Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges (OATYC) Annual Conference at Owens Community College
Welcome to the home of the Ohio Association of Two-Year Colleges (OATYC) Annual Conference for 2026. This page will be your resource for the conference, with more information added for programming and events as it becomes available.
Conference Date and Venue
Friday, October 9, 2026 | Owens Community College
Heritage Hall
310 2nd Street
Perrysburg, OH 43551
View Heritage Hall Building Map (PDF)
Campus Address (Main Campus Entrance)
30335 Oregon Road
Perrysburg, OH 43551
A Looking Glass Approach to Higher Education
Conference attendees are invited to step through the looking glass to explore bold, creative solutions to the challenges facing higher education.
The novel, Through the Looking Glass (and What Alice Found There), deals with compelling themes no less relevant today than when the book was first published in 1871. Most notably, it deals with themes including social positioning, identity, order/structure and self-reliance.
Much like Lewis Carroll’s world of literary nonsense—where logic twists, meanings shift, and the impossible becomes possible—our conference encourages innovative approaches to student success, institutional resilience and community building among faculty members in Ohio.
Call for Proposals
The deadline for proposal submissions has closed. The Call for Proposals is retained below as a reference.
Download the Call for Proposals (PDF)
Conference Registration
Please use the link below to register for the conference.
Presenter/Award Nominee Registration – $110 (upon proposal acceptance)
Attendee Registration – $130
The deadline for registering is TBA.
Tentative Conference Schedule
View Heritage Hall Building Map (PDF)
| Session/Activity | Event Start Time | Event End Time | Purpose | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registration & Wayfinding Tables | 8:30 a.m. | 3:30 p.m. | Information, Directions, Handouts, Snacks | Heritage Hall Atrium |
| Breakfast | 8:30 a.m. | 9:30 a.m. | Breakfast, Networking/Social Time | Heritage Hall Atrium |
| Opening and Keynote Event | 9 a.m. | 10 a.m. | Keynote Event | Heritage Hall 123 |
| Concurrent Session A | 10:10 a.m. | 11 a.m. | Scholarly Presentations | Heritage Hall Classrooms 153, 154, 156, 157, 158 |
| Concurrent Session B | 11:10 a.m. | 12 p.m. | Scholarly Presentations | Heritage Hall Classrooms 153, 154, 156, 157, 158 |
| Lunch | 12 p.m. | 1 p.m. | Lunch, Networking/Social Time, Special Sponsor Presentation | Heritage Hall Atrium and Room 158 |
| Concurrent Session C | 1:10 p.m. | 2 p.m. | Scholarly Presentations | Heritage Hall Classrooms 153, 154, 156, 157, 158 |
| Awards Ceremony and Closing | 2:10 p.m. | 3 p.m. | Awards, Conference 2027 Announcement | Veterans Hall 201 |
| OPTIONAL TOUR | 3 p.m. | 4 p.m. | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |
Hotel Information
Hilton Garden Inn
6165 Levis Commons Blvd.
Perrysburg, OH 43551
Our friends at the Hilton Garden Inn Toledo Perrysburg are happy to assist with overnight accommodation needs.
To book a reservation
- Online: Access group preferred rates
- By Phone: Call (419) 873-0700 and request the group rate using code 928.
Maps
- Directions from Hilton Garden Inn to Heritage Hall
- Directions from Heritage Hall to Hilton Garden Inn
Keynote Speaker
Having stepped through the looking glass, we hope this conference will challenge preconceptions and examine different points of view that exist in the world of community college education in Ohio.
Our keynote event will feature a panel of individuals closely associated with the student experience in higher education. They will share their own unique viewpoints and opinions as to what higher education means to students today and the potential impacts those viewpoints and opinions will have on a given campus community. Together, we might solve some problems (or not). We might even raise new problems to address.
“How puzzling all these changes are! I’m never sure what I’m going to be, from one minute to another.” (Chapter 5, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland).
Questions? Contact Us.
Michael Pfahl
OATYC 2026 Conference Co-Chairperson
Phone: (567) 661–7270
Email Michael