Centennial Blueprint for the College Union

Defining the enduring purpose and evolving role of the college union for its next century.

The Centennial Blueprint is an association-wide initiative in partnership between the Wisconsin Union and ACUI to define, validate, and put into practice eight touchstones for the future of the college union. Through research, field consultation, and campus testing, the project will produce practical tools that help unions examine their programs, services, spaces, employment experiences, and organizational practices.

The Blueprint is currently in development. ACUI members are invited to test the framework and help shape the final toolkit.

About the Centennial Blueprint

The Centennial Blueprint asks two connected questions:

What should endure about the college union
What must evolve as students, institutions, and communities change?

The initiative began with a 2025 residency involving college union professionals, students, campus leaders, ACUI staff, and other partners. More than 20 initial ideas were refined through discussion, an association-wide survey, research, and field consultation into eight draft touchstones.

The project will continue through 2028, when ACUI and the Wisconsin Union anticipate releasing a professional toolkit as part of the Memorial Union’s centennial and ACUI’s Annual Conference in Milwaukee.

Timeline

2025: Discovery and development
of the touchstones

2026: Research, regional engagement,
and early testing

2027: Campus pilots and refinement

2028: Toolkit release and activation

Centennial Blueprint Touchstones

The eight touchstones describe responsibilities that remain central to the college union while helping the field respond to changing student and institutional needs. They are designed as lenses for reflection and improvement, not standards for ranking institutions.

Belonging and Community

The college union cultivates a culture where every person feels seen, valued, and genuinely connected to others, the institution, and something larger than themselves.

Student Voice and Intentional Action

Students are co-creators of the union. Through leadership, employment, and programming, their voices shape culture, decisions, experiences, and the union’s evolving legacy.

Honoring History While Remaining Relevant

The college union carries forward its history, traditions, and enduring purpose while adapting them to the students, communities, and conditions of the present.

Spaces for Connection

The college union creates and stewards physical, programmatic, and virtual environments that are accessible, adaptable, and welcoming.

Reach and Responsibility

The college union extends its influence through civic engagement, meaningful partnerships, and a commitment to serving students and communities within and beyond campus.

Investing in Leaders

The college union develops and supports students, professionals, board members, and advocates at every stage of leadership.

Impact and Storytelling

The college union gathers meaningful evidence of what changes because of its work and uses data and human stories to guide decisions and communicate impact.

Innovation and Continuous Learning

The college union remains curious, adaptable, and willing to take informed risks. Learning emerges through reflection, experimentation, and the shared experiences of students and staff.

Blueprint Lab to Apply and Test Touchstone Lens

The Blueprint Lab Worksheet offers a simple way to apply one touchstone to a real program, service, space, student employment experience, policy, or organizational practice.

Participants select one lens, consider five reflection questions, and identify:

A strength to preserve
A gap or question
One change to try
Evidence that would demonstrate improvement

Download the Worksheet

The worksheet includes an introduction and eight stand-alone lens pages. Start with the one touchstone most relevant to your current work. Users do not need to complete all eight touchstone lenses. Once completed, we invite you to share and provide feedback to Heidi Lang at heidi.lang@wisc.edu.

Get Involved

The Centennial Blueprint is being developed with the field, not only presented to it. ACUI members and campuses are invited to test tools, contribute examples, present the framework, or review materials as they develop.

Share Your Interest

Opportunities to get involved include:

Pilot: Use a draft tool on your campus and provide feedback
Contribute: Share a practice, resource, or campus example
Present: Introduce the Blueprint or facilitate a future discussion
Review: Read draft materials and comment on clarity and usefulness

Thanks to Our Contributors

Many individuals across the association have already contributed to this initiative, and we appreciate their insights and partnership.

Heidi Lang, Principal Student Engagement Officer, Wisconsin Union, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Justin Rudisille, Director of Education, ACUI

Mark Guthier, Associate Vice Chancellor and Executive Wisconsin Union Director, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Susan Dibbell, Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, Wisconsin Union, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Ed Janairo, Chief Business Officer, Wisconsin Union, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Tamra Bates, Smith College
Megan Bell, California State University–Los Angeles
Dana Bonifacio-Sample, Portland Community College
Jen Brown, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Kyle Burke, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse
Ian Crone, University of Tennessee
Mara Dahlgren, Indiana University–Bloomington
Jessi Eaton, Purdue University
Abbie Farley, Western Carolina University
Nancy Loosle, Radford University
Jeff Pelletier, The Ohio State University
Jeremy Schenk, Northwestern University
Brian Starkel, University of Notre Dame
Paul Terzino, Western Michigan University
Linda Wardhammar, Indiana University–Indianapolis
TJ Willis, North Carolina State University
Ann Comerford, University of Illinois–Springfield
Amanda Vigneau, Shepley Bullfinch
Jennifer Ingram, Perkins & Will
Tess Purin, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Facilitator: Corbin Smyth, Executive Director Norris University Center, Northwestern University
Co-facilitator: Stephanie Diaz De Leon, Wisconsin Union, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Mark Guthier, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Executive Director Wisconsin Union, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Susan Dibbell, Deputy Director, Wisconsin Union, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Ed Janairo, Chief Business Officer, Wisconsin Union, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Heidi Lang, Principal Engagement Officer, Wisconsin Union, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Justin Rudisille, Director of Education, ACUI
Kyle Burke, Union Director, University of Wisconsin–LaCrosse
Thomas Lane, Vice President for Student Life & Dean of Students, Kansas State University
Hank Walter, Executive Director, Indiana Memorial Union, Indiana University–Bloomington
Leslie Dinauer, Trustee, Wisconsin Union Association, Rhetoric Society of America
Ann Comerford, Associate Vice Chancellor for Auxiliary Services, University of Illinois–Springfield
Brenda Gonzales, Government Affairs Liaison, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Courtney Byelich, Former Program Advisor and Directorate Student Leader, Wisconsin Union, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Courtney Medick, Trustee, Wisconsin Union Association and Former Directorate Student Leader, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Tess Purin, Wisconsin Union Vice President of Resources and Operations, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Mary Russel, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Jen Brown, University of Wisconsin–Madison
Kyle Burke, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse
Hank Walter, Indiana University–Bloomington
Ann Comerford, University of Illinois–Springfield
Jennifer Puccinelli, California State University–San Bernardino
Audrey Taggart-Kagdis, Washburn University
Jeremiah Johnson, University of Georgia
Beth Goad, University of Denver
Lauren Gyurisin, Virginia Commonwealth University
Lina Balcom, University of Vermont
Jeff Pelletier, Ohio State University
Megan Bell, California State University–Los Angeles
Dana Bonifacio-Sample, Portland Community College
Edna Zambrano-Martinez, University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley
TJ Willis, North Carolina State University
Brian Lind, Middlebury College