From One Dupont Circle: Quarterly Update

Gregory Roberts
ACPA Executive Director

Greetings from One Dupont Circle!

There has been a tremendous amount of activity since we last engaged and I want to share some of those items with you:

ACPA completed work on an aggressive Strategic Plan that targets eight (8) key areas of focus, six (6) strategic goals and two (2) strategic initiatives:

• Career Development
• Professional Development
• Research and Scholarship
• Equity and Inclusion
• Association Performance and Excellence
• Leadership in Higher Education
• Globalization
• Recruitment/Retention

All of our efforts will be focused around each of these agendas over the next three years or more.

We completed a very successful June Leadership Meeting. Many of you might recall Summer Leadership Meetings. The name was changed to reflect a global understanding of time. Given our expanded membership base from around the world, “summer” is a term only reflective of certain parts of the world. In many parts of the world the temperature is the same all year around, thus, what is “summer”? This minor adjustment signifies a greater acknowledgement that we must start small and move big to attain a global understanding for our profession and ourselves.

The activity on Capitol Hill has been “wild” at best. We attempted to keep you updated on United States legislation, United States Supreme Court activity and implications for all of us as professional educators. Let me highlight the areas and you can go the ACPA Web site and retrieve additional details on each issue. ACPA is a professional association that educates and it is important to our students and educators that the activity at the United States Federal level is on the “radar screen” of all of us and that we exercise our right to voice our opinions on matters that affect student development.

• Fisher v. Texas affirmative action case heard by the Supreme Court. There was not a clear cut decision, but at least the United States Supreme Court did not overturn affirmative action.
• Gay Marriage was upheld in those states that have passed or will pass same-sex marriage rights.
• The Student Loan Interest Rate issue was finally resolved in favor of the students with gradual increases for undergraduate students.
• The Voting Rights Act was reversed to the states, restoring the discrimination potential that existed in the 1950s and 1960s during segregation.
• The Trayvon Martin case was resolved to the disagreement of many. The important point is for citizens of the United States of America to make sure the Justice Department is aware of this displeasure and what impact our opinions, as private citizens, have on gun control.
• The Higher Education Reauthorization Act is on the agenda for the next Congress and ACPA has signed on with several other associations to share our position.
• ACPA has provided support along with the Consortium on Public Policy in Student Affairs and feedback to Congress on changes to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (better known as the Clery Act).
• ACPA has shared our opinions on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and pending action.

As you can see, there have been many items of business in Congress that directly affects our United States members, and as educators in general.

We promise to keep you updated on national and international topics of interest. As part of our focus on “leadership in higher education,” I ask your help in identifying “burning” issues and topics in your area of specialization. Share those with me and/or Melinda Farmer, chair of the Commission on Administrative Leadership.

Until next time,

Greg