ACUI Institutes & Seminars Just Around the Corner
As the academic break approaches, ACUI is preparing for new round of institutes that will bring members to host campuses in the Midwest, Florida, and for the first time, the United Kingdom. Adding to the uniqueness of the schedule will be overlapping institutes in July where IPDS: New Professionals Seminar and the Aspiring Directors Institute will be conducted simultaneously on the campus of Indiana University. A week later, the University of South Florida—St. Petersburg will host the Student Organization Institute and I-LEAD® (Institute for Leadership Education and Development).
Prior to that, newly elected student officers, student staff, and anyone in a paid or voluntary leadership role within a United Kingdom Students’ Union will, for the first time, be offered ACUI’s I-LEAD®, the Association’s premiere institute for leadership education and development, in the United Kingdom.
I-LEAD® U.K. participants will meet from June 22–25 at University of Westminster’s Harrow Campus in North West London for four days of sessions focused on a curriculum intentionally adapted to the needs of student leaders in the UK and Ireland. Rooted in leadership and student development theory, along with ACUI’s core competencies, I-LEAD® creates an inclusive space where participants can explore what leadership in higher education means in today’s complex world.
Members of this first U.K.-based I-LEAD® class will stay in Harrow Hall on a campus located three miles from Wembley Stadium, and less than half mile from the Northwick Park tube station, which is a 20-minute trip to arrive at Baker Street in downtown London.
Aspiring Directors & IPDS: New Professionals Seminar
Indiana University’s Memorial Union will be the gathering point for both IPDS: New Professionals Seminar and this year’s Aspiring Directors Institute, from July 13–16.
IPDS draws professionals from a variety of institutions that can range from small, private, religious-affiliated campuses to public universities. Attendees often represent specialties like facilities and operations coordinators, commuter life and event coordinators, and program and student experience directors.
The Aspiring Directors Institute offers specially curated content sessions, in addition to structured opportunities for discussions, meaning making, and relationship building. Attendees learn about relevant trends impacting higher education through the topics of leadership, organizational development, planning, and fiscal management.
Members can register by June 1 to receive the best rates for both events.
Student Organization Institute & I-LEAD®
Student engagement professionals from University of South Florida, Tulane University, Iowa State, and University of Illinois–Springfield will lead three days of networking, educational sessions, and other activities for 2026 Student Organization Institute. Slated for July 20–22 at the University of South Florida–St. Petersburg, participants will be staying at the nearby Hilton St. Petersburg Bay. Registration is now open, with late registration rates beginning June 1.
I-LEAD® in the United States will also be conducted on the South Florida–St. Petersburg campus during the same time, with an additional day on July 23. Participants will stay in Ibis Hall, a five-story residence hall located in the heart of campus that overlooks downtown St. Petersburg and the South Florida campus.
The facilitation team for I-LEAD® is being led by Celia Keefer, assistant director of Dartmouth College’s Collis Student Center, and completed with six other professionals from a diverse group of campuses ranging from Rutgers University, University of Massachusetts–Boston, San Jose State University, and the University of Alabama–Huntsville. Registration for I-LEAD® is now open and runs through June 1.
