February 5, 2025
60th ANNUAL MEETING AND RETREAT FOR ADMINISTRATORS OF THEATRE PROGRAMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
March 19 – 22, 2025
Palmer House Hilton
Chicago, Illinois
REMINDER – PLEASE REGISTER FOR THE ANNUAL MEETING AND MAKE HOTEL RESERVATIONS
Meeting Registration Deadline: February 21
Hotel Reservations Deadline: February 26
We look forward to welcoming members and friends next month in Chicago as the National Association of Schools of Theatre conducts its 60th Annual Meeting and Retreat for Administrators. We hope you will join us. Annual Meeting information is available on the Association’s website and can be accessed through the links offered below:
We call particular attention at this time to upcoming deadlines with regard to Annual Meeting registration and hotel reservations:
Registration conducted through electronic or hardcopy means for the Pre-Meeting Workshops and the Annual Meeting and Retreat for Administrators of Theatre Programs in Higher Education will close at 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, February 21. The basic registration fee through that date is $225. On-site registration in Chicago will begin at the NAST registration desk at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 19. On-site registrants will incur an additional charge of $25.
The Palmer House Hilton is holding preferred reservations for NAST registrants through February 26 at a group rate of $179 per night, single or double occupancy, plus applicable state and local taxes. Please be aware that if the NAST room block should fill by that date, group-rate rooms will most likely not be available. Prospective attendees are encouraged to make reservations well before the February 26 cut-off date, and cancel later if plans change. (Please review the information found on the hotel’s website to confirm the time frame for cancelling reservations without penalty.)
Annual Meeting and Retreat sessions will offer to theatre administrators the opportunity to consider and discuss issues significant to the activities of theatre units including those pertaining to faculty and students.
Open dialogue sessions will welcome representatives from Community and Two-Year Colleges, Faith-Based Institutions, Historically Black Institutions, and Non-Degree-Granting and Professional Studio Schools. These sessions provide to attendees opportunities to listen and to share thoughts and ideas with colleagues.
Training sessions will be offered for individuals preparing for accreditation reviews, new and current visiting evaluators, and administrators designing new undergraduate curricular programs. Informational sessions will be offered which focus on accreditation processes and procedures; annual reporting requirements; and federal issues. Attendees will also gather to enjoy fellowship and renew connections during scheduled meals and social functions.
Annual Meeting and Retreat for Administrators of Theatre Programs in Higher Education events will begin on Wednesday, March 19 at 4:15 p.m. with the Orientation for Newcomers to NAST. Prospective attendees should note that the Workshop: Preparing for NAST Evaluation will be held on Thursday, March 20 from 8:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
In addition to the Annual Meeting and Retreat for Administrators of Theatre Programs in Higher Education, NAST will offer its Pre-Meeting Workshop for New and Aspiring Theatre Administrators on Wednesday, March 19 from 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., and its Pre-Meeting Workshop for Seasoned Theatre Administrators on Wednesday, March 19 from 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. New and aspiring administrators with three or fewer years of experience are welcome and may find the designated pre-meeting workshop helpful and insightful. Seasoned administrators will be provided the opportunity to explore current issues of concern and interest with other theatre executives.
All 2025 Annual Meeting materials will be made available only through NAST’s Annual Meeting electronic app. Hardcopy Annual Meeting materials will not be provided on-site. Individuals desiring hardcopy versions of Annual Meeting materials may download and print copies directly from the app or from the NAST website before arriving on-site.
Should questions arise, the National Office staff will be pleased to assist.
We look forward to welcoming and working with you in March.
Thank you.