ACUI Members Offered New Student Affairs Certifications

ACUI members will soon be able to enhance their personal and professional growth through a new Student Affairs Educator Certification that allows professionals to demonstrate competency and knowledge in student affairs work. The new, voluntary credential program will offer a general student affairs educator certification and specialty credentials in one of six specific functional areas, including a certification in college unions. 

“For many years, there has been interest for a college union certification program, and through partnership with other higher education associations, we are now able to make that a reality,” said ACUI Chief Executive Officer Dr. John Taylor. “ACUI is invested in the success of its members and the future of our profession, and we’re confident that the program will continue to grow, with certification enhancing the continuous, ongoing learning for our profession in the years ahead.” 

The Student Affairs Educator Certification was developed collaboratively by student affairs associations, educators, and graduate faculty, and was designed to demonstrate competencies and knowledge of student affairs in specific functional areas: College Unions; Campus Activities; Campus Housing and Residential Life; Campus Recreation; Fraternity and Sorority Life; Student Conduct Administration. 

The College Unions Student Affairs Certification was designed specifically for college unions specialists who are mid-level and above, as well as student affairs educators looking to transition into college unions specialist and senior-level roles. 

Developed by ACUI subject matter experts and built upon the foundation of student affairs educator certification, it is a specialty credential for demonstrating continuous learning and competencies essential to success in the complex and evolving landscape of college unions work. 

Higher education associations that worked alongside ACUI to create this program included the Association of College and University Housing Officers–International, the Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors, the Association for Student Conduct Administration, the National Association of Campus Activities, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, and the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association. 

More information about how to prepare for and take the certification exams will be available soon. The program is set to launch in April 2022. Check out acui.org/certification.

Author

  • Steve Chaplin

    Steve Chaplin is managing editor of ACUI’s The Bulletin and manager of the ACUI College Union and Student Activities (CUSA) Evaluation Program. A former newspaper writer, editor, and manager, he has volunteered as a student mentor as a member of the National Association of Science Writers, and received awards for his writing and reporting from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the Kentucky Education Association, and the Kentucky Press Association.

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