ACPA LEADERSHIP COUNCIL NOMINATIONS, ELECTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS

The annual ACPA—College Student Educators International Leader Nomination and Election process defines the future of our Association. It is an opportunity to ensure that people with the necessary competencies are leading ACPA and providing governance that will fulfill the objectives of the Association. It is also an opportunity for new leaders to contribute to long lasting sustainable goals and outcomes. The mission of the Association is to transform higher education by creating and sharing influential scholarship, shaping critically reflective practice, and advocating for equitable and inclusive learning environments.

Our Association’s leaders should represent the increasing diversity of our membership as well as have a demonstrated commitment and capacity to deliver on the strategic priorities of ACPA. Equity, diversity, and inclusion competencies are critical requirements of leadership in ACPA. Embedding and integrating equity, diversity, and inclusion into the Association’s core activities is an ongoing, critical responsibility. As part of ACPA’s legacy, we have a renewed commitment to these competencies and their application. These competency elements must include knowledge, skills, and experiences engaging and partnering with individuals and groups from multiple and intersecting identities with the capacity to integrate diverse views and information into leadership decision-making. ACPA leaders work to champion the interests of students, faculty, and staff ensuring high standards of quality and consistent service, support, and growth for our membership.

New Governance Model

At the 2023 Annual Business Meeting, ACPA members approved a new governance model for the Association that will begin implementation in March 2024 (Phase 1) and will be fully in place as of February 2025. Most significantly, the governance structure will change from the Governing Board (in place from 2007-2024) to a new Leadership Council. The new Leadership Council model is expected to:

Visual Representation

A graphic representation (draft) of the new Leadership Council model is available by clicking the image.

In this new model and graphic, the inner circle reflects all positions available on the Leadership Council, clustered by similarity of functions, areas of focus, and expertise, and the outer ring indicates the various working councils that will support and advance the authorities and work of the Association on behalf of the full Leadership Council. Leadership Council officers largely populate the various Working Councils, but some are open to general ACPA members seeking to be involved in these specific ways to support the work of the Association.

The various volunteer roles on the Leadership Council have different position responsibilities, term lengths, eligibility requirements, and selection processes and timelines. Not all Leadership Council positions will be available in each selection cycle to provide for continuity of leadership across years of service.

Understanding the New Position Structure

To begin understanding the various available positions, it is likely helpful to consider the roles by types: