From One Dupont Circle: Quarterly Update

Gregory Roberts
ACPA Executive Director

Greetings to the Readers of the Developments Fall Issue

Our great editorial staff continues to do an outstanding job with this quarterly publication. My sincere thanks and appreciation to Amanda Suniti Niskode-Dossett for her leadership as editor and John Garland’s as the associate editor. Thank you both for a job well done.

If you recall my conversation with you this summer about the political issues facing our country and the upcoming election, I trust you have engaged in the “debate” or conversation with your colleagues, family, and friends about the importance of the process to a democratic society. I hope each of your campuses have organized a voter registration program to ensure students exercise their right to vote. In many cases, this will be the first presidential election in which our traditionally aged students can fully participate. Encourage them to exercise this right!

I also shared with you many of the global initiatives toward which the association is working. I encourage each of you to join us in Las Vegas for the 89th Annual Convention, where you will have the opportunity to meet many of our international colleagues. We have extended special invitations to our international colleagues who have assisted us with our global initiatives. In addition, we invited educators from countries (i.e., China, Hong Kong, Canada, Uganda, South Africa, and our continued advancement in the Caribbean) with whom we have begun conversations that have led to some form of formal partnership. What a learning opportunity for all of us.

Below are three issues that I shared with you this summer; I share them again because of their importance to the work that we do each day.

• U.S. Supreme Court decision to hear the Texas college admission question (affirmative action)
• Special programs to enhance collegiate treatment of returning veterans, who are taking advantage of their GI privileges in greater numbers
• Republican and Democratic National Conventions (GOP in Tampa and DNC in Charlotte)

I ask that you carefully read Neal Hutchens article in the Summer issue of Developmentsconcerning “Affirmative Action” and the Supreme Court’s decision to hear oral arguments this fall. What will this decision mean for college student educators?

What about our veterans? Are we aggressively assessing the needs of students who are returning from their tour of duty? How are we prepared to help the veterans of recent wars to be successful?

Have you studied the political platform positions of the two major parties (Democratic and Republican) to understand what we can expect from our elected officials for the next four years? Regardless of who wins?

The time is now to familiarize ourselves with the issues that will influence higher education in the next congressional cycle. The Higher Education Reauthorization Act renewal process will begin anew in 2013 and if the last cycle is of any indication, it will take three years to complete the process. This will not be a pleasant undertaking given the lack of a clear majority of either party in the Congress.

Well, next time I will focus on the results of the 2012 election and the impact on the future of higher education in the United States.

Until then, best wishes for a productive academic semester.

Greg