Commission for Academic Support in Higher Education logo

Thank you for stopping by to learn more about the Commission for Academic Support in Higher Education. Take some time to look through our content and don’t hesitate to share how you’d like to get involved. Use the menu below to jump to a section of interest.

Please contact us at [email protected] or connect with the members of our Directorate Body with questions or ideas.

Our Mission

To provide outreach, professional development, advocacy, and networking opportunities for student and academic affairs professionals interested in learning about and enhancing all aspects of academic support.  We conceptualize academic support to include academic advising; student academic transitions; academic preparedness; and developmental education among other forms of support.

Our VISION

As a commission, we seek to – 

    • Promote best practices in academic support;

    • Provide multiple avenues for professional development throughout the year;

    • Provide up-to-date information about emerging trends and research in academic support;

    • Articulate and demonstrate the interconnectedness between student affairs and academic support; and,

    • Create a supportive community of academic support professionals within

Commission history

The Commission for Academic Support in Higher Education was founded in March 1977 as the Commission for Learning Centers in Higher Education.  Back when ACPA used the numerical system to note Commission names, we were Commission XVI.  Over the years of our existence, we gradually expanded our focus to include other functional areas that may fall under the heading of Academic Support, including academic advising, developmental education, tutoring programs, first year programs, living-learning communities, learning assistance programs, learning centers, and any others who view learning across academic and student affairs to be their primary functional area.  In July 1995, our name officially changed to “Academic Support in Higher Education.”  During the late 2000’s, the Commission was dormant within ACPA, but since then has been reinvigorated and has invested significant effort into providing ACPA members working in academic support with quality programming and professional development opportunities.  In 2017, the Commission will celebrate its 40th Anniversary at Convention in Columbus, Ohio (USA).  As a Commission, we believe that students and their academic success should receive active and effective support from student development and the academic community.

Meet the Directorate

Eve Millett

CASHE Co-Chair

University of Hawaii at Manoa

[email protected]

Bill Burden
Bill Burden

CASHE Co-Chair

Lehigh University

[email protected]

Amanda Parkman
Amanda Parkman

Immediate Past Co-Chair

University of Arizona

[email protected]

Julie Lynch
Julie Lynch

Immediate Past Co-Chair

University of Connecticut

[email protected]

Dana McGuire
Dana McGuire

Member-at-Large & Past Chair

Virginia Tech

[email protected]

Jen Bonarek

Co-Vice Chair for Member Communication

Benedictine University

[email protected]

Kim Kearns

Vice Chair for Professional Development

Bellarmine University

[email protected]

Atiya R. Smith
Atiya R. Smith

Member-at-Large: Professional Development

Hood College

[email protected]

Aaron Jones

Member-at-Large: Professional Development

University of California Santa Cruz

[email protected] 

Leah Fishman

Co-Vice Chair for Member Communication

University of Akron

[email protected]

Jacqueline Huggins

Member-at-Large: Professional Development

The University of the West Indies

[email protected]

Thomas Dickson

Member-at-Large

Erica Osiecki

Member-at-Large: Convention

Boston University

[email protected]

Get Involved

The sharing of resources, materials, and ideas keeps our Commission on the cutting edge of work in our fields. CASHE welcomes involvement through membership in the Commission, participation with special projects or on the Directorate, and communication through listserv conversation, Facebook, LinkedIn, newsletter articles, webinars, and other writing contribution. A number of important committee and/or leadership position assignments, either resulting from appointments made by the Commission Chair or by the Directorate, perform many of the essential duties of this Commission. These assignments vary widely in the time commitment they involved and, of course, in the functions they fulfill.  We encourage you to consider these formal and informal leadership positions In CASHE.

Ready to join?

Joining an Entity through the ACPA Member Portal automatically identifies you as a member of that Entity! You will begin to receive Entity communications through their respective email listserv and have access to any resources they share!

  1. Login to your ACPA Member Account
  2. Click on Community Groups (Chatter)
  3. Click Groups
  4. Click Active Groups
  5. Find the entity you want to join and within that group, click +Join

Contact one of the CASHE directorate members to learn more about ACPA’s Commission for Academic Support in Higher Education.

Any ACPA member can become involved and there are varying levels of involvement:

  • Join our listserv (sign up under “my profile” in the ACPA membership area)
  • Attend our open business meeting at the annual ACPA convention
  • Review conference programs for the annual convention
  • Submit a sponsored program proposal for the annual convention
  • Host a webinar
  • Submit a proposal for a paper to be published on our website
  • Tell us how CASHE can help you in your professional journey

CASHE Awards

Every year, the Commission for Academic Support in Higher Education (CASHE) recognizes dedicated academic support professionals at convention. The open nominations process allows professionals across the field to nominate themselves and others for recognition of their service to and for academic support. The standing awards for CASHE include:

Nominations for the 2023 Awards season are being accepted through 11 December 2022!

Commitment to Excellence in Academic Support

This award is presented to an individual who has shown a sustained commitment to the field of Academic Support through leadership, scholarship or practice. The individual must have a minimum of 4 years of professional experience in higher education academic support.

Innovative Academic Support Initiative

This award is presented to an individual or group who has shown innovation in the development of new or redesigned programs, practices, and collaborations to enhance Academic Support on an individual campus or within the larger field.

Outstanding New Professional

This award is presented to a new professional who has shown outstanding work in the field of academic support. The individual must have 3 or fewer years of professional experience in higher education academic support.

Outstanding Graduate Student

This award is presented to a graduate student who has shown outstanding work in the field of academic support. The individual must be currently enrolled in a masters or doctoral program at an accredited college or university.

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