OSFA at ACPA
ACPA – College Student Educators International – hosted their annual convention in Long Beach, CA this February. UW–Madison had a strong presence, especially within DEM. MollyJo Bautch, Jorge Zuniga, Kari Temkin, Kristina Rittel, Stevi Parmentier, Bonniejean Zitske, and Kasie Strahl ventured to the west coast for learning, community, and beautiful sunsets.
Key takeaways from the Convention included:
Kasie & Stevi presented “Campus Thrills for Zero Bills: Reducing the Cost of Experience” to highlight and share the No Fees efforts happening at UW–Madison. Kari collaborated with Teri Schnelle, from University of Iowa, to present “Beyond the Paycheck: Maximizing Student Success through High-Impact Employment Strategies” to share the benefits of GROW: Guided Reflection on Work and Engaged Leaders through Employment. Both sessions prompted thoughtful discussion, creative ideas, and professional connections.
The theme of this year’s convention was “Take a breath… begin again.” Long Beach, California is on the traditional unceded homelands of the Tongva/ Gabrieleño, the Acjachemen/Juaneño, and the Toongvetam peoples. As an enrolled member of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation, Louis Paul John Epifano Valenzuela Robles was the convention’s Elder-In-Residence. He ended our time together with a Willow song, reminding us that the roots of a willow are deep, and no matter how the water flows or the wind blows, the branches of the willow bend but do not break. This is akin to the reminder that attacks on DEI are not new, we have been here before and we can take a breath, continue, and persevere.
If this convention sounds interesting to you, next year is sure to be great- especially with our own Kasie Strahl serving on the convention planning committee! Consider joining us for ACPA 2026 in Baltimore: https://baltimore2026.myacpa.org/
- Our approach should keep in mind that students are multifaceted and hold diverse identities. Support for the most marginalized identities is support of all identities.
- ”Begin Again: Practicing Resiliency through Contemporary Mindfulness” was Lama Rod Owens’ keynote which reminded us that the anger we may be feeling is a response to heartache and grief. Our systems may be crumbling, but we will not.
- We often approach educating white students as if they have never learned about race prior to college and they are “empty vessels.” However, prior to coming to college, students have received many layered lessons about race. Instead of assuming white students are “empty vessels,” we must acknowledge and deconstruct the lessons they have already been learning.
- As we seek to effectively serve historically underrepresented groups it’s critical to center an asset based approach. This includes shifting from “are students college-ready” to “are colleges student-ready.”
- Inclusive and intentional supervision is essential for retaining and developing professional staff. Effective supervisors build trust, engage in open communication, and create a supportive environment that fosters both individual and team growth.
Kasie & Stevi presented “Campus Thrills for Zero Bills: Reducing the Cost of Experience” to highlight and share the No Fees efforts happening at UW–Madison. Kari collaborated with Teri Schnelle, from University of Iowa, to present “Beyond the Paycheck: Maximizing Student Success through High-Impact Employment Strategies” to share the benefits of GROW: Guided Reflection on Work and Engaged Leaders through Employment. Both sessions prompted thoughtful discussion, creative ideas, and professional connections.
The theme of this year’s convention was “Take a breath… begin again.” Long Beach, California is on the traditional unceded homelands of the Tongva/ Gabrieleño, the Acjachemen/Juaneño, and the Toongvetam peoples. As an enrolled member of the Juaneno Band of Mission Indians, Acjachemen Nation, Louis Paul John Epifano Valenzuela Robles was the convention’s Elder-In-Residence. He ended our time together with a Willow song, reminding us that the roots of a willow are deep, and no matter how the water flows or the wind blows, the branches of the willow bend but do not break. This is akin to the reminder that attacks on DEI are not new, we have been here before and we can take a breath, continue, and persevere.
If this convention sounds interesting to you, next year is sure to be great- especially with our own Kasie Strahl serving on the convention planning committee! Consider joining us for ACPA 2026 in Baltimore: https://baltimore2026.myacpa.org/