Community Program Team Member

The Community Program Team has been established by the Board to support the development of programs and educational content to help ACUI members navigate the evolving challenges facing higher education, college unions, student engagement, and campus communities.

While the team collaborates with other ACUI component groups, its purpose is to create opportunities for members to collectively reflect on current challenges, explore emerging trends and practices, strengthen community-building efforts, and support student success. The Association’s commitment to inclusion, equity, belonging, and justice serves as a guiding framework for this work.

This Association-level planning position is ideal for those interested in collaborating to create experiences that engage members through events, research, fundraising, and other opportunities.

Reporting to the Community Program Team co-chairs and supported by ACUI’s director of strategic initiatives, for a two-year term, team members are expected to:

  • Understanding of active dialogue and facilitation practices that foster curiosity, reflection, respectful conversation, and learning across differing perspectives.
  • Have awareness of current trends, challenges, and opportunities affecting college unions, student engagement, student success, workplace culture, leadership, and higher education.
  • Be willing to research emerging issues, innovative practices, and evolving approaches that strengthen community building, professional effectiveness, and student success.
  • Demonstrate curiosity and openness to exploring complex issues affecting professionals, students, and campuses.
  • Contribute ideas for educational programs, webinars, facilitated discussions, and conference experiences that address contemporary challenges in higher education.
  • Support the creation of programs that encourage practical learning, reflection, and application rather than advocacy alone.
  • Engage with topics such as workplace culture, leadership, generational dynamics, technology and AI, communication, belonging, and student success through a community-building lens.
  • Have institutional support for their involvement, with encouraged attendance at the ACUI Annual Conference to include the following: 
    • Understanding of social justice education
    • Understanding of active dialogue practices to address topics like identity, inclusion, belonging, and justice
    • Understanding of the current climate and legislation related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
    • Be willing to research emerging relevant approaches and best practices regarding inclusion, belonging and social justice.
    • Have prior experience creating curriculum or facilitating dialogue.
    • Have institutional support for their involvement, with encouraged attendance at the ACUI Annual Conference.

Applications for this position are open.

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The written application will ask you to:

  • Provide your name, institution, and contact information
  • Describe your relevant professional experience, ACUI volunteer experience, other professional/community volunteer experience, and/or educational background
  • Describe what skills and perspectives you possess that would contribute to your success as an ACUI volunteer
  • Explain why you are interested in volunteering for this specific opportunity
  • Upload a sign Institutional Support Form, showing that a supervisor is knowledgeable of the position description and its commitments.

To discuss volunteering with your institution to ensure that they are supportive of your involvement, download these About Volunteer with ACUI talking points [pdf] to share additional information about what it means to be a volunteer.

A screening committee made up of the volunteer team leader, the staff liaison, and other related volunteers will review applications, interview qualified candidates, and make a selection recommendation.

At the time of application, individuals must have: employment at a higher education institution; institutional or individual 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. 

Association planning volunteer positions require a commitment of two years. While projects vary by season and role, over the course of the term, volunteers should anticipate approximately six to eight hours of conference call and project work per month.