"Welcome to the Commission on Professional Preparation. The Commission is committed to the recruitment, preparation and continuing education of student affairs professionals. Members work closely with the nation's graduate preparation programs with regard to the recruitment of new professionals and recommendations for curriculum improvement".
Deb Liddell,
Professional Preparation Commission
2008-2010 Chair

Mission Statement

The Professional Preparation Commission is committed to the preparation of student affairs professionals. It accomplishes this via a diverse graduate and continuing education directorate that: create opportunities for the recruitment of those interested in entering the student affairs profession; promote advanced learning opportunities that embrace critical values of the profession such as the development of the whole student, diversity, and ethics; and that seek to address the professional development of student affairs teaching faculty through collaborative opportunities for networking, scholarship, and service with colleagues.
Approved March 21, 1999

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR GRADUATE PROGRAMS APPLICANTS:
APRIL 15 ASSISTANTSHIP DEADLINE

Greetings Colleagues,

It that time of year again when interviews for our graduate programs are in full swing on many campuses. I was asked to remind everyone about our the April 15 common acceptance deadline for offers of financial support. Graduate program faculty members are reminded that at our 2002 ACPA Commission for Professional Preparation meeting, we passed a resolution supporting the Council of Graduate Schools policy (endorsed by over 350 institutions) stating that graduate students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support, including assistantships, prior to April 15 each year.  As always, we ask you to work with assistantship supervisors to help them understand the nature of this agreement, and to encourage them to abide by the deadline.

The members of the ACPA Commission for Professional Preparation seek support and enforcement of this resolution.  You can help by widely circulating the attached document to graduate students, applicants, and assistantship providers.

Thanks for your work on behalf of our students and future members of our profession.

Debora Liddell,  Chair
ACPA Commission for Professional Preparation

Getting to ‘YES’: A Guide to Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Graduate Applicant