ACPA-ASHE Presidential Symposium
Join us Virtually via Zoom
Event Details
Imagining the Path Forward: History, Mentorship, and Critical Hope in Higher Education
The 2025 ACPA-ASHE Presidential Symposium offers a space to reflect on the complexities of the current moment in higher education while envisioning new possibilities for the future. Grounded in historical context, the event invites participants to interrogate long-standing norms and practices, explore alternative approaches to engaging with the academy, and elevate creativity, innovation, mentorship, community, and Critical Hope as essential foundations for self-care and the future of higher education. Rather than offering quick fixes or one-size-fits-all solutions, this gathering encourages deep questioning and collective imagination to address systemic challenges through courageous leadership and transformative action.
Organized and facilitated by ACPA President Jonathan A. McElderry and ASHE President Eboni Zamani-Gallaher, the 8th Annual Presidential Symposium brings together scholars and practitioners to reflect on the moment.
How to engage with the Presidential Symposium:
- We invite higher education/student affairs graduate programs, student affairs divisions, and other campus departments to gather to watch the session together. Discounted group registration is available.
- Individuals are also able to watch the session on their own.
- Between each panel will be time for individual reflection through a PDF workbook provided to attendees.
Origins of the Presidential Symposium
The first ACPA-ASHE Presidential Symposium was held in 2018 under the leadership of Dr. Stephen John Quaye, Dr. Lori Patton Davis, and Dr. Shaun R. Harper. The symposium was held both virtually and in-person at the University of Southern California campus and was titled, ‘Presidential Symposium on Racism, Recovery, and Racial Justice in Higher Education.’ We are grateful for their ideas, labor, and leadership in establishing this event.
Schedule overview
- Welcome and Opening Remarks from ACPA President Jonathan McElderry and ASHE President Eboni Zamani-Gallaher
- Higher Education Context Panel Discussion
- Individual or Group Work Time
- Coloring Outside the Lines Panel
- Individual or Group Work Time
- Mentoring & Community-Driven Solutions Panel Discussion
- Individual or Group Work Time
- Critical Hope in this Moment Panel
- Symposium Closing
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