5 Fridays // June 9, June 16, July 7, July 14 & July 21

Approximately 30% of ACPA members currently identify as entry-level professionals with 1-3 years of experience in student affairs work. ACPA created the Phyllis L. Mable Emerging Leaders Institute (previously the New Professionals Institute) to support the development of emerging leaders as they collectively serve thousands of students on a daily basis. This Institute includes several mentoring opportunities and one-on-one interactions with several of today’s leaders in higher education and student affairs as resident faculty and small group facilitators.

This institute is named in honor of Ms. Mable, a highly respected educator and leader in student affairs for the past four decades. She served as Vice President for Student Affairs at Longwood University (Virginia), and Executive Director of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. Phyllis Mable served as ACPA President from 1979-80.

Join ACPA for this virtual learning event on 5 Fridays, June 9, June 16, July 7, July 14 & July 21 from 3:00 – 5:00pm ET

FEATURES

• Curriculum focused on identifying & addressing the complexities facing emerging leaders in higher education and student affairs
• Highly interactive learning environment including presentations, case studies, discussions, and small group activities

Sessions dedicated to personal and professional development in the following areas:

FACULTY

Dan Cantiller

he, him, his // Toronto Metropolitan University

Dan has worked in Canadian post-secondary student affairs for 13 years at universities in Ontario and British Columbia. For the past 10+ years, Dan has been working at Toronto Metropolitan University (previously Ryerson University). With previous experience in Housing & Residence Life, academic learning and transition support, and academic advising, Dan currently works as a Decision Support Analyst for the Office of the Dean at the Ted Rogers School of Management at TMU. 

Dan completed his Master of Education in Post-Secondary Studies from Memorial University of Newfoundland, an Hon.BSc in Ecology and Psychology from the University of Toronto, and associate diploma (ARCT) in Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. He holds certificates in Indigenous Knowledges & Experiences from the Chang School of Continuing Education (TMU), Culturally Inclusive Education from Humber College, and Student Affairs and Services from Seneca College.

Dan serves as the Vice-President & Director of Production with Forte – Toronto Gay Men’s Chorus, and as a Director-at-Large with the Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS), co-chairing the Knowledge Sharing and Resource Development Committee. At TMU, Dan is co-chair of the Positive Space Faculty & Staff Network, and supports the steering committee of the Asian Faculty & Staff Network. He can be found on Medium, Instagram and Twitter @DanCanThinks.

Josh Kinchen

he, ze // George Mason University

Josh Kinchen (he/ze) currently serves as the Director of the LGBTQ+ Resources Center at George Mason University. He has previously worked at Florida State University, primarily supporting LGBTQ+ students. Josh has been an active member of ACPA since 2012! Josh has served on the Directorate for the Mid-Level Community of Practice and is currently the Practitioner-in-Residence for the Coalition for Sexuality and Gender Identities. He also served on the Phyllis C. Mable Emerging Leaders Insititute facilitator team in 2021 and 2022.

Josh is a United States Marine Corps veteran and served as an Intelligence Specialist during the early 2000s. Informed by this experience, he completed a Master’s thesis focused on the experiences of LGBTQ+ student veterans, subsequently published in the Journal of Veterans Studies. Additionally, Josh has served as principal investigator on a research team focused on LGBTQ+ student veterans and cadets since 2020. 

Josh originally hails from Slidell, Louisiana (in the New Orleans region), but also considers Wilmington, NC, a second hometown. He is a first-generation college graduate with an M.Ed. in Higher Education, a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and an A.A. from Cape Fear Community College. In addition, Josh has been an avid comic book collector/reader for the past 30 years! He and his partner Denise and their cats Dingy and Monkey call Northern Virginia home.

Danielle Morgan Acosta

she, her, hers // Clark University

Dr. Danielle Morgan Acosta (she/her/hers) returned to Clark University in July 2020 and currently serves as the Associate Dean of Students for Student Engagement. Previously, Danielle served as the Interim-Director of Student Engagement, Director of Student Governance & Advocacy at Florida State University, where she supported student government, the six largest identity-based student unions, the Allies & Safe Zones program, and the strategic vision and crafting of a vibrant and inclusive undergraduate student experience. Before moving to Florida, Danielle worked for Residence Life at Salem State University, supporting RHA, student leadership development, weekend programming, and the first-year experience.

Danielle received her Ph.D from Florida State University, where she conducted a phenomenological exploration of how undergraduate student leadership is influenced by divorce during childhood. Danielle received her M.Ed. from Salem State University. A two-time, first-generation Clark alum, Danielle received her B.A. in History with a concentration in Law & Society, and MAT as part of the 5th Year free program, completing her student-teaching at South High. Danielle has taught undergraduate courses in leadership and change, prepared dozens of trainings regarding leadership, inclusion, systemic change, student voice, and serves as faculty for the ACPA Emerging Leaders Institute.

Danielle is an active leader in ACPA, a professional association committed to racial justice, decolonization, and boldly transforming higher education, in which she served as President in 2021-2022. Originally from California, she is passionate about leadership, equity, the student experience, cooking, coffee, the ocean, exploring new places, eating local, and taking her dog on walks around Worcester.

nicole whitner

she, her, hers // University of San Diego

Dr. Nicole Whitner (she/her) serves as the Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students at the University of San Diego and is happy to call ACPA her professional home. Having served as an entity leader and on the ACPA Governing Board, Nicole is excited to join the ELI faculty as part of her next chapter in ACPA engagement and leadership. 

In addition to her work with ACPA, Nicole has experience in academic advising, admissions, conduct, crisis management, diversity, equity & inclusion, housing & residential life, leadership development, retention, title ix, and more. She is passionate about advocating for and developing more sustainable approaches to our work as practitioners. 

Nicole earned her Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California, where she studied how the work of staff outside of student affairs impacts underrepresented student retention. She earned a Master of Science in Higher Education Leadership from Capella University and a Bachelor in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley.

Registration Rates

Registrations can be paid by check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. All fees must be prepaid. Purchase orders are not accepted. Checks should be received 7 days prior to the event. Refunds will be given for cancellations, received in writing at ACPA by 9 May 2023 . After 9 May 2023, there are no refunds.  A processing fee of US $50 per registration will be charged for credit cards declined or to change payment methods after the initial payment is processed. The conference may be cancelled or postponed due to insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. In this case, the fees will be fully refunded; however, ACPA will not be responsible for other additional costs, charges or expenses, including cancellation/change charges assessed by airlines and/or travel agencies.