The Louisiana College Learning Center Association (LCLCA) is pleased to invite you to attend the third annual virtual symposium on Thursday, February 26, 2026 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The symposium theme this year is "Beyond the Blueprint: Designing Pathways for Student Success." Sessions will focus on expanding access, equity and excellence in learning support. LCLCA is an affiliate of the International College Learning Center Association, and our growing organization’s membership represents every region in the State of Louisiana.
This year we are excited to have Dr. Saundra McGuire as our Keynote speaker. Dr. McGuire is an Eduflow Top 100 Learning Influencer and a member of ICLCA and LCLCA. Her book, Teach Students How to Learn, is used at higher ed institutions across the country.
This annual symposium will be a place where we exchange meaningful ideas about providing and improving learning assistance at Louisiana colleges and universities. Symposium attendees can look forward to professional development and networking opportunities with other learning center professionals. LCLCA members attend for free. Mark your calendars and share widely with your colleagues. We look forward to seeing you in February!
Dr. Saundra McGuire
2026 KEYNOTE speaker
Dr. Saundra Yancy McGuire is the Director Emerita of the LSU Center for Academic Success, Professor Emerita of Chemical Education at LSU. and retired Assistant Vice Chancellor and Professor of Chemistry at LSU. Prior to joining LSU, she spent eleven years at Cornell University, where she received the coveted Clark Distinguished Teaching Award. She has delivered keynote addresses or presented workshops at over 400 institutions in 46 states and ten countries. Her book, Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation, was released in October 2015 and is a Stylus Publishing bestseller. The student version of this book, Teach Yourself How to Learn: Strategies You Can Use to Ace Any Course at Any Level, was released in January 2018.
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The most recent of her honors include the 2017 American Chemical Society (ACS) Award for Encouraging Disadvantaged Students to Pursue Careers in the Chemical Sciences and induction into the LSU College of Science Hall of Distinction. She also received the 2015 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Lifetime Mentor Award and the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE). She is an elected Fellow of the ACS, AAAS, and Council of Learning Assistance and Developmental Education Associations (CLADEA). In November 2007 the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring was presented to her in a White House Oval Office Ceremony. Additionally, she has achieved Level Four Lifetime Learning Center Leadership Certification through the National College Learning Center Association (NCLCA).
She received her B.S. degree, magna cum laude, from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA, her Master's degree from Cornell and her Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she received the Chancellor's Citation for Exceptional Professional Promise. She is married to Dr. Stephen C. McGuire, a professor of physics at Southern. They are the parents of Dr. Carla McGuire Davis and Dr. Stephanie McGuire, and the doting grandparents of Joshua, Ruth, Daniel, and Joseph Davis.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
cLOSING THE mETACOGNITIVE EQUITY GAP:
THE KEY ROLE OF LEARNING CENTERS
Colleges and universities have been attempting to close the academic achievement gap between students from different demographics such as socioeconomic status, race, and generational college attendance for more than five decades. Despite the most well intentioned efforts, the gap has persisted and has even widened since the COVID pandemic. In this interactive keynote, we will explore the meaning of “metacognitive equity” and discuss why learning centers provide the best opportunity for our institutions to close the metacognitive equity gap, thereby closing the academic achievement gap.
Session Proposals
Session submissions are now open for the first annual LCLCA symposium.
Submit a session proposal here.
Deadline: January 23, 2026
Symposium Registration
Become an LCLCA member ($35) to receive complimentary registration for the 2026 symposium. You will be directed to register for the symposium at the confirmation screen.
Non-Member Registration: Those who'd like to attend the 2026 symposium but are not interested in becoming an LCLCA member can register for $60 here. If you have a coupon code, you will be prompted to enter that at checkout.​
Volunteering
For more information about how you can help with the symposium, please email Nicole or send a message using the LCLCA contact form.