Senior Student Affairs Officers

Lisa Kirkpatrick, Vice President for Student Affairs, St. Edward's University, and conference chair

ACCU Welcome
Michael Galligan-Stierle, President, ACCU

ASACCU Welcome
Kathy Byrnes, Association Vice President for Student Affairs, Villanova University, and ASACCU chair

Conference Overview
Lisa Kirkpatrick, Vice President for Student Affairs, St. Edward's University, and conference chair

The Coming Disruption in Higher Education

Extensive Gallup studies over the past couple of years have measured things that have never been measured before in education, including the largest representative study of college graduates and their long-term career and life outcomes. Surprising findings from Gallup’s other research — including the public’s perception of higher education, results from a survey of college presidents, and a nationally representative study on perceptions of free speech on campus — will reshape our thinking about what elements of the higher education experience and curriculum are most important for the long-term success of graduates. 

Jessi Gordon, Senior Consultant, Gallup, Inc.

The Common Good and the Quest for Truth: Dialogue at the Heart of Catholic Higher Ed

Drawing from the deep theological connection between love and truth, the speaker will offer a conceptual framework to see that difference and disagreement can be important opportunities both in the quest for truth and in the journey to develop our campus communities into the flourishing, welcoming places they are called to be as Catholic colleges and universities.

Dana Dillon, Associate Professor, Departments of Theology and Public and Community Service Studies, Providence College

Freedom or Entitlement: Generation Z and Their Impact on Higher Education

It is not unusual for colleges and universities to respond to the shifts in student culture once those changes begin to manifest on campus. Oftentimes we do not recognize a culture shift until we are responding to it. In recent years, shifts in self-censorship, freedom of speech and expression, harassment, and student expectations have accompanied the newest generation of students on our campuses: Generation Z.  Born between 1994 and 2014, this unique generation requires university leadership to be prepared to respond to student concerns in innovative ways, ways that consider and set legal precedent. Using the lenses of diversity and pluralism, this session will include a discussion about the general legal framework for speech rights at private institutions, unpack the influence of Generation Z on our campuses, and interrogate whether this generation is motivated by freedom or entitlement.

Stephen Vaughan, Principal, Gray Plant Mooty

Charting Your Course:  LCHE Overview

Kyle Ryan, Media Specialist, ACCU