The Chicago College Loop Tour - Post-Conference 2026

Description

Thursday, June 18 - Friday, June 19, 2026 

Tour participants are required to stay at the conference hotel, Loews Chicago ORD Hotel, on Wednesday and Thursday nights, June 17-18. 
 
*Colleges and tour schedules are subject to change at any time*

We will be visiting the following colleges in this order:

Northwestern University Chicago, IL	DePaul University Chicago, IL	Loyola University Chicago, IL	University Illinois-Chicago Chicago, IL

Limit: 50 participants (including tour leaders), all of whom must also register for the conference 

Registration Fee: $160

Payment due immediately: Please note that you must pay your tour registration fee as part of the registration process. Due to heavy demand for the tours, we are not able to hold your place if you delay payment. 

Cancellation/refund policy:
a. If there is no waitlist we are unable to issue refunds for cancellations, regardless of the reason.
b. If a registrant requests a cancellation and a waitlisted participant takes the spot, a refund - minus a processing fee - will be issued once their registration and payment are complete. The deadline to cancel one’s registration and request a refund is May 15.
c. Waitlisted participants will have 48 hours to complete their registration and payment before we offer the spot to the next person on the waitlist.

Registrations are not transferable. Tour organizers must be notified of any cancellations by emailing collegetours@hecaonline.org.

Full participation required: When you register for a tour, you make a commitment to participate in the entire tour and are required to:

• join the tour at the official report time and location, and stay until the official end time;
• visit all the colleges on the tour itinerary and participate in each scheduled event during each tour;
• stay in the HECA room block at the tour hotel(s), regardless of other housing options (required to meet HECA hotel commitment; out of fairness to all, there are no exceptions);
• travel on the tour bus (gain the benefit of getting to know your HECA colleagues - a lasting benefit of the tours!);
• be ready for extensive walking across campuses, in all types of weather, and climbing stairs, even if only to access the bus. When registering, participants will be asked to indicate physical needs accommodation. Every effort will be made to ensure participant safety but please keep this in mind with regard to your personal comfort level and physical stamina.

Informal participation not permitted: Individuals not participating in the official tours may not join the events at the colleges or schedule individual tours on the same day.

Tour agreement: As part of registration, you will be asked to read the Gentle Reminders and agree to the College Tour Terms and Conditions. All participants will be required to sign a Tour Waiver form.

Compliance: Tour policies are provided in advance to avoid participants making arrangements outside of policy guidelines. Policies have been developed after much thought and consideration of fairness to members and volunteers. Not following policy may result in the loss of HECA College Tour privileges for one year. Thank you for your understanding of and respect for HECA tour policies and other HECA members.

Please note that much thought and consideration goes into scheduling HECA tours. We take into account possible conflicts with major holidays (including religious observances), other professional development events, the college admissions timeline for HECA members, and the host college scheduling limitations. While we recognize that no schedule will work for everyone, we strive to be respectful of all concerns and offer events that will be valuable to HECA members.

What's Included

The tour price includes coach transportation between the hotel and all the colleges, with final drop-off at the Chicago O'Hare Airport (ORD). The price includes lunch on Thursday and Friday. Lodging is not included. Participants are responsible for their own lodging cost and must stay in the tour hotel for all required nights. See Hotel Information below.

Travel Arrangements

Arrival and Departure

Participants for The Chicago College Loop must arrive to the Loews Chicago ORD Hotel by Wednesday, June 17 at 10:00 pm and have reservations through Friday morning, June 19, 2026. 

The tour ends at the Chicago O'Hare Airport on Friday, June 19 at 4:00 pm. If you prefer to book your travel out of Chicago Midway on Friday, June 19, you will be responsible for your own transportation from O’Hare or from the termination of our final college visit. All participants must participate and stay on the tour bus until this time. 

Please plan your departing flights for after 6:00 pm on Friday.

Hotel Information
The Loews Chicago ORD Hotel is our official tour hotel. To secure our discounted group rate and ensure we meet our contractual obligations, please follow these steps:

• Wait to Book: Do not reserve your room until your conference and tour registrations are confirmed.
• Use Official Links: Use the reservation links provided in your conference registration confirmation to book the two required nights, Wednesday, June 17 and Thursday, June 18, 2026.
• Book Early: The HECA group rate is offered as a courtesy and is subject to availability.

Room Types & Policies
Availability: We have contracted a block of single and double rooms. While we strive to accommodate preferences, specific room types are not guaranteed.

Occupancy: If you reserve a double room for solo use, HECA reserves the right to move you to a single room if space is needed for other participants.

Cancellations: Please review the hotel’s specific cancellation policy at the time of booking, as HECA is not responsible for individual cancellation fees.

Roommates
HECA encourages room sharing to help participants save on costs; however, finding a roommate is the responsibility of the participant.

Find a Partner: Use the Roommate Finder on the InfoHub and participant contact list, which will be shared with you by the tour leader.

Booking Doubles: When booking a double room, you must provide the hotel with the names of both occupants.

Transportation Note:
The tour bus will depart from the Loews on Friday morning and will conclude at Chicago O’Hare (ORD) airport on Friday afternoon. Please plan your departing flights for after 6:00 pm local time.

Please contact collegetours@hecaonline.org: 
- If you are rooming with another HECA member, provide the name of your roommate
- If your plans change and you cannot attend the tour (NOTE: You will be responsible for cancelling your travel plans)
- If you have questions regarding this tour