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UT System to co-host Higher Ed Summit with tech industry leader

AUSTIN— The University of Texas System is teaming up with Salesforce.org to host more than 1,500 attendees from more than 450 colleges, universities and partners worldwide to collaborate, showcase innovative learning styles and explore how technology is making campuses more connected.

The 5th Annual Higher Ed Summit will take place Thursday, April 27, through Saturday, April 29, in Austin. The theme of this year’s Higher Ed Summit is “Innovating Together” and will focus on the importance of working as a community for the greater good of educating and preparing students for the future.

Leadership from the UT System’s Institute for Transformational Learning, known as UTx, will play important roles during the event. UTx is a portfolio of initiatives that leverage new technologies and innovative programs to exponentially increase UT student success, access and affordability.

The Summit will kick off on Thursday with a keynote from Salesforce.org CEO Rob Acker, who will discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by the digital revolution. UTx Chief Innovation Officer Marni Baker Stein, Ph.D., and Chief Digital Officer Phil Komarny will join the interactive keynote Thursday morning.

The keynote discussion will highlight UTx’s current work with Salesforce, the top customer relationship management company and customer success platform, and Salesforce.org, the philanthropic arm of Salesforce, to develop a revolutionary technology platform — which includes a cross-institutional online marketplace of courses and credentials, real-time feedback and personalized support services — that brings the benefits of a University of Texas education to potential students across Texas and around the world.

A day before the summit, Salesforce.org and the UT System will co-host the inaugural Innovation Leadership Forum, a by-invitation executive forum to connect higher education’s top leadership to discuss education transformation and the critical role technology plays.

“We look forward to co-hosting leading colleges and universities from across the nation for this innovation journey in which industry experts and peers will collaboratively explore how technology can transform institutions into truly connected campuses,” Stein said.  

About The University of Texas System

Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking basic, applied and clinical research, and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States. With 14 institutions and an enrollment of more than 228,000 students, the UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates approximately two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public institutions in Texas. The UT System’s operating budget for FY 2017 is $17.9 billion, including $3 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. With more than 20,000 faculty – including Nobel laureates and many members of the National Academies – and nearly 80,000 health care professionals, researchers, student advisors and support staff, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.

About Salesforce.org

Salesforce.org is a nonprofit social enterprise with a mission to empower its community of stakeholders to accelerate impact in a whole new way. It impacts thousands of organizations and the millions of people they serve by delivering the world’s best nonprofit and educational technology solutions at affordable rates. It also inspires employee giving by matching their donations and driving volunteer engagement in the community. And it leverages a unique self-sustaining model to generously re-invest the revenue generated back into the community through strategic grants focused on education and workforce development.

Since 1999, Salesforce technology has powered more than 31,000 nonprofit and education institutions; Salesforce and its philanthropic entities have provided nearly $160 million in grants; and Salesforce employees have logged more than 2 million volunteer hours around the world.

Salesforce, Salesforce.org and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

© 2017 salesforce.com, inc. and Salesforce.org. All rights reserved.

News Contact Information

Jenny LaCoste-Caputo: jcaputo@utsystem.edu  • 512-499-4361(direct) • 512-574-5777 (cell) 
Melanie Thompson: mthompson@utsystem.edu • 512-499-4487 (direct) • 832-724-1024 (cell)