Early in the environmental movement of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, grassroots activists adopted the saying, “Think Globally, Act Locally” as the call to action for volunteers and every-day citizens to begin protecting the earth. While the origin of the phrase itself remains a bit disputed, the expression urged people to consider the health of the planet and to take action in their own communities and cities. In other words, start at home. In part two of On being well read, we will start with what my professional home has to offer.  And now to you ACPA-College Student Educators International…

ACPA has much to offer for the aspiring well-read professional.  Here are a few recommendations divided into three categories: 1) our history, 2) current issues, and 3) the new frontier.

Our history: Start with a bit of the ACPA story. Note that you can actually read a number of these founding documents online. And if ACPA doesn’t have it for you, I have found copies in the libraries of many a higher education institution. Can you say ‘inter-library loan?’ I can.

Because I have spent most of my professional life as a residence life professional, I wanted to share a personal favorite. Oh, by the way, #hrl4life my friends. College housing as learning centers is a  monograph that argues housing serves two functions: to provide students a satisfactory place to live and to help them grow. Published in cooperation with the Association of College and University Housing Officers (before the added the “I” for International).

Current issues: ACPA shares current scholarship and practical tools to support practitioners working in every area of student affairs. Active members have access to the latest information about sustainability in higher education, standards for assessment, best practices for some of the most serious issues our students might face – like interpersonal violence, and the most current iteration of our professional competencies, refreshed in partnership with our organizational colleagues at NASPA. There is also great information shared by ACPA within its eCommunity newsletter.

The new frontier: Yes, this series of blog posts is about being a “well-read professional,” but is the 21st century. Of course the use of technology is not exactly “the new frontier,” but student affairs professionals should be aware of emerging technologies as well as what students are using day-to-day. We must also do what we can to explore how these technologies can be used to facilitate student learning and support student success. See scholarship shared by Paul Gordon Brown to learn more. Within ACPA, I strongly suggest taking a look at ACPA Video On Demand for another way for you to  continue your learning.

Stay tuned for On being well read: Part 3