FAQs
Bringing together the people and ideas
shaping what's next for higher education.
October 14-16, 2026
Luskin Conference Center, UCLA
An invitation-only convening
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting there
October 14–16, 2026, at the UCLA Meyer & Renee Luskin Conference Center. Wednesday daytime programming is intended for Learning Lab grantees and prospective Quantum FAST applicants. Wednesday evening’s Debate Night is free and open to the public, with separate registration required. Thursday and Friday programming is for registered INSPIRE attendees.
Guests can self-park in the underground lot below the conference center or in Parking Structure 8, directly across the street. A pedestrian walkway connects Parking Structure 8 to the conference center. There is a daily fee to park in either location. Valet parking is not available. View parking directions and rates.
Yes. The conference center is accessible by several public transit options, including LA Metro Bus, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, and Culver CityBus routes that serve the UCLA/Westwood area. UCLA’s complimentary BruinBus shuttle also serves campus and nearby Westwood locations.
Yes. Uber, Lyft, and taxis are convenient options for traveling to the conference center. For drop-off, enter the following destination in your rideshare app: UCLA Meyer & Renee Luskin Conference Center, 425 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Rideshare drop-off is available in front of the conference center.
Venue and accessibility
Yes. Please contact info@calearninglab.org in advance to discuss accessibility needs, or speak with staff at the event check-in desk.
Yes. A lactation space is available in the Imagination Room on the second floor. Ask staff at the check-in desk for a key.
Hotel guests can store bags at the hotel front desk. Non-hotel guests can leave bags in a designated, unattended bag area at the back of the Ballroom.
Yes. Network details will be provided at the event.
Schedule
Explore the agenda, session descriptions, presenters, and room locations in the interactive digital program.
All mainstage panels and breakout sessions in the Odyssey and Pinnacle rooms will be recorded.
Mainstage panels, the collective activity, and the Poster Gallery Walk are scheduled without competing breakout sessions. Breakout sessions run in three time slots (Thursday morning, Thursday afternoon, Friday morning), with five to six concurrent sessions in each. Choose one per time slot. Explore your options in the interactive digital program.
Yes. Mainstage panel recordings, recordings of select breakout sessions, and available presentation materials will be posted on the Learning Lab website in the weeks following the convening. We’ll notify attendees by email when these resources are available.
Yes. The program includes shared meals, breaks between sessions, the Poster Gallery Walk, a collective activity, and Thursday evening’s Terrace Reception. The attendee directory (which attendees received via email) can also help you identify colleagues with shared interests whom you’d like to meet.
The attendee directory that attendees received through email includes names, affiliations, and other information shared by participants who opted in. Although it does not include contact information, it can help you identify colleagues you’d like to meet during INSPIRE or connect with afterward.
Debate Night is a participatory, parliamentary-style debate on the purpose of higher education in the age of AI, facilitated by April Lawson of Insight Debate & Dialogue. It runs Wednesday, October 14, from 5:00–7:00 p.m., and is free and open to the public, including students and the broader UCLA and Los Angeles higher education community. Separate registration is required through Eventbrite, even if you are registered for INSPIRE. No preparation is needed. Contact info@calearninglab.org to coordinate larger groups. Arrive early, from 4:30–5:00 p.m., for a preview of the Poster Gallery Walk.
Guests attending the INSPIRE convening must be invited and registered. Debate Night is free and open to the public, but separate registration is required for each attendee. Please contact info@calearninglab.org to coordinate a class or larger group.
Food and amenities
Yes. Meals and snacks are included for attendees participating in the following programming:
- Wednesday, October 14: Lunch for Wednesday daytime attendees, followed by afternoon snacks available between lunch and Debate Night. Guests attending only Debate Night are also welcome to enjoy the snacks.
- Thursday, October 15: Breakfast, lunch, and an evening Terrace Reception, with snacks available between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and the reception.
- Friday, October 16: Breakfast and lunch, with snacks available between meals.
Yes. Please indicate dietary restrictions when registering. If you have already registered or need to update your request, email info@calearninglab.org.
Yes. Water stations will be available at the event. We encourage you to bring a reusable water bottle.
Yes. Westwood Village is within walking distance and has a range of restaurants, cafes, and grocery options.
Outside food and beverages are not permitted in the conference meeting and event spaces. If you have dietary needs, please indicate them when registering or contact info@calearninglab.org in advance.
Guests attending the INSPIRE convening must be invited and registered. Debate Night is free and open to the public, but separate registration is required for each attendee. Please contact info@calearninglab.org to coordinate a class or larger group.
During the event
Event check-in will be at the registration desk outside the Ballroom. Overnight guests should check in separately at the hotel front desk in the lobby.
If you arrive after programming begins, please stop by the event registration desk. If the desk is unattended, find a Learning Lab staff member for assistance.
Visit staff at the check-in desk. Before the event, email info@calearninglab.org.
Please visit the event check-in desk for assistance during the convening. Found items will be transferred to Luskin’s hotel front desk. After the event, please contact the hotel front desk directly about lost belongings.
The interactive digital program is your primary guide to the convening. Additional information is available on the INSPIRE website.
Yes. The event will be photographed. If you prefer not to be photographed, please email info@calearninglab.org before the event and let staff know at check-in.
After the event
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