You’re invited to New York City, March 16–20, for the 2025 ACUI Annual Conference!

Call for Sessions
2024 Annual Conference
Conference Program Team
The 2025 Conference Program Team is creating a meaningful and memorable experience you in New York City, March 16–20. Through the planning process, the team was drawn to three main themes: Connecting, Innovating, and Big Ideas. 
  • Connecting: We want you to connect with each other, yourself, or and your work. We hope you’ll leave New York with a fuller heart than you came.
  • Innovating: We look forward to providing an educational experience that’s world-class, following in the footsteps of the city, which is led by creativity and the idea that anything is possible.
  • Big Ideas: New York is the Big Apple after all. We invite big ideas to be shared, so that when we leave, we’re ready to keep ourselves, our profession, and this Association moving forward.

It is our belief that guided by these themes and in partnership with our own ACUI Core Values we’re already working to create an impactful and meaningful Conference experience for everyone.

Call for Sessions

We are excited to be hosting the 2025 ACUI Annual Conference from March 16–20 in New York City, and it is our hope that educational submissions help create a meaningful and engaging educational experience for all of our attendees. Students and professional staff from all specialities, levels of leadership, regions, and involvement within ACUI are invited to submit a proposal. As you consider your session proposal, we ask that you reflect on our annual conference themes: Connections, Innovations and Big Ideas.

Connections include the various ways you interact with others on your campus or in your community either through trainings, programming, events, etc. Innovations can include new projects, programs, initiatives or new ways about doing your work on your campus or community. No idea is too small or too big! Finally, we welcome Big Ideas, centered around new goals and concepts within and outside of higher education that can potentially change or evolve how we currently operate. 

In addition, our members have identified areas that they are particularly interested in learning more about and we ask that you consider providing content around the following core competencies: 

  • Assessment, Evaluation, & Research
  • Fiscal Management
  • Marketing
  • Social Justice 

In the submission form, you will have an opportunity to outline your session and to be considered for inclusion in New York City in 2025. The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, September 10.

Submit a Session

Consider the following types of presentations as you prepare your session. All formats and levels of audience engagement provide value to the conference experience and appeal to different learning styles, so we are looking forward to a variety of sessions to occur in New York City. 

  1. 50-Minute Session: A 50-minute presentation on a selected topic to be presented individually or with a co-presenter(s). This delivery format often explains or explores a specific topic area in depth and engages participants to think deeper in selected areas.
  2. 90-Minute Extended Session: A 90-minute presentation on a selected topic to be presented individually or with a co-presenter(s). This delivery format provides an extended conversation and/or facilitation into a specific topic area which could also include components of reflections, case studies, and small group discussions.
  3. Flash Session: A 20-minute presentation on a selected topic to be presented individually or with a co-presenter(s). This delivery format provides a quick exploration of a topic area in and is designed for quick takeaways. 
  4. Structured Roundtable: A 50-minute guided discussion. Facilitators will be given a room and the option to bring in other presenters, panelists, and/or resources to help to engage participants in conversations. Facilitators will conclude by leading participants to creating a commonly agreed upon group action plan.
  5. Poster Session: A passive content delivery format that captures a snapshot of a given topic or content area via a poster. Information is geared toward engaging attendees with a focus on providing information in a fun, creative, succinct and engaging manner. 
  6. Other: Participants can choose to write in what type of session they would like to present (within the time constraints of the listed sessions above 30 or 50 minutes).
As you prepare your submission, ensure you can:
  • Fill a knowledge gap and/or provide information needed by colleagues 
  • Answer a question or offer a solution to a problem in your expertise area or topic
  • Create a transferable presentation which can be applied broadly beyond your campus community where possible
  • Be succinct in your submission, use proper grammar and spelling, minimize jargon, and use concrete/specific language
  • Identify core competencies, and all other questions posed in the submission form
    • Provide rubric and thread information
  • Develop a session you can commit to creating and presenting
  • Be flexible throughout selection process
The submission form will require the following information:
  1. Session title and description
  2. Preferred presentation type (i.e., 50-minute, 90-minute, flash, structured roundtable, poster, etc.)
  3. Audience participation type (i.e., panel discussion, lecture, large group discussion, small group activity, audience Q&A)
  4. Intended audience (i.e., undergraduate students, graduate students, new professionals, mid-level professionals, seasons professionals, corporate members)
  5. Primary and secondary core competencies
    1. Select the appropriate Competency Level  
    2. Select the appropriate Competency Thread 
  6. Up to three learning outcomes for the session
  7. A brief description of how you intend to deliver your presentation
  8. Presenter and co-presenter information
Eligibility Requirements

Every presenter at the ACUI Annual Conference must be registered for the conference. Additionally, all presenters must meet at least one of the following qualifications:

  • All individual members, employees, or students at an institutional member in good standing, and retirees are eligible to present educational sessions at the Annual Conference.
  • ACUI nonmembers representing not-for-profit organizations are eligible to present educational sessions. Nonmembers are encouraged to present with ACUI members whenever possible.
  • All corporate presenters at the ACUI Annual Conference must meet the additional eligibility requirements outlined at https://acui.org/corporate/conference-expo-sponsorship/ 
Inclusion

ACUI is committed to providing welcoming, safe, and inclusive learning environments at its conferences and events. During our programs, we want all participants to share ideas, network, and enjoy the company of others, and we recognize that our ability to create this experience depends on the behavior of all in attendance.

Event speakers are expected to conduct themselves according to ACUI’s core values, and the ethical standards of the profession. All members of the ACUI community are to be considerate; refrain from any demeaning, harassing, or discriminatory behavior or speech; and immediately comply with any requests to discontinue objectionable behavior. The following are examples of unacceptable behavior:

  • Offensive, hostile, or derogatory comments.
  • Disruptive actions unrelated to the intended purpose of the event.
  • Conduct that demonstrates a lack of professionalism or respect for another individual.

We ask that all presenters at ACUI conferences be mindful that our audiences include students and professionals from all types of campuses and educational institutions, as well as corporate and nonprofit members and partners. Every effort is expected of presenters and speakers to include appropriate language, material, and examples for the Association’s target audience and membership.

Additional Expectations

To successfully deliver your content, we will require each presenter to:

  • Grant ACUI permission to record, stream, broadcast, distribute, and subsequently utilize all session content without any expectation of rights, remuneration, or interest unless otherwise specified and agreed upon in writing by ACUI.
  • Be publicly listed as a session presenter.
  • Communicate in a timely manner with conference representatives regarding session information, changes, and additional requests.
  • Provide presentation materials for your session, in order for it to be eligible for Continuing Education credits toward the Student Affairs Educator Certification.

Conference Program Team

  • Susan Canady, Chair, University of Maryland
  • Sarah Aikman, Northern Kentucky University
  • Alisha Campbell, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
  • Mara Dahlgren, Indiana University
  • Yakima Melton, Arizona State University
  • Anthony Roberson, California State University–San Bernardino
  • Martin Ryan, University of Limerick
  • Stan Sweeney, Washington University in St. Louis
  • Melissa Ulmer, Rowan University
  • Julie Wagner, University of Michigan
  • David Wilder, Middlebury College
  • Justin Rudisille, ACUI Central Office