Senior-Level Community of Practice

About
News & Updates
Events
Leadership
Get Involved
Awards

Our Mission

ACPA’s Senior-Level Community of Practice (SLCoP) engages senior-level higher education professionals through purposeful relationship building, identifying and collaborating around emerging issues in higher education, and creating and sharing signature professional development experiences.

our vision

ACPA’s Senior-Level Community of Practice is higher education’s most engaging, supportive, and connected community for senior-level colleagues across the profession.

brief history

1961 // President-elect Melvene D. Hardee creates the ACPA Commission system with Gordon Klopf during the summer of 1961. The Commissions were activated to develop the 1963 Boston, MA (US) convention program. Originally, 12 Commissions were established, with the modern-day Senior-Level Community of Practice created as “Organization, Administration, and Development of Student Personnel Programs – Commission I.”

1980 // Commission I shares The Management Primer, a new publication from the commission, with more that 600 graduate student attendees of the national convention in Boston, MA (US).

1983 // Commission I and Commission VIII (Student Health Programs) co-sponsor the “Task Force for Handicapped Services,” precursor to Standing Committee for Disability (2000) and the current Coalition for (Dis)Ability (2016). From 1989 until 1996, the Task Force operated as a group within Commission I.

1986 // Under the leadership of President Charles Schroeder, Commission I officially renamed the Commission for Administrative Leadership in November of 1986 during the mid-year Executive Council meetings held in St. Louis, MO (US).

2011 // CAL celebrates 50 years of service to at the ACPA11 Convention in Baltimore, MD (US).

2020 // The Commission for Administrative Leadership begins coordination of the Senior-Level Support Network, monthly conversations with those in leadership across institutional size, type, and location to address current and emerging issues in higher education.

2021 // The ACPA Governing Board approves transitioning the Commission for Administrative Leadership into the new ACPA Senior-Level Community of Practice.

how we define Senior-Level Professional

ACPA’s Senior-Level Community of Practice (SLCoP) defines senior-level professionals as those who serve in senior roles by position title. Included are colleagues with titles from ‘Director,’ up to and encompassing top-level titles like, ‘Vice President,’ ‘Vice Chancellor,’ ‘Provost,’ and ‘President or Chancellor.’ Included are all higher education professionals who serve in the Senior Student Affairs Officer (SSAO) role, regardless of institutional title, institutional size, type, or structure. Additionally, SLCoP seeks to serve higher education colleagues who might self-identify as a senior professional based on years of service, regardless of their current position title or responsibilities. Although primarily focused on the needs of the aforementioned professionals, and in line with ACPA’s commitment to continuous professional development and personal growth, SLCoP welcomes all members of ACPA who are interested in our work and who might aspire to a senior-level role in higher education.

Senior-Level Support Network

The ACPA Senior-Level Community of Practice coordinates and hosts the ACPA Senior-Level Support Network. Our monthly conversations exist to discuss concerns and issues facing those in leadership positions across institutional size, type, and location. These low-key conversations are broadly themed with space for additional topics, relationship building, and unique or shared questions. Conversations are scheduled for the 3rd Thursday of each month at 3:00pm ET. Pre-registration required. Register to receive the access link(s) to the monthly conversations taking place.

Learn More

News & Updates

Season 4: ACPA Senior-Level Support Network

by Senior Level Community of Practice | Mar 3, 2023

Season 4: ACPA Senior-Level Support Network We are so excited to be back for our fourth season of the SLSN series! The ACPA Senior-Level Community of Practice (SLCoP) is excited to announce the fourth season of the Senior-Level Support Network. Launched in 2020 in...

SLCOP Award Recipients

by Senior Level Community of Practice | Feb 4, 2022

Our association, and higher education as a whole, would not be where it is today without the work of professionals and scholars at every level and from every institutional type. We are honored to be able to recognize the amazing work of our colleagues listed here....

Coordinator - Strategic Initiatives

she/her/hers

Executive Director of Assessment and Planning, West Chester University

Past Leadership

Many amazing colleagues have called Commision I, the Commission for Administrative Leadership, and the Senior-Level Community of Practice their professional home within ACPA. We honor their service and are thankful for all they contributed. Here is the list of colleagues who have served as Chair of Commission I, the Commission for Administrative Leadership, and now the ACPA Senior-Level Community of Practice (SLCoP).

2023-2026 –

2020-2023 – Troy L. Seppelt

2018-2020 – Gwen Schimek-Tischler

2016-2018 – Tricia Schwery Smith

2014-2016 – Francy Magee

2012-2014 – Melinda S. Farmer

2010-2012 – Timothy W. Gordon

2008-2010 – Kent Sampson

2006-2008 – Laura Bayless

2004-2006 – Steven C. Sutton

2002-2004 – William Wilson

2000-2002 – Timothy J. Pierson

1998-2000 – Carla E. Jones

1996-1998 – Tom Jackson, Jr

1994-1996 – Deborrah Hebert

1992-1994 – Sue Saunders

1990-1992 – Jean Paratore

1988-1990 – Sally Watson

1986-1988 – D. David Ostroth

1984-1986 – Arthur Shriberg

1982-1984 – Frederick R. Brodzinski

1980-1982 – Thomas J. Grites

1978-1980 – Jay R. Stormer

1976-1978 – David T. Borland

1974-1976 – William A. Bryan

1974 – Jack L. Churchill

1972-1974 – Robert Lawrence

1969-1972 – Robert Matron

1967-1969 – John J. Wittich

1966-1967 – Burns Crookston

1961- Commission I Created

Get Involved in slcop

The Senior-Level Community of Practice (SLCoP) is always looking for interested colleagues or nominees for it’s next class of Directorate Body leaders. If you are interested in becoming more involved with SLCoP, and would like to help shape the direction in which we will move in the future, apply to become a member of the directorate today. Directorate Body members serve a three-year term.

For any questions, please contact Matthew Gregory, Lead for Membership for the Senior-Level Community of Practice, at matthew_gregory@laboure.edu

Ready to join?

Joining an Entity through the ACPA Member Portal automatically identifies you as a member of that Entity! You will begin to receive Entity communications through their respective email listserv and have access to any resources they share!

Login to your ACPA Member Account
Click on Community Groups (Chatter)
Click Groups
Click Active Groups
Find the entity you want to join and within that group, click +Join

Contact APAN via email at slcop@acpa.nche.edu to learn more about ACPA’s Senior-Level Community of Practice.

Any ACPA member can become involved and there are varying levels of involvement:

Become a Regional Ambassador
Attend our open business meeting at the annual ACPA convention
Review program proposals for the Convention
Submit a sponsored program proposal for Convention
Host a webinar

Additional involvement opportunities

Season 4: ACPA Senior-Level Support Network

Mar 3, 2023 | General News & Announcements, Involvement, Senior Level Community of Practice-Involvement, Senior-Level Community of Practice

Season 4: ACPA Senior-Level Support Network We are so excited to be back for our fourth season of the SLSN series! The ACPA Senior-Level Community of Practice (SLCoP) is excited to announce the fourth season of the Senior-Level Support Network. Launched in 2020 in...

slcop Awards

The depth and quality of work by student affairs educators, higher education scholars, and faculty colleagues too often goes unrecognized. Get Involved with SLCoP by recognizing and nominating a colleague, supervisor or supervisee, mentor, or other leader for a SLCoP Award.

Start gathering information today and get ready to recognize colleague!

Nominations Closed!

Senior Level Professional Award

Awarded to colleagues with a minimum of 10 years in the profession with progressively more responsible leadership roles who have demonstrated expertise in creating a campus environment that promotes student learning. Nominees demonstrate outstanding individual contributions to innovation and responsive services and/or programs that address varied and emerging needs of students, as well as provided significant leadership in addressing issues for their respective institution.

Mid-Level Professional Award

Awarded to colleagues with a minimum of 5 years in the profession. In addition to outstanding individual contributions to their current institution, nominees clearly demonstrate potential for ongoing and senior-level success. Nominees demonstrate high levels of success in carrying out current responsibilities and sustained commitment to personal and professional growth. Nominations should speak to the individual’s potential and their development.

Innovative Practice: Application of the ACPA Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization

Awarded to an individual or group actualizing and implementing the framework of the SIRJD through programmatic efforts, individual or collective practice, policy analysis and change, or scholarship. Nominations should clearly describe the actions taken, connect the work to the SIRJD guiding principles, and speak to how the individual or collective efforts support the articulated possible and desired outcomes of the SIRJD: Critical Consciousness, Radical Democracy, Humanization.

Award for Excellence in Institutional Change

Awarded to a group or division having collectively tackled a substantial institutional change project through the development of some new effort shown to produce exemplary results. Both the challenge being addressed and the results being produced are informed by assessment data at the appropriate level within the institution. Efforts recognized are those that can be illustrated as having embedded themselves within institutional culture so as to sustain the change and the results that have been produced. Nominations must include multiple individuals from within the same institution of higher education, at least one of whom must be a current ACPA member.

“Commission I” Outstanding Contribution Award

Honoring the more than 60 years since the creation of the modern day SLCoP as “Commission I” in 1961, this award recognizes a member of ACPA for contributions that support the mission and vision of the ACPA Senior-Level Community of Practice. Nominations must include examples of contributions that support our mission/vision on an individual campus, to higher education broadly, or within ACPA specifically. Open to any member of ACPA. Awardees are selected by the current Chair of SLCoP.

Distinguished Service to the Senior-Level Community of Practice

Awarded to a member of ACPA who has served on the SLCoP Directorate Body for a minimum of three years and has managed a variety of leadership responsibilities. Nominees must be a current member of ACPA and the Senior-Level Community of Practice.