We are excited that you are interested in engaging with ACUA members at the upcoming ACUA Virtual Spring Summit. Our goal is to provide you with a central location for speaker information, communications, and timelines. Please return to this site often.
The 2026 ACUA Virtual Spring Summit will be held virtually March 24-26, 2026.
For full consideration, proposals should be submitted online by Monday, December 1, 2025.
For this event, we are building the schedule using a matrix of 50-minute blocks. While this format allows for flexibility, we encourage proposals for in-depth sessions that span two or more blocks (i.e., 100 minutes or longer). Based on participant feedback from previous Spring conferences and AuditCon, attendees consistently value detailed, deep-dive presentations that explore complex topics in greater depth. Accordingly, we are especially interested in sessions—whether 50, or 100+ minutes—that equip attendees with actionable tools, interactive exercises, and real-world case studies to elevate internal audit practices in higher education. We especially encourage sessions where internal audit professionals collaborate with subject matter experts from their campuses (registrar’s office, financial aid, athletics, etc.) or ACUA strategic partners. These joint sessions offer attendees valuable insights into complex institutional processes and foster stronger cross-functional understanding that enhances audit effectiveness and stakeholder engagement.
The online link will ask for information on your proposal, such as:
- Name of presenter including contact information, bio and headshot
- Title of presentation
- Learning objectives – Click here for tips
- Description of presentation
- Field of study
- Length of presentation
Session Tracks
Track 1: Practical Tools
Hands-on methods, technologies, and audit techniques for immediate application.
Example Topics:
- Audit Essentials (Foundations?)
- Auditing in Higher Education
- Athletics Auditing (NCAA/Compliance, NIL, Fiscal Operations)
- Student Programs (Financial Aid, Study Abroad, Student Housing)
- Research (Export Controls, …
- Risk Management/Safety (Clery Act, Campus Safety, Youth Programs, Business Continuity)
- Financial Operations (Treasury and Cash Management, Auxiliary Services and Revenue-Generating Units)
- Development (Endowments and Investments, Fund-Raising and Gift Processing)
- Information Technology
- Systems Implementations
- ERP Implementation: How Internal Audit Can Add Value
- Key risks and control points during transitions to platforms like Workday or Oracle.
- Cyber Security
- Cybersecurity on Campus: Partnering with IT for Smarter Auditing
- Evaluating institutional preparedness for system outages and cyber incidents.
- Other IT Topics (Identity and Access Management, Data Governance and Privacy, Cloud Vendors and Outsourced IT Services)
- IT Risk Assessment Frameworks for Higher Education-Building scalable models to assess IT risk across decentralized environments.
- Medical Centers
- Clinical Trial Billing and Compliance
- Clinical Revenue Cycle Auditing
- IT General Controls (ITGC) in Academic Medical Centers
- Data Analytics and IT Techniques
- Excel Tips and Tricks for Auditors
- Storytelling for Auditors: Making Data Memorable
- Artificial Intelligence
Track 2: Evolving Skills
Developing communication, leadership, and influence within audit teams and institutions.
Example Topics:
- Communication and Relationship Building
- Negotiation Skills for Internal Auditors
- Navigating Difficult Conversations / Conflict Resolution
- Effective Interviewing and Listening Skills
- Presentation Skills
- Engaging Virtual Audiences: Remote Presentation Best Practices
- Visual Communication: Using Charts and Dashboards Effectively
- Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety: Tools for Auditors
- Critical Thinking and Judgment
- Beyond Checklist Auditing: Applying Critical Thinking in Audits
- How to Do a Root-Cause Analysis
- Report Writing
- Audit Report Writing for Today’s Audience
- Crafting Clear and Actionable Audit Reports
- Professionalism
- Ethics for Internal Auditors
- Empathy in Auditing: Balancing Objectivity and Understanding
Track 3: Lasting Impact
Strategic insight, future risks, and assurance that strengthens institutions.
Example Topics:
- Roundtables
- CAE, Small Shops, Academic Medical Centers, Athletics, etc.
- Strategic Planning
- Aligning the Audit Plan with Institutional Strategy
- How to Develop a Strategic Plan for Your Audit Shop
- Internal Audit’s Role in Strategic Planning and Institutional Transformation
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Partnering with University Management
- Designing Audits with Stakeholders in Mind
- Board and Audit Committee Engagement: Elevating the Conversation
- How to Market and Promote Your Audit Shop
- Professional Standards and Continuous Improvement
- How to Beef Up Your Annual Internal QAIP
- QAR Results under the New Standards
- Risk Assessment and Audit Planning
- Risk Assessment and Annual Audit Plan Best Practices
- Integrated Risk Management in Higher Education
- Co-sourcing Audit Engagements
- Culture and Leadership
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Audit Leadership
- Developing a Personal Leadership Philosophy
- Building a Culture of Accountability and Transparency
- Coaching and Mentoring in Audit Teams
- Future Insights
- Navigating the Changing Federal Compliance Landscape
- FASB/GASB Update: What Auditors Need to Know
- The Future of Higher Ed Finance: Strategic Risk and Opportunity
Session Requirements
- Duration: 50 to 200 minutes. Two back to back sessions to dive deeper into a topic may also be proposed.
- Format: Interactive exercises, case studies, or tool-based walkthroughs.
- Deliverables: Practical takeaways such as templates, checklists, dashboards, or frameworks.
- Audience: Higher education internal auditors at all levels, with a focus on actionable learning.
Speaker Benefits
- Conference Discount.
- Connect and grow new relationships in higher education internal audit.
- Grow and build your reputation as an industry subject-matter expert.
- Increase your brand and visibility. You will be featured on the conference website, in conference materials, on ACUA’s social media channels and on the event mobile app.
- Earn extra CPE as a speaker under NASBA standards (up to three times the CPE credits earned by participants).
Upcoming Speaker Deadlines:
- January 2026: Early Bird Registration open
- February 16, 2026: Deadline to submit speaker information (Presentation, AV and Copyright Attestation)
- February 27, 2026: Early Bird Registration closes
- March 20, 2026: Regular Registration closes
- March 24-26, 2026: Conference