Record of Business Transacted by the Association and the ACPA Leadership Council
Dear ACPA members,
As we conclude the 2025-2026 academic year in higher education, I continue to be reminded how important it is for our community to remain grounded in one another during periods of uncertainty and change in higher education. This year’s ACPA26 Annual Convention theme, “Be More Anchored,” invited us to reconnect with our roots, our values, and our collective purpose as educators, scholars, practitioners, and leaders. Across the past year, the Association has continued to navigate shifting realities in higher education while also advancing significant strategic, financial, and organizational initiatives intended to strengthen the future of ACPA and our profession.
Each year, one issue of Developments includes a record of the business transacted by the Association, as required by the ACPA Standard Operating Procedures. Highlights from the previous year were shared during the 2026 Annual Business Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, though we recognize not all members are able to attend convention or participate in the Annual Business Meeting. This annual reflection offers a summary of key decisions, actions, and initiatives undertaken by the ACPA Leadership Council, Administrative Council, volunteer leaders, and International Office staff between the 2025 Annual Convention in Long Beach, California and the ACPA26 Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, held 30 March – 2 April 2026.
February 2025
The 2025 Annual Convention was held 16-19 February 2025 in Long Beach, California and welcomed 1,795 attendees from across higher education and student affairs under the convention theme, “Take a Breath, and Begin Again.” The 2025 Annual Business Meeting marked the full implementation of ACPA’s new governance structure following the completion of the phased transition from the previous Governing Board model to the Leadership Council structure. During the convention, the Leadership Council accepted the report from the Labor Acknowledgements Task Force following nearly two years of work and charged 2025-2026 ACPA President Jonathan A. McElderry with appointing a task force to implement components of the report. During convention, the Leadership Council and volunteer leaders participated in strategic discussions related to the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education, institutional disruptions, and the future of professional associations.
March/April 2025
The Leadership Council conducted and analyzed an initial assessment of the transition to the new governance structure and reviewed recommendations related to volunteer leadership development and operational sustainability. Following the conclusion of ACPA’s Centennial year in 2024, Association leaders initiated and continued conversations related to the development of a new strategic plan to guide the organization from 2026-2030. The Administrative Council reviewed recommendations from the Revenue Growth Strategy Workgroup and approved an increase to the Annual Convention print program book, the introduction of an event registration cancellation fee, and the activation of an auto-membership renewal option (where possible). The Administrative Council also approved recommendations from the International Office to update the association’s social media accounts and platform priorities.
May 2025
The Administrative Council continued discussions related to long-term financial sustainability, organizational budgeting, and recommendations connected to revenue growth strategies, including proposing to and receiving approval from the Leadership Council to open a $250,000 business Certificate of Deposit for up to 14-months. The Ethics Task Force presented plans to revise the ACPA Ethical Principles and Standards and received support from the Leadership Council to continue this work. Additionally, the Leadership Council approved Bylaws and governance change proposals from the ACPA Foundation on their structures and operations as presented by 2025-2027 ACPA Foundation President Laura Arroyo. Several Standard Operating Procedures policy changes were approved by the Leadership Council related to bank-to-bank account transfers and protocols related to future convention relocation considerations.
June 2025
Applications and nominations opened for the 2025 Leadership Council Nominations & Elections process to identify individuals who would begin governance leadership terms in 2026. Volunteer leaders and International Office staff collaborated on planning and support for nearly 120 professional development programs hosted by ACPA entity groups throughout the year. Discussions continued regarding updates to Association policies and procedures related to convention planning, financial stewardship, and entity operations. The 2025 Mid-Year All-Leadership Virtual Summit was held on June 27, 2025, welcoming volunteer leaders from across various aspects of association involvement.
The Administrative Council conducted four, extended virtual retreat-like meetings from June – August 2025 to provide time for in-depth discussions on variety of topics. Outcomes of these deeper topical dives resulted in the following decisions: Increasing the association’s Directors & Officers insurance coverage level from $1 million to $3 million annually, relocating some content from the public website to the member portal, approving a multi-year convention registration rate escalation plan including setting rates and operating budget for the ACPA27 Annual Convention, expanding corporate partner exhibit, advertising, and sponsorship inclusion and related opportunities, and updating the ACPA Personnel Policy Manual related to employee accommodations requests.
July 2025
The Leadership Council approved a proposal from the Administrative Council to implement a position statement on association non-partisanship in communications and content. The Leadership Council and Administrative Council reviewed recommendations from the Revenue Growth Strategy Work Group as part of the Association’s long-term financial planning efforts and also approved a reduction in the FY25 Association Budget General Administration and Technology expense lines. Initial conversations began regarding the implementation of complimentary membership opportunities for undergraduate and Master’s students as part of broader membership growth and access strategies, approved to commence on July 1, 2026. The Leadership Council also approved the removal of the Champion of Sustainability Award from the overall portfolio of major association awards.
August 2025
Planning continued for the ACPA26 Convention in Baltimore, Maryland under the leadership of Convention Chair Aja Holmes and the Convention Steering Team. The Leadership Council reviewed policy recommendations connected to entity funding expectations, reserve balances, and operational practices. Volunteer leaders and staff leaders collaborated on enhancements to member engagement resources and online content available through the Association website and member portal. The Administrative Council voted to accept the fiscal year 2024 990 and 990-T tax documents as prepared by Petrella Phillips LLC accounting firm.
September 2025
The ACPA Leadership Council approved the FY26 Association Budget and the 2026-2030 Association Strategic Plan, identifying four strategic priorities to guide Association efforts through 2030: Strengthening Global Membership and Engagement; Cultivating ACPA’s Voice, Brand, and Strategy; (Re)Investing in the Purpose and Transformation of Higher Education; and Advancing Research and Scholarship. The Leadership Council continued to review and approve updates to the Standard Operating Procedures including a revision to the association’s Alcohol and Other Drugs policy and processes related to proposed future removals of association-level awards.
October 2025
The Association sponsored Careers in Student Affairs Month programming, as well as offered membership and professional development discounts and incentives. The Leadership Council and International Office continued implementation of recommendations from the Task Force on Entity Funding and Expectations. The Association continued strategic planning conversations related to website resources, member engagement infrastructure, and future communications strategies.
November 2025
The Leadership Council reviewed and offered feedback on a draft of the proposed revisions to the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies for Student Affairs Educators. Two Commissions – the Commission for Commuter Students and Adult Learners and the Commission for Recreation, Athletics, and Wellness – were approved for deactivation due to challenges with volunteer leadership sustainability. Leadership Council members also reviewed proposed revisions to the ACPA Bylaws related to clarifying student membership categories. Through the “Be the Good” campaign, the ACPA Foundation raised more than $20,000 in support of professional development, scholarships, and member engagement initiatives. In November and December 2025, the Leadership Council approved appointment recommendations for future Leadership Council positions selected during the 2025 Nominations & Elections Process.
December 2025
The Administrative Council continued monitoring fiscal year-end Association finances and reviewing budget projections amid ongoing financial pressures facing higher education and professional associations. International Office staff and volunteer leaders finalized implementation details for initiatives connected to the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan.
January 2026
The open call for volunteers for the 2026-2027 Working Councils and Task Forces of the Leadership Council was distributed to the membership. The Leadership Council finalized proposals to update the ACPA Bylaws to distinguish graduate student membership categories into separate Master’s and Doctoral student membership types. 2025-2026 ACPA President Jonathan A. McElderry presented and received an endorsement from the Leadership Council to release the Presidential Working Group Report on Mentoring with Purpose to the membership.
February 2026
Onboarding to the Leadership Council for members selected in the 2025 Leadership Council Nominations & Elections Process occurred from January-March 2026, largely in February, including group and individual virtual, learning sessions. The Administrative Council approved several changes to the Convention and professional development event registration and cancellation policies including modifications to Master’s student Convention registration rates, the removal of the 50% cancellation window, and revisions to the Methods of Payments & Policies to reflect the ability to register now and pay later for convention registration.
March 2026
During the March 2026 virtual Leadership Council meeting, proposed revisions to the Standard Operating Procedures were approved introducing a new reporting model into Leadership Council structures. Additionally, a proposal to revise the ACPA Standards for Demographic Questions was reviewed, approved, and added to the Standard Operating Procedures. During this meeting, proposals were also accepted and approved to require membership for select, future association-level awards, modify the Leadership Council position descriptions, and update entity leader selection processes.
The ACPA26 Convention was held 30 March – 2 April 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. The convention welcomed 1,481 registered attendees and featured pre-convention workshops and excursions, educational sessions, roundtables, research presentations, methods workshops, posters, papers, and artistic engagement experiences. Convention programming intentionally created opportunities for reflection, dialogue, community care, artistic expression, and engagement with the history and culture of Baltimore. Members approved proposed Bylaws revisions during the 2026 Annual Business Meeting, positioning the Association to implement complimentary undergraduate and Master’s student memberships beginning July 1, 2026. During the Annual Business Meeting, leaders shared updates regarding Association finances, implementation of the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, volunteer leadership engagement, equity and inclusion initiatives, Foundation activities, and future convention planning. The 2026 Annual Business Meeting also included memorial, retirement, and anniversary resolutions recognizing members of the Association community and celebrating milestone anniversaries of multiple ACPA entity groups and the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization. The presidential transition ceremony concluded with Jonathan A. McElderry completing his term as the 86th President of ACPA and Kelvin Rutledge assuming office as the Association’s 87th President.
Not specific to any month, Vice President for Volunteer Leadership Amanda Mollet shared during the 2026 Annual Business Meeting that ACPA’s nearly 400 volunteer entity leaders coordinated almost 120 professional development programs throughout the year in partnership with the International Office. These educational programs reflected the tremendous dedication of volunteer leaders to creating spaces for scholarship, learning, networking, and community engagement across the Association. This work occurred alongside numerous webinars, institutes, conferences, and initiatives organized by volunteer and staff leaders throughout 2025 and early 2026.
The past year reflected both the challenges and possibilities currently facing higher education and professional associations. Across this period, ACPA leaders and members continued advancing strategic priorities, strengthening organizational infrastructure, investing in accessibility and member support, and building pathways for future student affairs professionals to enter and remain engaged in the Association. Even amid ongoing uncertainty in higher education, the Association remained committed to centering equity, care, scholarship, mentoring, and community.
Questions or feedback on any of these decisions or updates may be sent to cmoody@acpa.nche.edu. As always, past Leadership Council meeting minutes are posted on the ACPA Leadership Council website. A summary of the highlights from 2026 since the ACPA26 Convention will be shared at the 2027 Annual Business Meeting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and I hope you will join us there as we continue advancing the work of the Association and the profession together.
In solidarity,
Chris Moody, Ed.D.
ACPA Executive Director