By serving on the Board of Trustees, volunteers actively engage with the Association’s strategies, finances, and governance to further enhance the community and lead the future of ACUI and the college union field.  

The president’s full term is three years; first year as president-elect, second year as president, and third year as past president. Specific responsibilities of each stage are listed below.

Reporting to the president, the president-elect is responsible for:

  • Advancing the principles articulated in the Association’s vision and core values.
  • Observing closely all phases of the Association’s activities in preparation for assuming the presidency.
  • Performing various ceremonial duties, such as attending regional conferences, speaking at various functions, writing articles for The Bulletin or other ACUI publications at the delegation of the president.
  • Serving for the president whenever necessary.
  • Serving as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.
  • Designing and directing the work of ad hoc and task force groups as requested by the president.
  • Planning and coordinating, in conjunction with the president and the CEO, an effective orientation program for incoming members of the Board of Trustees.
  • Planning and coordinating the Leadership Team meeting at the annual conference.
  • Serving as liaison on the Board of Trustees for any presidential special appointees as assigned by the president and assist such appointees in the preparation of annual reports.
  • Nominating qualified members that reflect the diversity of the Association for leadership positions.
  • Serving as a voting member of the Board of Trustees.
  • Serving on all committees of the Board of Trustees
  • Participating in all scheduled meetings of the Board of Trustees.
    • Attending required onsite meetings of the Board of Trustees (at the Annual Conference, the Leadership Team meeting in Bloomington, Indiana, and other potential additional face-to-face board meetings); the cost for attendance at these meetings is covered by the Association.
  • Assisting the president and the Board of Trustees in the development and review of the Association’s budget.

The president is responsible for:

  • Advancing the principles articulated in the Association’s vision and core values.
  • Providing leadership for and direct the strategic planning of the Association.
  • Acting as official spokesperson of the board, including preparing the agenda for and presiding at the annual business meeting.
  • Reviewing of the Association’s budget with the Board of Trustees, executive director and additional staff as appropriate.
  • Serving as chairperson of the Board of Trustees.
  • Serving on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.
  • Planning and coordinating, in conjunction with the president-elect and the CEO, an effective orientation program for incoming members of the Board of Trustees.
  • Providing Association membership with necessary reports and progress of the Board of Trustees.
  • In consultation with the Central Office, preparing appointments for volunteer positions approved by Board of Trustees.
  • Consulting with the Board of Trustees and recommending termination of volunteers who do not meet expectations outlined in the volunteer position descriptions and the ACUI Volunteer Agreement.
  • Initiating replacement procedures for all Board of Trustees members in accordance with policies and procedures.
  • Informing the president-elect and CEO of Association affairs through correspondence and personal communication.
  • Supervising and maintaining regular communication with the CEO.
  • Coordinating performance appraisal process for the CEO.
  • Planning and coordinating required Leadership Team meetings with the assistance of the Central Office staff.
  • Attending required onsite meetings of the Board of Trustees (at the annual conference, the Leadership Team meeting in Bloomington, Indiana, and other potential additional face-to-face board meetings); the cost for attendance at these meetings is covered by the Association. 
  • Presiding at various conferences, meetings, and events including the annual conference and Leadership Team functions.
  • Writing periodic articles and/or columns for The Bulletin.
  • Recommending, appointing, and assigning any special/ad hoc committees or commissions as necessary.
  • Assigning any presidential special appointment to a Board of Trustees officer to whom the appointee reports for their entire term.
  • Determining membership for various awards and scholarship selection committees.
  • Representing the board, or designate representation, to appropriate meetings and inaugurations.
  • Preparing and dispatching letters of commendation from the Association, as appropriate.
  • Extending official board sympathy on the death of a member and notifying the necessary Association entities of appropriate action.
  • Serving as a voting member of the Board of Trustees.
  • Serving on all committees of the Board of Trustees.
  • Participating in all scheduled meetings of the Board of Trustees.
  • Nominating qualified members that reflect the diversity of the Association for leadership positions. 
  • Advancing the principles articulated in the Association’s vision and core values.
  • Chairing the Elections Committee for the Board of Trustees election process. 
  • Performing various ceremonial duties, such as attending regional conferences, speaking at various functions, writing articles for The Bulletin or other ACUI publications at the delegation of the president.
  • Designing and directing the work of ad hoc and task force groups as requested by the president.
  • Nominating qualified members that reflect the diversity of the Association for leadership positions.
  • Serving as a voting member of the Board of Trustees.
  • Serving on all committees of the Board of Trustees
  • Participating in all scheduled meetings of the Board of Trustees.
  • Attending required onsite meetings of the Board of Trustees (at the Annual Conference, the Leadership Team meeting in Bloomington, Indiana, and other potential additional face-to-face board meetings); the cost for attendance at these meetings is covered by the Association.
2024 Election Timeline
  • October 2–16: All interested applicants must schedule a required interest meeting prior to submitting their application.
  • October 16: Application packets due 
  • October 23–25: Three-day appeal period
  • October 30, Noon Eastern: Meet the candidates webinar  
  • October 30: Election opens, slate of candidates announced​
  • December 2: Election closes​  
  • December 9: Scheduled announcement of election results to ACUI membership

This is an Association-leading volunteer position, ideal for those interested in determining and advancing strategic directions, governing over long-term goals, representing the association to other members, and setting the tone for member experiences.

The application period is now closed.

The application period is now closed.

Please note that the following items are all required for a complete application:

Candidates are elected by eligible voting members of ACUI, following the ACUI Election General Policies and Procedures.

The ACUI Board of Trustees believes that it is important for all prospective candidates to understand the time commitment that they are potentially making by standing for election. This is a highly rewarding volunteer experience, but it also requires a significant amount of time, energy, and effort.  Listed below are some of the minimum time-related expectations of a Board of Trustees member once elected:

  • Orientation: Participate in new board member orientation, which may be a combination of reading materials, conference calls, and dedicated orientation sessions at the annual conference site that take place several days before the conference begins.
  • Board and Standing Committee Meetings: Participate in weekly conference calls for the full board as well as committees of the board (currently the committees are Finance; Governance; Strategic; and DEI). While the time can change based on availability, these calls are currently scheduled for 60–90 minutes on Wednesdays at Noon Eastern. In addition to these meetings, the ACUI Executive Committee (president, president-elect, past president, and CEO) meets by conference call twice monthly for approximately one hour, currently scheduled based on the schedules of the Executive Committee members.
  • Committee Work Groups: Actively participate on work groups or task teams of the above-named committees. Typically, this is where the real work of the board takes place—not during the conference calls. Thus, there is a significant amount of individual work and email/phone communication that takes place outside of the regular monthly meetings.
  • Extended Annual Conference: Attend the Annual Conference, with considerable time dedicated to Board of Trustees meetings (before and during the official conference dates), social functions, and other board obligations.
  • Leadership Team Meeting: Attend and participate in the annual Leadership Team Meeting, held in-person or virtually.
  • Additional Face-to-Face Board Meeting: Depending on the year, the Board of Trustees may determine that an additional face-to-face meeting is necessary. Past additional meetings have occurred in January or February.
  • Giving to the ACUI Education and Research Fund: It is the expectation of all members of the Board of Trustees that they will give financial support to the ACUI Education and Research Fund each year.
  • Candidate Forum: Participate in the town-hall style candidate forum with all candidates for the president-election position.

At the time of application, individuals must have: full-time employment at a higher education institution; institutional membership; a signed institutional support form; and a commitment to fulfilling the duties of the position for the length of the term. Applicants must also demonstrate an understanding of ACUI’s vision, core values, and core competencies, as well as the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of the position. Candidates for president-elect are encouraged to have previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees.

Association-leading volunteer positions require a commitment of two or more years, except for student positions which have a one-year term. During the course of the term, volunteers should anticipate at least four hours of conference call and project work per month, in addition to attending in-person ACUI Leadership Team meetings.