This year, we connected with partners and friends at events all across the country. From NACAS and ICBA to AACC and all 11 Indie regional gatherings, valuable insights were shared into the priorities and the challenges faced across auxiliary services, independent bookstores, and community colleges. 

Not everyone can attend these events in person, but the themes matter to campuses everywhere. In this recap, we share the key takeaways shaping higher ed in 2025 and beyond, and the ways in which peers across the industry are approaching similar opportunities and evolving needs. 

Auxiliary Services  

Auxiliary service leaders oversee dining, housing, recreation, retail, and course materials. Across NACAS regionals, as well as at the SUNY Auxiliary Services Association and the Women in Higher Education Leadership Summit, one message stood out: leaders want to deliver more value to students while strengthening sustainability. 

At NACAS C3X, we saw this evolution firsthand as leaders in modernized systems improved access and built student-centered models that support both institutional goals and the campus experience. The takeaways below reflect the priorities we heard most consistently.

Customer sessions reinforced this momentum. Northern Marianas College shared how it transformed its campus store across three island locations, and a panel of Iowa community colleges showcased flexible course materials models that support diverse learners. Together, these examples demonstrate how practical, scalable approaches are helping students get what they need on day one. 

Key Themes (What We Heard at NACAS C3X):

1. Access and affordability remain an urgent priority. Institutions are seeking strategies that remove barriers and reduce costs without sacrificing quality or choice. 

2. Digital transformation is accelerating fast. Leaders want partners that can help modernize systems, streamline operations, and keep pace with student expectations. 

3. Institutions want predictable, sustainable revenue. Stable, data-informed models are becoming essential as campuses navigate shifting enrollments and tighter budgets. 

4. Flexible models are needed for diverse learners. Campuses are embracing solutions that adapt to different pathways, schedules, and learning styles. 

5. Peer insights are powering momentum. Institutions rely on each other for real-world lessons to guide decisions and accelerate innovation. 

What We Heard from You 
Leaders echoed the priorities we have heard all year: improving access and affordability, modernizing systems, strengthening predictable revenue, and adopting flexible course materials models. Many also emphasized the ways in which peer insights help validate decisions and move initiatives forward. Campuses are acting quickly and need practical, scalable solutions that simplify operations, align with institutional goals, and support stronger student outcomes. 

Takeaway 
Auxiliary services are evolving from service management to student experience leadership.  

Independent Bookstores 

Across ICBA, CAMEX, Campus Stores Canada, Textbook Affordability Conference (TAC), and the Independent Regional conferences, store leaders shared the ways in which they are modernizing operations while maintaining their position as trusted campus partners and student success advocates.

Key Themes: 

1. Adopting Day One Access models: Independent stores are embracing Day One Access programs to support affordability, enhance convenience, and streamline operations. Leaders shared how they are aligning with campus departments, testing hybrid or course-by-course models, and using student feedback to shape more effective programs. 

2. Improving efficiency with technology: AI and automation are becoming practical tools for reducing manual tasks and strengthening communication. Stores are using AI to analyze adoption patterns, draft outreach, and automate routine work so teams can focus on service and strategy. To see how campus stores are putting AI to work, take a look at Laura’s blog about using AI to lighten her workload and boost creativity.  

3. Prioritizing engagement: While affordability is still a top priority, stores are leaning into another opportunity: helping students use their materials more effectively. 

4. Partnering for impact: Progress accelerates when collaboration extends across the institution and allows for connection around the shared goals of vendors, peers, and campus leaders. 

What We Heard from You 
Independent stores are balancing tradition and innovation. You are exploring digital tools, testing new models, and using AI to work smarter and support students from day one. 

Takeaway 
Independent bookstores are resilient, community driven, and central to shaping affordability, engagement, and student success. 

Community Colleges 

Community colleges support diverse learners with fewer resources, which means approaches that work elsewhere don’t always translate effectively for them. At New Horizons, AACC, HERDI, and ACCT, leaders emphasized affordability, retention, and access as top priorities.

Key Themes:

1. Embracing Day One Access: By making required materials affordable and available from the start, institutions are removing barriers and improving student success. 

2. Connecting affordability to retention: Access to affordable materials directly supports persistence and completion. 

3. Adopting time-saving tools: Streamlined course materials tools help small teams simplify workflows and improve efficiency. 

4. Supporting dual enrollment: Community colleges are building stronger pathways for high school students to earn college credit and accelerate their academic journey. 

What We Heard from You 
Community college leaders are advancing student success while navigating resource constraints. Seeing the ways in which peers use access models and technology can inspire scalable strategies. 

Takeaway 
Community colleges are champions of access and affordability and benefit from solutions that are tailored and sustainable. 

Closing Thoughts 

For more than 30 years, we have partnered with institutions to advance affordability, access, and student success. Recent conversations reinforce how important this work is and how much your leadership matters. 

Decades of experience and collaboration have shown us what works and provided us with insights into what is coming next. We are committed to turning that knowledge into value for campuses and providing reliability, insight, and innovation that help you meet new challenges and keep affordability at the center of your mission. Together, we will keep driving progress for your institution and your students.