An Open Letter to ACPA Leadership

Last week, I attended ACPA: College Student Educators International's Annual Convention. This was the 10^th ACPA Convention I have attended over the past 11 years. I have always felt at home in ACPA and had the opportunity to serve on the Convention Planning Team this year.  Logistically, things went wrong that were out of our control – our closing speaker, Laverne Cox, cancelled 2 weeks before Convention and then our replacement speaker, Michael Sam, cancelled 1 day before. What emerged as a result of this unexpected situation still has me and many others in a state of cognitive dissonance – thinking, reflecting, and challenging ourselves to do better.

As student affairs educators, we strive to create inclusive communities on our campus, within our departments, and for our students. But what happens when members of a professional association that claims equity and inclusion as one of its core values speak out that the association is not doing that? What happens when we “think” that we are creating an inclusive environment but are then challenged to see that is not the reality for all members? What happens when we publicly acknowledge that we are great advocates for some but not great advocates for all? 

Members of the T*Circle, a community for trans* and gender queer educators, wrote An Open Letter to ACPA Leadership and the 2015 Convention Planning Team. I am proud of ACPA for sharing this letter with members and addressing these concerns during the closing session, directly from our President, Executive Director, and speakers. To see two prominent scholars and educators (Dr. Stephen John Quaye and Rev. Jaime Washington) on stage openly expressing that we are not perfect, we make mistakes, but that we all need to do better was a powerful message. I just hope that those messages continue to shape our work and aren't forgotten now that Convention is over. 

Here is an interesting blog reflecting on these closing messages, ultimately that we must do better: http://mika-nicole.blogspot.com/2015/03/we-all-hurt.html