2024–29 Strategic Plan Reviewed, Updated to Reflect Completed Projects

In July 2024, ACUI officially started work on the 2024–29 Strategic Plan that was first released during the 2024 Annual Conference. The initial focus of volunteers and Central Office staff were tasks anticipated to be completed during the first years of the plan.

Through the Bulletin and annual Business Meeting, ACUI membership was updated on the progress of various projects within each pillar. And now, two years later, the 112 strategic plan projects were reviewed so that the plan could be updated to reflect any changes in focus for the remaining years: 

• 48 projects are completed and will be removed from the plan
• 30 projects are under review to determine continued relevancy and appropriate completion timeline
• 22 projects were determined to still be relevant and remain on the original deadline
• Six projects will remain on plan but are delayed from the original timeline due to environmental factors, resource allocation, etc. 
• Six projects are now past due but are still relevant; the timeline will be adjusted 

The work highlighted below reflects the efforts of strategic plan work from the past two years. Not all strategic goals had initiatives set to be worked on in 2026. See website for the full plan.

Pillar 1: 

Pursue education, learning, research, and initiatives that advance the field.

Goal 1: 

Develop educational content to support the creation of inclusive communities.

• The Education Council created a definition for “content specialists” within ACUI. Working with the Central Office, the council developed questions added to the ACUI profile that allow members to self-identify as content specialists in a variety of areas. Volunteers and staff can now use this valuable information to better understand the membership and make connections for Association education. 
• The Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Program Team is compiling a list of research conducted in the last five years that relates to the field and seeking insight into how AI tools can assist in maintaining the information. The final plan is that this information will be accessible to members through the website. 
• The 2025 and 2026 Annual Conferences offered a variety of educational session styles, and ACUI Adventures took attendees to various campus and city locations. 

Goal 2: 

Curate existing and create new opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students, and other professionals to learn about and grow into our profession.

• In the past two years, all Regional Conference Planning Teams implemented special tracks for graduate students, undergraduate students, and emerging professionals.
• Several regions introduced Grad ‘n’ Grow programs to connect with emerging professionals outside of the Regional Conference. 

Goal 3: 

Create avenues for enhanced connection and alignment among the Education Council, Regional Conference, and Annual Conference planning teams.

• In the past two years, there has been significant improvement in aligning the efforts of the Conference Program Team, Education Council, and Regional Conference Planning Teams. 
• Thirty-five educational sessions at the 2025 Annual Conference aligned with competency gaps identified by the Education Council in 2024 from the previous Education Plan (Assessment, Evaluation, and Research; Fiscal Management; Marketing; and Social Justice). This exceeded the goal of 25% of the 118 sessions offered.
• The 2026 Conference Planning Team delivered two adventures connected to this alignmnet: one at Chatham University facilitated discussions around campus culture and the other at University of Pittsburgh focused on student basic needs and support services. 
• The Education Council determined that the 2026–28 Education Plan would focus on the following core competencies: Assessment, Evaluation, and Research; Fiscal Management; and Marketing. The new Education Plan is now available on the ACUI website. 

Goal 4: 

Enhance research in the field through the Assessment, Evaluation, Research, and Program Team.

• The Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Team shared information through the 2025 Regional Conferences and membership lists to promote the creation of a network for graduate and post-doctorate students and researchers. This included hosting a Scholar Network Open House. 

Pillar 2: 

Reengage and support members at the local level through active and revitalized regions.

Goal 2: 

Strengthen Regional Conferences by having a clearly identified core purpose, structure, and intended audience to drive content development and participation.

• All eight regions hosted in-person conferences in October and November that had Graduate Student Tracks. The same is intended for the 2026 offerings. 
• A new regional volunteer structure was announced in September 2025, with positions being filled in January 2026. New descriptions and current volunteer lists may be
  found online. 
• The regional directors and Central Office staff are working on ways to encourage members to update profiles to provide more data points for understanding representation within ACUI’s membership. 

Goal 3: 

Create and encourage avenues for regional engagement through regional community building opportunities, networking, and local educational experiences.

• Each region hosted a community-building event at the 2025 and 2026 Annual Conferences outside of the Regional Business Meeting. 
• Each region also hosted at least one other community-building event in 2025; this focus also continues for 2026.
• The regional directors developed a concept to strengthen the brand of the regions overall—you belong to a region. This resulted in updating some language on the website and development of a video that is shown at Regional Conferences and the Annual Conference (and is hosted on the ACUI website).
• The Battle of the Regions was re-introduced at the 2026 Annual Conference; plans are underway to continue
  this connection. 

Pillar 3: 

Focus on opportunities for the engagement, retention, and growth of members and volunteers.

Goal 1: 

Expand membership outreach to diverse member institutions.

• ACUI successfully welcomed new member campuses through the NUS partnership. The campaign included a strong focus on the value of member benefits and sharing ACUI with colleagues and provided the opportunity for new contacts to connect with an existing ACUI member mentor. 
• A discussion guide to help better understand the needs of those at HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, and minority-serving institutions was developed and used during focus groups at the 2025 Annual Conference.
• In 2026, ACUI put a robust recruitment plan into place to connect with potential members around major events (Annual and Regional Conferences), past engagement (lapsed members), and other factors. Volunteers and staff are now actively working throughout the year to recruit new members. 

Goal 2: 

Enhance and develop internal communications to encourage greater accountability across volunteer teams.

• The Volunteer Development Team worked with various volunteer groups to develop a master list of team descriptions.
• GoogleDrive is now enabled for all volunteer groups, allowing access to shared documents and resources.
• The Volunteer Development Team developed a process to check in with international and regional volunteer teams that was implemented in 2026.
• Volunteers now have access to a Knowledge Base that includes helpful articles and resources related to their roles and work. 

Goal 3: 

Enhance external marketing efforts to further articulate our value proposition.

• ACUI launched ACUI Unlocked, a one-stop shop for members and nonmembers alike to better understand and connect with the organization. This offering continues to grow as new resources are identified and created. 
• A multi-faceted new member onboarding program debuted in April 2026 and includes dedicated emails for primary contacts to find information about benefits, as well as connection to a current member mentor for a more personal introduction to the Association.
• A new welcome campaign was launched in May 2026 for new contacts created within ACUI’s system associated with a current member campus. Over six months, this campaign introduces various ACUI benefits and encourages active engagement.

Goal 4: 

Refine and strengthen volunteer recruitment, engagement, and recognition efforts.

• The Volunteer Development team hosted multiple webinars in 2025 and 2026 that focused on the return of investment for professionals who volunteer for the Association. 
• The Volunteer Development Team mapped the responsibilities of the volunteer lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, and offboarding activities. 

Pillar 4: 

Focus on Advance initiatives to support active dialogue and civic engagement on college campuses.

Goal 1: 

Create collaborative partnerships with external associations and organizations that possess relevant expertise

• A list was created that identifies external associations and organizations that possess relevant expertise. ACUI held an initial discussion with ACPA to discuss collaboration opportunities around active dialogue. More work is ahead on how to pursue partnerships.

Goal 2: 

Curate existing and create new resources to support member efforts that encourage active dialogue on their campus and help them to navigate associated contentious situations.

• Findings from the Active Dialogue Working Group were reviewed. Of the recommendations, several are reflected in the current strategic plan or were previously implemented. Work is now completed or underway on those. 
• A working group was established to develop an Active Dialogue Self-Assessment and Pilot Plan. The assessment was piloted during the Active Dialogue Preconference at the 2026 Annual Conference; it was fine-tuned and is now available on the ACUI website. The assessment invites members to consider their approach to dialogue through these four dimensions: Self-awareness, Curiosity, Connection, and Courage. Members are encouraged to complete the assessment. 
• In 2025, biweekly Chat and Check-In Fridays provided a space for community members to connect around desired topic areas.

Goal 4: 

Explore resources to help campuses foster community building opportunities around difficult campus conversations.

• A recently added webpage showcases active dialogue examples at member campuses as well as additional resources. Through this page, there is a way to submit content for inclusion. 
• The 2025 Annual Conference offered eight educational sessions with a focus on active dialogue and civic engagement; a preconference titled Campuses in the Spotlight: Free Speech and Student Activism Center Stage that had 24 attendees; and offered an ACUI Adventure to the United Nations. 
• The 2026 preconference program included a session focused on active dialogue; an all-conference session related to navigating civic/political environment; a roundtable discussion about leadership through active dialogue; and an educational session related to facilitating difficult conversations.

Volunteers and Central Office staff continue to work toward completion of all goals by 2029.
You can find the full 2024–29 Strategic Plan at https://acui.org/about/#strategic.