UPEI to host Regional Conference on Student Services

From Sunday, May 27 to Wednesday, May 30, 2012, the University of Prince Edward Island will host the annual conference of the Atlantic Association of College and University Student Services (AACUSS).

Every spring, professionals who work directly with students at post-secondary institutions across the Atlantic provinces gather to share best practices, professional development, and research. This year's conference theme is Collaboration: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The focus will be on sharing pragmatic collaborative solutions and creative strategies for making the student experience successful.

The AACUSS membership is made up of student affairs officers and professionals from counselling, health services, financial aid, housing, accessibility services, international services, career services, and other areas that deal directly with student life. At this year's annual general meeting, a new division for academic support services will be established.

'We want to offer tangible takeaways for our membership,' says James Reddin, conference chair and counsellor at UPEI Student Services. 'Open dialogue about how we use collaboration to get the job done -or not- is critical to student engagement, retention and success.'

AACUSS 2012 will engage participants with exciting keynote speakers and showcase the considerable talents of student services professionals right here at home. Conference participants are invited to give presentations and workshops or participate in panel discussions about how collaboration works on their campuses. The AACUSS conference also offers a unique networking opportunity with social events and an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding achievement in the field.

In January, watch for more information on AACUSS 2012 on aacuss.ca.