ACPA 2016 National Convention

ACPA 2016 National Convention– Montréal, Canada

Description: As a requirement of the MSHE program, I attended a National professional conference. I chose to attend the ACPA national convention in Montreal, Canada. This was my first ACPA convention and first time leaving the United States. Along with my learning outcome below, I wanted to get a sense of ACPA as I am searching for a "professional home" organization to become more involved with.

Date/Semester: Spring 2016

Learning Domains Addressed: Leadership, Education, Personal Development, and Social Justice

Learning Outcomes:

1. Student will be able to engage in the convention and discuss best practices in student affairs.

Assessment: 

Evidence:

Reflection:

For this convention's learning outcome I have rated myself as "Competent." During my first conference at NASPA regional I attended sessions that sounded interesting or that my cohortmates invited me to. This year at ACPA in Montreal I was the only representative of my cohort and my goal was to be more intentional with the sessions I attended. I chose a combination of sessions on sexual violence prevention, microaggressions, and other topics related to my graduate assistantship and fieldwork experience. Because of my foundation of knowledge and experience in these areas I was able to contribute to the dialogue in these sessions while also identifying potential strategies for implementation back at home. Montreal was beautiful and a nice change of scenery, but the most rewarding part of the convention was that I was able to feel a sense of "home" within this organization. Although it is still too early to make a formal commitment or close the door to other organizations, I felt a better "fit" during this convention than I have at previous NASPA events. I will continue to attend these professional development conferences, as possible, and I hope to become more involved in both to deepen my understanding of these organizations and myself as a professional.