Events
2026 ACPA/ASHE PRESIDENTIAL SYMPOSIUM
Moving In and Through the Moment: Grounding Our Collective Consciousness and Purpose
24 SEPTEMBER 2026 • 12:00pm-4:00pm ET
The 2026 Symposium offers a vital space to reflect on the complexities, profound systemic shifts, and emotional labor defining the current landscape of higher education. Grounded in a commitment to deep praxis rather than a rehashing of past dialogues, this event invites participants to explore how we live, breathe, and act within our localized communities and national organizations. Rather than seeking superficial fixes, this gathering encourages collective imagination, inviting graduate students, early career professionals, and senior executives alike to wrestle with internal divisional challenges. By centering community, and future-oriented dreaming, this gathering serves as a catalyst to collectively reimagine our shared work and cultivate meaningful, transformative action.
Organized and facilitated by ACPA President Kelvin Rutledge and ASHE President Robin Zape-tah-hol-ah Minthorn, the 9th Annual Presidential Symposium brings together scholars and practitioners to reflect on the moment.
HOW TO ENGAGE with the presidential symposium
We invite higher education/student affairs graduate programs, student affairs divisions, and other campus departments to gather to watch the session together. Discounted group registration is available.
Individuals are also able to watch the session on their own.
Between each panel will be time for individual reflection through a PDF workbook provided to attendees.
Who should attend?
Educators who have an interest in engaging racial justice and decolonization pedagogical practices to enhance college student development and leadership. This includes but is not limited to:
- Faculty from all disciplines–tenured, tenure-track, and clinical faculty welcome.
- Graduate students with teaching responsibilities.
- Higher Education/Student Affairs practitioners with teaching responsibilities.
Symposium Panelists
Kelvin Rutledge
he/him
Robin Zape-tah-hol-ah Minthorn
she/her (Kiowa)
Kaleb L. Briscoe, Ph.D.
she/her
Dr. Kaleb L. Briscoe is an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma. Her research examines campus racial climate and higher education politics and policy issues. She has received national honors, including the ASHE CEP Mildred E. García Award and the ACPA Emerging Scholar Award.
Dan Cantiller
he/him
Dan Cantiller is a Manager, Academic Planning & Student Affairs at Toronto Metropolitan University. He holds a Master of Education in Post-Secondary Studies from Memorial University and has worked in Canadian universities for 15+ years. Dan is Chair-Elect for ACPA’s Mid-Level Community of Practice, and an ACPA Ethics Task Force member.
Nichole Margarita Garcia
she/her
Dr. Nichole M. Garcia is Associate Professor of Higher Education at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Director of the PhD in Higher Education, and Coordinator of the EdD Higher Education concentration. Her work centers Latinx/a/o students, Puerto Rican educational life, QuantCrit, and Chicana/Latina feminist approaches to higher education research.
Juan R. Guardia, Ph.D.
he/him
Dr. Juan R. Guardia serves as Vice President of Student Affairs at Texas A&M University San Antonio, providing strategic leadership for student success initiatives and campus services. With more than 25 years of experience in higher education, he is a nationally recognized scholar-practitioner, award-winning leader, and published author.
April N. Horne
she/her
April N. Horne is a PhD Candidate at the University of Arizona Center for the Study of Higher Education. Her research centers Indigenous Matriarchy within student access topics. April is a research assistant for community research and evaluation, and a graduate student member for the ASHE Board of Directors.
Demetri L. Morgan, PhD
he/him
Dr. Morgan is an associate professor in the Marsal Family School of Education.
Heather J. Shotton, Ph.D.
she/her
Dr. Heather J. Shotton is President of Fort Lewis College, making history as the college’s first Indigenous president. She is an enrolled citizen of the Wichita & Affiliated Tribes and a Kiowa and Cheyenne descendent. A nationally recognized scholar and leader, Dr. Shotton’s career has focused on advancing Indigenous higher education.
Registration Information
- $250 through 28 August 2026
- $300 after 28 August 2026
Graduate Programs, Student Affairs Divisions, Other Campus Divisions, and Organizations are encouraged to gather students and/or colleagues to participate in the live stream. A special group rate of $250 is available at registration for up to 20 attendees. If you wish to have more people attend as part of your program or division, select the “Group Registration Additional Attendee” at an additional fee of $10 per registrant. We will contact the registered group representative by email in early September with more information for finalizing their group registration.
A personalized link will be sent to the purchaser on the day of the event and can be used for streaming as an individual or within a larger group. The live stream experience includes curricular materials, discussion questions, readings, and other resources for each virtual attendee. The purchaser will also receive information in early September that will allow for their group to request individual links for private or smaller group participation.
- $50 through 28 August 2026
- $75 after 28 August 2026
- $25
- $100 through 28 August 2026
- $125 after 28 August 2026
consider becoming a member of ACPA to save $100 on your registration price!
- $40
ACPA membership is FREE for current Master’s and Undergraduate students. We encourage you to become a member before registering to save on this event.
Registrations can be paid by check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express. All fees must be prepaid. Purchase orders are not accepted. Refunds will be given for cancellations, received in writing at ACPA by 28 August 2026. Registrations can also be withdrawn by registrants using the event registration system through 28 August 2026. After 28 August 2026, there are no refunds. ACPA & ASHE reserve the right to charge a service fee of US$50 for returned checks. Registrations are non-transferable. The symposium may be canceled 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 incurred by registrants.
In order to qualify for member rates for the ACPA/ASHE Presidential Symposium, membership with ACPA or ASHE must be valid through 25 September 2026. You must have your own individual membership. ACPA or ASHE Members who purchase a Presidential Symposium Registration understand their membership needs to be active through 25 September 2026. If it is not active prior to the start of the Presidential Symposium you will not be provided with your Presidential Symposium access link unless you renew your membership or pay the difference between the non-member and member registration cost.
Origins of the presidential symposium
The first ACPA-ASHE Presidential Symposium was held in 2018 under the leadership of Dr. Stephen John Quaye, Dr. Lori Patton Davis, and Dr. Shaun R. Harper. The symposium was held both virtually and in-person at the University of Southern California campus and was titled, ‘Presidential Symposium on Racism, Recovery, and Racial Justice in Higher Education.’ We are grateful for their ideas, labor, and leadership in establishing this event.