just built—they're felt.
Closing Capstone: Sinikka Waugh
President of Your Clear Next Step, Sinikka Waugh spends her days helping people have better workdays. Trainer, coach, business leader and difference maker, Sinikka is known for consistently helping people solve problems and get things done at work. With a 20+ year background in languages, literature, and project management, Sinikka and her team have helped over 58,000 people have better workdays since 2008.
Location
ABOUT KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE:
Kirkwood Community College is a public, open-admissions institution in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving roughly 12,000–16,000 students across 7 counties. Established in 1966, it offers over 140 programs, including liberal arts transfers, nursing, and technical training. With a 100% acceptance rate and affordable tuition, it provides accessible career paths.
FULL ADDRESS:
Kirkwood Community College
6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW
Cedar Rapid, IA 52404
Map to Event Site
A I R P O R T
[2026 details to be added 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
[2026 details to be added 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 Hotel Grinnell, Country Inn & Suites, AmericInn, and Comfort Inn & Suites.
Hotel Grinnell
Address:
925 Park St
Grinnell, IA 50112-2074
641-236-9250
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Ask for the MECA rate - 20 room block
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!