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November 2007
Dear friends:
Welcome to the website of the Association for Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities.
ASACCU was founded in 1999 by a group of student affairs practitioners working at Catholic colleges and universities in the United States. The purpose of the organization is
to provide an opportunity for communication and colleagueship among student affairs professionals who work at Catholic institutions. ASACCU also provides opportunities to increase one's
knowledge and understanding of the Catholic intellectual tradition, as well as opportunities to discuss how to apply that understanding in one's day-to-day work with students on
campus. ASACCU is an independent organization, but is affiliated with the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU). We also collaborate with the Jesuit Association
of Student Personnel Administrators (JASPA), and many Jesuit institutions are members of both organizations.
We gather together once a year for an annual conference at the end of July. Our conference was held this past summer on the campus of the University of Portland (OR) as we
explored the theme of "Our Mission: Their Future." Villanova University in Philadelphia will host the 2008 conference on July 23-26, 2008. The theme will be "Transforming Hearts and
Minds." Planning is underway so watch this website for information.
I would like to highlight a few things as we move into the new membership year.
- Last year in this letter I announced that ASACCU, JASPA, and ACCU were collaborating on a process for creating a document, Principles of Good Practice in Student Affairs at Catholic
Colleges and Universities, based upon the document developed jointly by ACPA and NASPA in 1996-97. In November of 2006, a group of leaders in Catholic higher education and
student affairs met for a weekend at Wye River, Maryland, and wrote the first draft of the document. The document was shared at national meetings of the three sponsoring
organizations in 2007. Feedback was recorded and included in subsequent drafts.
I am proud to announce that the Principles are complete and a PDF is linked on the home page of this website. The Principles will be sent in booklet form to the presidents and senior student affairs officers (SSAOs) at all Catholic colleges and universities in North America before the end of the 2007 fall semester. We believe that the Principles will help us be more proactive in articulating how our work is grounded in and contributing to the Catholic identity of our institutions.
- In October 2007, ASACCU held its first SSAO round table, hosted by Loyola University Chicago. Space was limited to 24 participants and was quickly sold out. The event was so
well-received that we will make it an annual activity. In October 2008 Saint Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas will host the round table.
- If you have attended NASPA national conferences, you know that JASPA has organized Mass on the Sunday of the conference to which all Catholic conference participants are invited. We
have made a similar commitment to the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) to organize Sunday Mass during its national conference each spring. We believe this is an
important service to all of our Catholic colleagues in higher education. If you will be attending ACPA in Atlanta, watch for the time and place in the program.
As always, I would welcome your input on any of these matters. You may reach me by email at estaneks@canisius.edu or by phone at 716-888-2760.
God's peace and my best wishes for 2008.
Sandra M. Estanek, Ph.D.
ASACCU Executive Director
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