Big XII Conference

GREETINGS

On behalf of The University of Kansas Black Student Union and hosted by The Legacy Group Online. The 2026 Planning Committee are honored to host the 49h annual Big Twelve Conference on Black Student Government, Restoring Our Legacy, Reclaiming Our Future.

We hope that during your time here at our conference you will have an enriching experience engaging in the many activities that we have planned for you. Your conference experience is complete with intriguing workshops, respectable keynote speakers, and special activities with other students throughout our region. We hope that yourself to think about our theme and challenges yourself to think about your legacy, our history and what our future will look like. Our conference focuses on the inner work of challenging ourselves and our mindsets so that we can be equipped to face the hardships in the real world as black scholars. How can we educate our self on black history and slavery? How can we learn self appreciation as black people? How can we unite as a community by learning and understanding the whole black diaspora? How can you transform your community at your university? We are eagerly anticipating meeting you all and hope you will have the best time during your stay here at Iowa State.

Best Regards,
Teigan Blaine & Hermela Solomon, Co-Chairs

HISTORICAL INFORMATION 

CONFERENCE GOAL

The goal of the Big XII Conference is to provide student leaders from various colleges and universities with a leadership professional development experience. The conference will address issues that face Black & African Americans students on their respective campuses. These issues include but are not limited to support for Black Student Government groups, issues of social justice, retention, academic success, recruitment programs, male/female relationships, student apathy, financial management and other general topics that support black student leadership development.

The Big Twelve Conference on Black Student Government will provide networking and a comprehensive leadership experience to help promote and foster equity and inclusion for black students.  Organized and implemented by the host institution, the goal will be to ensure that our leaders are provided with an experience providing tools to make a difference on their respective campuses. The leadership skills they will gain at this conference will prepare them for managing their organization in these challenging times.

BIG TWELVE COUNCIL HISTORY

The Big Twelve Council on Black Student Government is a regional Student Governing Body which consists of various Black Student Governments from institutions that were currently and formerly in the Big Twelve Conference. This body of student leaders known as Big Twelve Delegates assemble during the academic year to explore and develop action plans to promote Black culture, leadership, positive self-efficacy, political power and awareness, and goodwill of the student body and Black community on the campus of each member institution. The first meeting, in 1978, was hosted by the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Subsequent meetings included institutions from the then Big Eight Conference. In 1997, the Big Eight Conference was expanded to include four Texas institutions forming the new Big Twelve Conference. The Big Eight Council on Black Student Government officially changed their name to the Big Twelve Council on Black Student Government and included the four Texas schools into the structure of the organization. In 2024 the Big Twelve Council once again went through a change when The University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas transition out of the conference.  This led to additional schools possibly joining the conference, these schools include University of Houston, University of Cincinnati, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Brigham Young University, University of Central Florida, University of Utah, and welcoming back University of Colorado.  Each year, a designated institution hosts the Annual Big Twelve Conference on Black Student Government.

HOTEL INFORMATION

The Oread Lawrence, Tapestry Collection by Hilton

1200 Oread Ave, Lawrence, KS, 66044

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Lawrence

2176 East 23rd St, Lawrence, KS, 66046

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Lawrence

200 McDonald Dr, Lawrence, KS, 66044

Hampton Inn Lawrence

2300 W 6th St, Lawrence, KS, 66049

TownePlace Suites Lawrence Downtown

900 New Hampshire Street, Lawrence, KS, 66044

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Lawrence by IHG

3411 Iowa St, Lawrence, KS, 66046

Springhill Suites by Marriott Lawrence

1 Riverfront Plaza, Lawrence, KS, 66044

Baymont by Wyndham Lawrence

740 Iowa St, Lawrence, KS, 66044

TENTATIVE SPEAKERS

Gabe Roland

Artist, Producer and KU Graduate, DSTRICK (Gabe Roland) 

Kansas City native, DSTRK (pronounced “District”) is gearing up to release his debut EP later this year via tastemaker label Mensch House Records, home of Common Kings, Sammy Johnson, and more. DSTRK hails from Kansas City, KS, and is an artist that reps his city strongly. He gets his name from his hometown school district, District 500. Formerly known as Gabe Roland, DSTRK says, “I go by DSTRK to honor every school or teacher, pastor, parent, aunt, uncle, and mentor that has helped mode me into the person I am today. I took out the letter “I” because “I” could never have made it on my own. The K at the end is for Kansas City Kansas.” 

Mark Dupree

Mark A. Dupree, Sr., is the District Attorney of Wyandotte County, KS, the 4^th largest County in the State of Kansas. Mr. Dupree leads an office of sixty-three employees and manages a significant budget each fiscal year. Mr. Dupree was sworn into office on January 9^th, 2017. The District Attorney’s office is responsible for keeping the community safe. D.A. Dupree and his team of excellent employees are implementing strategic and visionary policies to expand the function of the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office. Dupree’s focus is equitably charging and prosecuting crime, being proactive, and attacking violent crimes and crimes that affect the standard of living in the community. Mr. Dupree has practiced in a diversity of legal capacities. He clerked in Jackson County, Missouri, served as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Jackson County, served as an Assistant Public Defender in Johnson County Public Defender’s Office, and he and his wife practiced in their firm, Dupree and Dupree, LLC – Attorneys at Law, until his swearing into office. Attorney Dupree’s goal is to give back what was sowed into him, he does this by speaking at countless churches and schools. Mr. Dupree is an active member of the community. He is the Senior Pastor and ordained Elder at his father’s church in Wyandotte County. He is a Governor on the Kansas Bar Association Board of Governors, served on the Kansas Legal Services Board of Directors, served as Committee Chairperson for the Wyandotte County Bar Association, is an Executive Board Member on the Earl E. O’Connor American Inn of Courts, former board member of Young Women on the Move, former board member of the Johnson County Bar Association, and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and is currently serving as an active Sunflower House board member.  Mr. Dupree has a degree from University of Kansas – bachelor’s degree in political science minor in Leadership Studies Washburn University School of Law – Juris Doctorate Degree Mr. Dupree is married to his law school sweetheart and former law partner, Attorney Shanelle Dupree, and they have four children.

WORKSHOP INFORMATION

The Big XII Conference on Black Student Government hosted at the University of Kansas will facilitate exchanging strategies, techniques, and ideas to address issues that face Black and African American students at area institutions. In addition, it will provide an opportunity for collaboration between student government organizations and other support groups on campuses. The Big XII Conference on Black Student Government encourages the submission of innovative proposals that provide student leaders the opportunity to discuss and share programs, ideas, strategies, and best practices that support student organizations and the following learning outcomes.

Learning Outcomes

• To dialogue and explore the integral role that student leaders play in providing Black and African American in encouraging and fostering inclusive environments for all students that identify as ‘Black.”
• To provide an opportunity for growth around engaged learning and enhance student leaders with skills, ideas and programs that build organizational leadership.
• Opportunity to explore, discuss and gain information on best practices and resources through workshops and speakers that demonstrate success in providing students with tools to address campus issues facing Black Student Government organizations.
• To network, dialogue and identify issues associated with the challenges and successes that Black Student Organizations face on college campuses.

Evaluation criteria for submissions:

• Relevance to the theme and learning outcomes
• Adaptability of ideas to a variety of settings
• Creativity as well as measurable results
• Interactive nature of the workshop

Guidelines for submission:

• Presenter Information, name(s) phone number and email.
• Title of Workshop
• Submit a 75-word abstract of your proposed session
• Include any audio-visual requests when submitting this proposal as well as any other request that you might have.

Submissions must be received electronically through this website by August 15, 2025.

We will notify the accepted proposal by September 5, 2025.

TRANSPORTATION INFORMATION COMING SOON

SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION COMING SOON