Help Plan ACPA27 in Toronto!

Application deadline: 10 October 2025

click here to apply

Open Call for ACPA Member Involvement 

Consider taking part in a journey as part of the team of leaders welcoming ACPA members and attendees to Toronto, Ontario, Canada for a transformative Convention that sustains strong ACPA traditions and addresses the contemporary needs of higher education and student affairs professionals.

Whether you are interested in your first significant leadership role in ACPA or are a seasoned Association leader looking for your next adventure, we invite you to apply to join the ACPA27 Convention Team. Before applying, please review the descriptions associated with each position and aspect of the Convention Team.

ACPA27 Convention Team Overview

The ACPA27 Convention Team will include five sub-teams that collaborate to create a transformative and impactful Convention experience. These sub-teams are described in more detail below. Each sub-team is led by a Convention Steering Team Chair who then works with several Planning Team Member positions within the respective area.

You may choose to apply for a specific Convention Steering Team Chair position and/or more generally to support a team as a Convention Planning Team Member. If you are interested in a Convention Steering Team Chair position, please select the specific Chair position(s) for which you are applying. If you are interested in a Convention Planning Team Member position,  please select the team(s) you are interested in and specific roles will be discussed during the interview and selection process.

As you consider applying for a role on the Convention Steering Team or Convention Planning team, please reflect on the complexities of this convention experience given national, international, educational, political, and social interactions and tensions that will continue to evolve through the planning and implementation of ACPA27. Among other aspects, the convention balances providing innovative learning for attendees, networking opportunities for maintaining and building relationships, and generating revenue for the Association, all resting on a foundation of inclusion, decolonization, social justice and community for dedicated and caring higher education and student affairs students, practitioners and scholars. Your insight, identities, knowledge, skill, abilities, and affinities will be instrumental in providing an exceptional experience for attendees from around the world.

Positions Available

Convention Steering Team (CST) Chairs: 

• 10-15 hours per week commitment (average with increased work during peak times)
• Chairs serve as members of the Convention Steering Team and provide vision, budgetary input, and strategic oversight to the Convention experience with support from the Convention Chair and the ACPA International Office.
• Each Chair position manages one of the sub-teams below and oversees multiple layers of the Convention experience alongside a committee of volunteers.
• Chairs are required to attend monthly or bi-weekly CST virtual meetings and monthly or bi-weekly virtual meetings with their sub-team (meetings may occur more frequently during peak planning periods).
• Chair positions may require attendance at an in-person visit to the Convention site.

Convention Planning Team (CPT) Members: 

• 2-5 hours per week commitment (average with increased work during peak times)
• CPT Members manage particular aspects of the Convention experience with one of the sub-teams below and report directly to a Convention Steering Team Chair. CPT members are required to attend monthly or bi-weekly virtual meetings with their subteam (meetings may occur more frequently during peak planning periods).

Convention Teams Descriptions

Administration Team 

• Facilitates operational and organizational management.
• Schedules online meetings, records minutes, maintains rosters, and coordinates updates to the Convention Website.
• Coordinates the creation, distribution, and evaluation of Convention assessments.
• This role is developed in partnership with the Convention Chair and works closely with the Convention Chair on special projects.
• Convention Steering Team Chair Opening: Administration Chair/Co-Chair.
• Convention Planning Team Member Openings Include: Assessment Coordinator/ other positions at the discretion of the Convention Chair.

Career Development & Advancement Team

• Provides leadership and coordination of career development and advancement programming.
• Coordinates all programmatic and operational aspects of the Career Wellness Center including: resume and c/v reviews, on-site arrangements, communications, volunteers, space arrangements, and any career-related programming.
• Convention Steering Team Chair Opening: Career Development & Advancement Chair.
• Convention Planning Team Member Openings Include Coordinators for: Career Wellness and Career Development.

Convention Experiences Team 

• Provides leadership and coordination of Convention experiences including signature Convention events, New Attendee Orientation, and collaboration with ACPA entities for additional events taking place on-site.
• Collaborates with Commissions, Coalitions, Networks, Communities of Practice, and State/International Chapters to create signature experiences that celebrate the contributions of these and other ACPA groups.
• Convention Steering Team Chair Opening: Convention Experiences Chair.
• Convention Planning Team Member Openings Include Coordinators for: Local Arrangements, New Attendee Orientation, Special Events, and Volunteers.

Equity & Inclusion Team 

• Monitors and supports equity and inclusion in Convention planning.
• Identifies and facilitates development of solutions to potential barriers to inclusion of the host site with attention to issues of equity and inclusion which includes the full range of intersecting social identities among ACPA members.
• Serves as Convention liaison to the Vice President for Equity and Inclusion on the Leadership Council and actively collaborates with other Convention Steering Team Chairs.
• Ensures that accessibility services highlighted in the association policy are properly executed and desired assessment data is collected and distributed properly.
• Collaborates with Convention Accessibility Advisor to ensure an accessible Convention experience for all attendees.
• Collaborates with Convention Indigenous Advisor to connect with local and regional Indigenous communities.
• Convention Steering Team Chair Opening: Equity & Inclusion Chair.
• Convention Planning Team Members Openings Include Coordinators for: Advocacy, Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization Initiatives, and Equity and Inclusion Liaisons to each Convention subteam area.

Program Team 

• Responsible for the development and implementation of Convention curriculum striving for intentional, engaging sessions and developing educational opportunities in multiple modalities.
• Coordinates all curriculum activities including: recruiting program submissions; recruiting reviewers; training reviewers; ensuring thorough and professional reviews of proposals by applicable deadlines; evaluating programs eligibility for Convention; developing, assessing and tracking session/facilitator evaluations for future conventions, and providing resources and communications to Coordinating Presenters.
• Convention Steering Team Chair Opening: Program Chair.
• Convention Planning Team Members Openings Include Coordinators for: General Programs, Pre-Convention Workshops, Peer Review Process, Program Administration, Scholarship Sessions, and Endorsed Programs.