Bulletin Article Archives

College campuses across the globe have been making strides toward fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in various aspects of student life. One avenue for promoting these values is the art and cultural spaces within college student unions. These spaces are crucial in creating an inclusive environment reflective of the study body. Many student unions use…

Author Steve Chaplin Steve Chaplin is managing editor of ACUI’s The Bulletin and manager of the ACUI College Union and Student Activities (CUSA) Evaluation Program. A former newspaper writer, editor, and manager, he has volunteered as a student mentor as a member of the National Association of Science Writers, and received awards for his writing…

The past three years have illuminated the critical need for social justice education. That same period has also made plain the inadequacy of our existing models to meet the moment in ways that center liberation and justice for the most marginalized. The extrajudicial murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and the subsequent protests for…

From the President | Neela Patel, Rutgers University As many of us are approaching the half point of the academic year, along with the end of 2023, it provides a time for reflection for us to prepare for 2024.  Reflection has taken on a new meaning for me over the past three years, as the…

From the Chief Executive Officer | John Taylor, ED.D. In many ways I am still old school. In fact, I’m confident I’m in the strong minority for still sending a holiday letter to friends and family. And to clarify, it’s a printed document sent via the United States Postal Service. It’s what we did before…

Washington State University sophomore Janna Huber arrived at the Compton Union Building later than planned and found herself near the back of a long line of students. She could barely see the table about 40 yards away where hundreds of sandwiches were being stacked in preparation for the weekly PB&J Club giveaway.  “I’m not sure…

ACUI members elected a new president and three new at-large Board of Trustee members, and the current board has named University of Arkansas sophomore Karina Wickham as the incoming student board member.  Ian Crone, director of the University of Tennessee student union, will serve as ACUI’s new president-elect. Joining him for installation to office during…

Bernard Pitts passed away December 6, 2023. He received the Butts-Whiting Award in 2005 and received an Honorary Membership in 2015 for his dedication to ACUI and the many students and professionals he affected during his career.  “Bernie had a large impact in ACUI and on thousands of students during his career,” said ACUI Chief…

In a move to boost inclusivity and offer tailored support, the ACUI has unveiled its latest initiative — the formation of a Community College Advisory Group. Designed to address the unique needs and challenges encountered by community college student affairs leaders, the group is the first step in ACUI’s mission to better serve community college…

As members of the governing body responsible for setting strategic direction and policies and overseeing the organization’s activities, ACUI’s Board of Trustees actively participate in steering the future of ACUI and college unions. During this year’s election, November 1–30, two presidential candidates and five at-large member candidates are running for these pivotal association roles.  ACUI sent ballots…

College campuses are dynamic environments. Students soak up knowledge in fluorescent-lit classrooms to the tune of shuffling papers and keyboard clacking. Professors’ voices echo and reverberate in massive lecture halls with high ceilings and intricate architectural details. Between classes, crowds of hurried students create a near-constant hum of conversation, footsteps, and smartphone notifications. After a…

Whether you’re setting up a big-screen television to enhance the atmosphere of your student union or hosting a special viewing party, broadcasting live performances can help foster a sense of shared experience and boost engagement. Indeed, research does suggest that viewing television in the company of others impacts viewer enthusiasm.  Athletic games, political debates, and other…

Work trips are often so tightly scheduled that little time is left to explore anything past the confines of hotel walls. But immersing yourself in local community is a valuable part of any conference experience, and that’s why ACUI is infusing cultural and historical elements of Denver into all aspects of ACUI ’24 — right…

More than just a meeting of minds, the ACUI Annual Conference offers an opportunity to foster meaningful connections, champion sustainability, and create affirming spaces for all. Early registration is now open for the March 24–28, 2024, event, which will be held in the vibrant city of Denver, elevated by the picturesque backdrop of the Rocky…

A 14-member task force charged by ACUI’s Board of Trustees to develop strategies for enhancing regional engagement has submitted a 21-page report that trustees are currently reviewing. Citing a decrease in regional participation, the Board of Trustees established the task force in July 2022 and members began meeting last November. In making four priority recommendations…

Home is where the heart is, and if the student union is the living room of campus, then everyone – students, their families, faculty and staff, and the surrounding and supporting communities – should be able to recognize that this is a place where everyone belongs. Belonging is clearly the reoccurring theme in this year’s…

The eight projects highlighted in this annual Renovation & Construction edition of The Bulletin, while ranging in breadth and scope, shared commonalities that past project leaders and participants had found to be true: be flexible; set realistic expectations; you cannot overcommunicate to your stakeholders. Yet, in 2023, another reoccurring theme exposed itself from what ACUI members…

In 2015, the Diversity and Inclusion Office in University of Michigan Housing made a commitment to students and the campus community to renovate all of its 16 multicultural lounges, together comprising the largest and oldest multicultural lounge program in the United States. An often overlooked but powerful component of diversity and inclusion work is the…

ChatGPT—the acronym for Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer—is not coming for your job. In fact, it may even make it easier, according to a number of researchers looking at how the artificial intelligence-driven chatbot tool is being used through higher education. With its ability to digest and provide direct information to individuals, just like the chatbots…

All it takes is a glance at the headlines to see that staffing shortages are everywhere. Blame “The Great Resignation” or any of several other drivers, but the fact remains: it’s hard to attract, hire, and retain good people. However, thanks to hard work and a unique blend of training techniques, marketing, technology, and engagement…

Building an inclusive and equitable campus community is a challenge that involves making everyone feel welcome and valued. That includes nontraditional students. Definitions vary, but the group typically comprises students who may be older than average, pursuing a college education while holding a full-time job, veterans of the U.S. armed forces, commuters, responsible for dependents,…

ACUI’s regional communities serve as geographical connection points for association engagement, providing opportunities for member education and connection. On Thursday, July 20, 2023, ACUI Region VII offered an excellent blueprint of regional engagement through its second Grad and Grow Institute, this time hosted at the Montclair State University Student Center. “The goal was simple —…

Few would argue that change is slow in higher education, that is until it was forced to transform instructional delivery practically overnight in March 2020. Who knew that it simply takes a global pandemic to alter a century’s-old education system? But now as we move closer to ‘post-pandemic’ the question isn’t whether higher education will…

With the help of digital platforms like Twitch’s interactive live-streaming service, gaming has gone from a hobby to a sport, attracting spectator communities worldwide. According to TwitchTracker, the average viewership on Twitch jumped from 1.4 million pre-pandemic in February 2020 to 2.5 million in April 2020 and has grown ever since. At its maximum viewership in…

Earlier this year, ACUI conducted a member needs assessment to ascertain what resources, events, and services best meet the needs of members and in what areas the Association can grow. The survey is also used to gather data for other Association priorities, such as volunteerism and educational offerings.    Professional, graduate, and undergraduate members received the…

Whether in the context of police brutality, gender equality, or systemic racism, the issues of our time often seem to echo those of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Now, as the U.S. Supreme Court reverses a decades-long precedent allowing colleges and universities to consider an applicant’s race in college admissions, we again find ourselves…

ACUI’s Board of Trustees announced a new scholarship in the name of retired Shepherd University student center director Don Rohel. The Don Rohel Scholarship will provide up to $400 annually for a member to use toward the cost of registration at an ACUI event focused on college union operations, facility management, or administration. Rohel, who…

Acting upon the recommendation of the Region VIII Leadership Team, ACUI’s Board of Trustees has approved the renaming of the Region VIII College Union and Campus Life Role Model Award to recognize the work of Holly Sateia, who retired from Dartmouth College in 2010 after 40 years at the campus, including as dean of students…

The campus communities ACUI members represent are as diverse as their student bodies; it follows that there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to building campus community. But as the 58 attendees of ACUI’s 2023 Student Organizations Institute at Wayne State University learned on June 26-29, networking with peers who share many of the same real-life…

Art and community-building are intrinsically linked, and the campus setting is no exception, according to recent doctoral research from Adriane Reilly, associate director of the Sykes Student Union at West Chester University.

Soaring temperatures set against the relative quiet of campus can mean only one thing: Summer has begun, and student union leaders are taking advantage of the slow season by focusing on projects that will prepare them for the busy fall semester. These projects take many forms. The Office of Facility Management at the University of…

According to the latest data provided by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), nearly one-fifth of undergraduates in the 2015-2016 academic year reported having a disability

Branding is a crucial component of any successful organization. It is not just about creating a logo or a catchy tagline. It is about creating a unique identity that separates your organization from competitors and establishes a connection with customers. In today’s highly competitive environment, a strong brand is essential to thrive and grow.  Institutions…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the sense of belonging of eight student employees who worked in a student union at a South Texas institution and how the development of leadership skills, if any, aided in their persistence. This study employed a single-bounded case study method because of the ability to…

Inspiration can come from anywhere —personal experiences, your favorite song lyrics, and observations of your surroundings. Or, as is the case with The Bulletin’s annual Steal this Idea issue, inspiration can come directly from fellow student union marketers who welcome you to snatch up their winning ideas at no cost. This year’s ACUI Steal this…

Nearly every student is met with new social dynamics, academic demands, and living arrangements during their college years. For some, the experience is an exciting opportunity to explore interests and broaden their horizons. For others, it comes with the challenge of securing even the most basic needs, from food, housing, and childcare to transportation, clothing,…

The Chief Diversity Officer role is relatively new to higher education leadership — but at the same time, sorely overdue. After a long history of institutional inequity, some universities are responding to the nationwide call for change by prioritizing and delivering on diversity, equity, and inclusion needs through this new position. Like any force for…

Breathe in, breathe out: April is National Stress Awareness Month and a good time to step back and look for signs of worry, tension, and uneasiness, both in yourself and others. In academia, “put your own oxygen mask on first” is an apt analogy; a dose of self-care can go a long way for campus…

ACUI is announcing that Samantha Liu has been elected to a two-year term as director of ACUI’s Region I, which encompasses Arizona, Australia, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Mexico. Liu currently serves as associate director, operations and services, at California State University–Northridge. She previously held the role of educational programs coordinator for Region I….

ACUI’s strategic guideposts, its new Student Affairs and College Unions Certification program, and the kickoff of the Investing in Our Profession fundraising campaign were just some of the topics members received updates on during ACUI’s Annual Conference in Boston through the Business Meeting and other presentations. Finances and Fundraising  ACUI received a “clean” audit for fiscal year…

A growing number of higher education institutions now offer degree programs in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—and for good reason. Numerous studies show that companies with diverse, equitable, and inclusive cultures outperform their counterparts, not just in revenue generation but in more human aspects of business, such as employee morale, team performance, problem-solving, talent retention, and access to a…

Victoria Angis, Castleton University’s longtime associate dean of students who retired in 2021, was recognized with ACUI’s highest honor, the Butts-Whiting Award, for her significant contributions to the college union and student activities movement. Angis, who spent more than 40 years at Castleton, received the award during a live ceremony at the Association’s 2023 Annual…

ACUI recognized a number of distinguished individuals during its Annual Conference in Boston, including the Presidential Award for Distinguished Service, two Legacy Leader recipients, and a number of honors for service, values, and professionalism. A list of all 2023 award and scholarship recipients is available in the press release. The Presidential Award for Distinguished Service was presented to…

A behavioral scientist, a designer/entrepreneur, and an activist poet who shared their work during keynotes with members of ACUI attending the Association’s Annual Conference in Boston this year provided space for attendees to reflect, strategize, and bring creativity to the roles as campus community leaders. Then two leading chief diversity officers from Boston campuses had…

ACUI’s 2023 awards and scholarship recipients are being announced throughout the Annual Conference, February 26–March 1. Please congratulate recipients for their achievement and thank them for serving as models of leadership and innovation to advance our work as community builders in higher education. 2023 Award Recipients DISTINGUISHED AWARDS CAMPUS AWARDS INDIVIDUAL AWARDS SCHOLARSHIPS WRITING AND…

“The Presidency and Student Affairs: An Imperative Partnership,” by Jerrid P. Freeman of Northeastern State University and Shana L. Warkentine Meyer, McPherson College, represents the seventh chapter in “The Evolving College Presidency: Emerging Trends, Issues, and Challenges,” published in June 2022 by IGI Global and edited by Quincy Martin and Matthew A. Cooney, associate professors…

A Jackson State University student is found shot to death in a campus parking lot; two days later, a Georgia State University student was killed across the street from the campus dining hall. At the University of New Mexico, three students were charged in connection with the shooting death of another student on campus. And…

With seemingly no end in sight, the tug-of-war over free speech rules, protections, and practices across the United States was even more intense on college campuses—and particularly in the courtyards, greenspaces, and plazas adjacent to student centers—as students challenged and confronted one another and the campus community wrestled with policies, procedures, and protocols related to…

In the last 10 years, colleges and universities started to move toward hybrid and online learning for delivering post-secondary education with virtual tools like Blackboard and Zoom. The COVID-19 pandemic saw most institutions of higher education shut down in March 2020, forcing institutions to move toward virtual learning at an increasingly rapid pace. “In recent…

ACUI is announcing its participation as a founding member of the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification, a collaboration of seven higher education professional associations that will allow the consortium to offer a core student affairs educator credential, in addition to specialty credentials that include one specifically for student union professionals. The core student…

ACUI members have elected three new at-large Board of Trustee members – Missy Burgess, Yemi Gbajobi, and Adriane Reilly – while the current board named University of Florida junior Caroline Lenz as the incoming student board member. All will be installed into office during the 2023 Annual Conference in Boston. Burgess is associate director for…

By Steve Chaplin Ann Comerford has always been driven by curiosity. It keeps her bookshelves brimming with books, her podcast queue long, and her desire to back up opinions with information strong. At the same time, growing up as one of five children taught Comerford the meaning — and necessity – of compromise. “The combination…

By Steve Chaplin The mid-term elections are over. Young voters from 18–29 came out in near record numbers, and the political landscape for campus communities continued to vary from state-to-state. In New York, a new law now mandates polling places on any campus with 300 or more registered students, while in Texas only half of…

By Steve Chaplin Writing in the peer-reviewed journal AAPI Nexus: Policy, Practice and Community, Aida Cuenza-Uvas and Demeturie Toso-Lafaele Gogue look back at a federally funded student engagement program for Asian American and Pacific Islander students to provide a prescient view forward on the necessity for campuses to create a culture of critical consciousness and empathy…

Higher education, and specifically student life, took Don Rohel on a rewarding and fulfilling trip across the United States. After earning degrees from SUNY–Cortland and Florida State University, one of his first student union jobs was at Texas A&M’s Memorial Student Center, followed by assignments on campuses in Iowa (Buena Vista College) and California, where…

The holidays are all about giving, but that doesn’t always mean presents under a tree. Some of the most meaningful merrymaking involves giving thanks, showing appreciation, and lending a helping hand — and ACUI’s annual Day of Giving tomorrow, which also recognizes the Association’s 108th birthday, offers members a chance to do just that. Donors participating…

ACUI’s core competencies are foundational to the advancement of both members and the Association — and behind the scenes, there’s a group responsible for ensuring the Association’s strategic vision falls in line with them. Meet the Education Council, a group of eight volunteers that works with leadership to oversee the Association’s long-term goals, set the tone for educational…

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” The First Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified…

Corbin Smyth, executive director of Norris University Center at Northwestern University, has been elected to serve as ACUI’s regional director of Region V for a two-year term beginning this year. ACUI’s Region V consists of Illinois, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Manitoba. Smyth has a long history with ACUI, having been…

Gov. Greg Abbott and Beto O’Rourke went head-to-head during their Sept. 30 debate for governor of the Lone Star State, but the issues they discussed were hardly exclusive to Texas. That’s one of the reasons hosting the event at the University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley was such a unique experience for student union and conference…

Despite frequently falling victim to budget cuts and declining support at the K-12 level, arts education is essential for a well-rounded curriculum, encouraging creativity, self-expression, and confidence. It’s also a stress reliever: In a study on the impact of visual art creation on healthy adults, researchers found 45 minutes of art-making to significantly lower levels of…

This month we are featuring Isaac Barber, director for Student Union and Event Services at the University of Connecticut, who in 2020 participated in ACUI’s Closing the Gap program. Isaac, tell us how you got your start in student affairs. I am the product of an Air Force family, and we moved just about every…

Hybrid approaches to higher education are having their heyday as schools continue to grapple with a pandemic-haunted world. Combining virtual and physical instruction, hybrid models may better suit diverse learning styles and accessibility requirements. In doing so, they boost learning outcomes: Researchers conducting a 2022 study published in the International Journal of Progressive Education found hybrid learning to have…

If climate change expands inequality, here’s how it may affect students. Weather conditions seem to have taken an apocalyptic turn as a sequence of recent climate disasters have emphasized the need for urgent environmental action.   More than 85 people were killed in December 2021 by tornadoes that devastated western Kentucky; seven months later at the…

A foundation of the Role of the College Union is that it “advances a sense of community, unifying the institution by embracing the diversity of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests.” That call to action earmarks the college union as one of those “third places,” the term coined by urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg denoting public…

It is by no means a coincidence that the Garden of Reflection and Remembrance that is under the purview of the University of Maryland–College Park’s Stamp Student Union Center for Campus Life contains a labyrinth. Labyrinths, after all, have been used throughout history as a ritualistic device for personal meditation. “Since the path is continuous…

It’s been a couple of tough years to get a project completed. One preconstruction intelligence company, ConstructConnect, has estimated that nearly 9,000 construction projects were disrupted in the United States between March 2020 and December 2021, and student center projects across the country were among them. Yet, when student union professionals over the years have…

Once framed as a pandemic-era trend, The Great Resignation is proving far less fleeting as employees continue to quit their jobs at record rates. In fact, a recent McKinsey study found that 40 percent of workers across industries plan to leave their jobs in 2022 — a figure that has not changed since 2021. The student affairs…

When I think about renovation and construction projects—the focus of this special print edition of The Bulletin–—the inevitability of timelines, budgets, meetings upon meetings, and then maneuvering operations around all that, it can become a daunting landscape. But isn’t it also an opportunity, a chance for a reset, even anew beginning? Whether it’s a fresh coat…

Overview of the Study Introduction Across the United States, college students are reporting increases in mental health needs. In 2015, the American College Health Association found that just over one in six students reported a diagnosis or treatment of anxiety in the past 12 months. Last year that number had risen to nearly one in…

This month we are featuring Yabi Demissie, the assistant director of alumni engagement at Emory University and a member of the 2021 Closing the Gap cohort, at which time she was at Georgia State University as coordinator for student engagement. Yabi, tell us how you got your start in student affairs. I went to undergrad…

New jobs are often overwhelming, but positioned among the hustle and bustle of a sprawling campus setting, they can be even more so. Whether students or otherwise, new union employees can always use a little help getting to know their peers and surroundings; even better, they can then pass that knowledge on to others who…

This spring, reports of relatively low rates of coronavirus transmission, hospitalizations, and deaths dominated national headlines. By summer, hope began to fade as the highly contagious BA.5 subvariant of Omicron, a master at evading prior immunities, was credited with causing rising case counts as campuses prepared to welcome students for the 2022 Fall semester. With…

Indiana House Bill 1041, which was passed on May 24 after the Indiana Legislature overrode the Indiana governor’s veto, takes effect today, July 1. House Bill 1041 repeals existing protections and prevents transgender women and girls from participating in interscholastic school sports consistent with their gender identity.  The ACUI Central Office is located in Bloomington,…

Today, more than half a century since the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, the LQBTQIA+ community continues to face widescale discrimination, most recently in the form of state-level anti-LGBT policies — from Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill to transphobic proposals centered on sports and healthcare. Set against this national climate, the parades, workshops, celebrations, and…

ACUI welcomes two regional directors, Anthony Otero from Rutgers University–New Brunswick, and Stephen McCay, from the University of Southern Mississippi. Regional directors serve as the chief administrator of their region, representing regional activities to other ACUI leaders and members. Through this role, Otero and McCay will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on…

In alignment with ACUI’s core values of unconditional human worth and diversity, the association’s MHB Internship provides graduate students of color the opportunity to enhance both their careers and racial diversity in the student activities field. ACUI is excited to introduce this year’s MHB intern, Abigail Garcia, a first-year student in the M.Ed. higher education…

Last month ACUI announced its third annual cohort of its Closing the Gap career advancement program, and with that came the perfect time to check-in with some of the program’s past participants. This month we feature Denee Jenkins, executive assistant to the president at SUNY–Old Westbury, who was a member of the 2021 cohort. At the time…

South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader Nelson Mandela is famous for stating that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” But that’s not the only guidance he’s offered relevant to college and university professionals. His advice to “Remember to celebrate milestones as you prepare for the road ahead,”…

ACUI has announced members of the 2022 Closing the Gap career advancement program cohort. The program was initiated in 2020 as an education and mentorship program focused on Black, Indigenous, and other professionals of color looking to advance into senior leadership roles. Participants and supporters engage in virtual gatherings, one-on-one meetings, and offline connections. This…

With the announcement today of ACUI’s third annual cohort of its Closing the Gap career advancement program, it seems a perfect time to begin hearing from the program’s past participants, and how they are doing today. This month we feature Anthony Roberson, associate director of operations at California State University–San Bernardino, who was a member of the…

As “help needed” signs seem to pop up on the doors of every business imaginable, many student unions — often dependent on volunteers, let alone paid employees — are wondering how to make ends meet. One way to tackle the problem is to encourage growth from within. That’s where career ladders come in. These formal…

Every month offers a full palate of opportunities to intentionally commemorate, recognize, celebrate, or honor legacies, pivotal moments in time, and historic events. In May, it could be Asian Pacific American Heritage Month or Jewish American Month, or the specific days designated for National College Decision Day, Cinco De Mayo, National Prayer Day, Mother’s Day,…

Students from all walks of life provided insight on their pandemic experiences during an ACUI 2022 All Conference session on Tuesday, March 15, detailing their obstacles, victories, and suggestions for the future. From burn-out to family loss and renewing collaborations and facing new challenges, the panel provided ACUI members with a wide range of pandemic-related…

The University of Washington’s L. Lincoln Johnson was recognized with ACUI’s highest honor, the Butts-Whiting Award, for his significant contributions to the college union and student activities movement. Johnson, associate vice president for student life, received the award during a live ceremony at the Association’s 2022 Annual Conference in Chicago. Johnson has more than 30…

ACUI’s 2022 awards and scholarship recipients were announced throughout the Annual Conference, March 13–17. Some awards were announced live in Chicago, while others were shared via social media. Please congratulate recipients for their achievement and thank them for serving as models of leadership and innovation to advance our work as community builders in higher education….

Upon hearing the word “abolition,” some think about how Harriet Tubman risked her life freeing enslaved people as an operator of the Underground Railroad. Others call to mind Ava DuVernay’s 2016 film, “13th,” which questions whether slavery was truly abolished via amendment or continues today in the form of mass incarceration. But activist Patrisse Cullors,…

ACUI members will soon be able to enhance their personal and professional growth through a new Student Affairs Educator Certification that allows professionals to demonstrate competency and knowledge in student affairs work. The new, voluntary credential program will offer a general student affairs educator certification and specialty credentials in one of six specific functional areas, including a…

ACUI members will soon be able to enhance their personal and professional growth through a new Student Affairs Educator Certification that allows professionals to demonstrate competency and knowledge in student affairs work. The new, voluntary credential program will offer a general student affairs educator certification and specialty credentials in one of six specific functional areas, including a…

Student unions serve as the heart of the campus, supporting student development, learning, and community building. That makes February perfect for Valentine’s Day themed events where students can fall in love with their unions — and the resources and engagement opportunities offered within. For years, the University of Houston has also hosted heartfelt appreciation campaigns…

Marred by a deadly worldwide pandemic, political upheaval, and swelling racial injustice, there’s no doubt 2020 will go down in history. But that doesn’t mean 2021 wasn’t one for the books. This past year, campuses were forced to pick up the pieces of 2020, its ramifications continuing to reverberate across student unions. “2021 was an…

Rutgers University’s Neela Patel was elected to serve as ACUI president-elect beginning in March 2022. Patel, the senior director of student centers and event services at Rutgers, currently serves as an at-large member of ACUI Board of Trustees. She has contributed to ACUI in various ways as a volunteer, including as a course contributor, regional director, and…

Lori Patton Davis, chair of educational studies at Ohio State University and an expert on critical black theory and campus diversity, studied physical campus environments and came to the conclusion in her book Culture Centers in Higher Education that the physical structure and location of a cultural center at a predominantly white institution affects its ability to…

As we heard the guilty verdict for the three men tried for the death of Ahmaud Arbery, it’s difficult to know what to think. Is this justice? Is this accountability? Certainly nothing will bring back the innocent runner violently attacked.   Reflecting on the recent acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, and all the lives lost in recent months, we…

One of my new favorite TV shows is Ted Lasso, which portrays a U.S. collegiate football coach who is recruited as manager (coach) of a professional English football (soccer) club (team). Aside from the nuanced cultural and language differences that are referenced, Ted Lasso instructs us, ever so subtly, in how to lead an organization. Besides…

Following the pandemic-related isolation students faced in 2020, it makes sense that 2021 is shaping up to be the year of collegiate esports. That has never been more evident than at ACUI, where five free online learning sessions on topics around esports have been offered since mid-September. Whether established as creative COVID responses or the…

My family and I have always loved theater. My first exposure to theater was back in high school when I saw a casting flyer for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I auditioned and was selected for a critical role … the butler. Although I enjoyed being the butler, and memorized my two lines early on, I was even…

For college unions, driving meaningful, community-building action on campus often requires attention-grabbing advertising. And on university grounds, there’s no better way to compete for eyeballs than to suspend a colorful vinyl banner within the student body’s field of vision. It also doesn’t hurt that today’s banners are easy to order online and come with various options, including extra-thick outdoor vinyl, reinforced edges, and grommets.  But while these…

My hair started to get curly in middle school, and I wasn’t too much of a fan because most of the other kids had straight hair. By ninth grade I almost had things under control. Every morning after my shower I would wear a wool hat until my hair dried. I’d take it off right before heading out to the bus stop so it would…

With the return to campus, another level of concern has reawakened: clashes over expression. At Boise State University, the owner of a coffee shop that once had a service contract in the campus library sued the university for $10 million, saying her contract was severed after students complained about the owner’s support of law enforcement…