What Professional Development Opportunities Does ACPA Offer?

ACPA–College Student Educators International offers professional development in several formats: conferences, webinars, and other learning resources, according to the association's own description of its work. The current event calendar shows this playing out as multi-week online institutes, single-session virtual programs, and a conference aimed specifically at master's students. If you are a student affairs or higher education professional, a faculty member, or a graduate student planning how to build skills over the next year, the options below are the concrete ones ACPA has published.

Formats ACPA Uses for Professional Development

ACPA describes its professional development as taking the form of "conferences, webinars, and other resources," framed around helping you "become the best higher education professional you can be." In practice, the published calendar breaks into three shapes:

• Multi-week online institutes — recurring sessions over roughly two months, aimed at a specific skill area such as supervision.
• Single-session virtual programs — one-hour online sessions under the ACPA2GO banner, each with a defined topic.
• Conferences — including a master's student conference scheduled across three separate Fridays.

All of the events currently listed are marked Online, so you can plan around remote attendance rather than travel.

Upcoming Programs on the Calendar

The events below are drawn from ACPA's published upcoming events listing. Dates and times are as shown there.

Note that the times listed for the two Fall 2026 programs are inconsistent in the source (a 12:00 pm start and a 3:00 pm start both ending at 1:00 pm), so confirm the actual schedule on the event page before committing.

What Each Type Is For

Supervisor Strengths Institute

ACPA describes this as learning "to become a more effective supervisor and show up authentically in your leadership role," with skills built around supervision. It runs across roughly eight weeks, so it suits someone who wants sustained practice rather than a one-off session — for example, a new supervisor who needs to handle one-on-ones, feedback, and team development over a full semester.

Strengths Accelerator Academy

This is delivered in partnership with Strengths University, and ACPA's listing describes it with the same "become a more effective supervisor" framing. Because both Fall 2026 programs share the same date range, treat them as related offerings and check each event page to see which one matches your level and goals.

ACPA2GO Virtual Sessions

ACPA2GO is described as a series of "virtual learning opportunities for student affairs and higher education professionals." Each session has a single topic — the two currently listed cover academic advising through a PBS (strengths-based) approach and college student belonging through a socio-ecological framework. These are the lowest-commitment entry point: one hour, one topic, no multi-week schedule.

Master's Student Conference

This is the clearest option for graduate students. It runs across three Fridays in October, three hours each, which fits around a graduate course load better than a multi-week institute.

How to Choose Based on Where You Are

• Graduate student or new to the field: start with the Master's Student Conference, then sample an ACPA2GO session to test whether the virtual format works for you.
• New or aspiring supervisor: the Supervisor Strengths Institute or Strengths Accelerator Academy gives you a structured, multi-week path rather than isolated tips.
• Experienced professional with a narrow question: a single ACPA2GO session on advising or belonging lets you get a specific framework without a semester-long commitment.
• Looking for the broadest overview: ACPA's own description points to conferences as a core format, so check the events page for additional conferences beyond the ones listed here.

Practical Notes Before You Register

• Every event in the current listing is online, so plan for video sessions rather than travel.
• The two Fall 2026 programs overlap in dates — verify which one you are enrolling in.
• Registration, pricing, and membership requirements are not stated in the source material, so check the individual event pages rather than assuming access terms.
• ACPA frames its work through "a racial justice and decolonization lens," which is worth knowing if you are choosing between associations or evaluating fit with your institution's priorities.

For the most current schedule and any registration details, go directly to the upcoming events section of myacpa.org.