A Message from ACAO President
Martha A. Potvin

Dear Colleague, 

It is an honor and pleasure to serve as ACAO’s president for 2018–2019.   Along with our Board of Directors and Advisory council members, we hope show you how ACAO can make an important difference in your professional lives and through you, to your institutions.  I am excited to get to know more of you, along with your interests and concerns, in the coming year.

Although ACAO is only three years old, we are becoming an indispensable resource for Chief Academic Officers.  We offer a place where like-minded individuals can apply innovative ideas to address common concerns and solve common problems.  We are a growing network of over 100 Chief Academic Officers advocating for each other.  Whether you’re new to your position, seeking a different one or an accomplished practitioner, ACAO is here to serve and support you.

With the generous support of a $1 million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, ACAO has the distinct honor of preparing provosts from around the country to lead their campuses in Digital Learning.  Our inaugural class of thirty fellows has and continues to produce valuable insights, experience and data on all aspects of digital learning.  Our success thus far has inspired us to seek funding for additional cohorts.

ACAO hosts monthly webinars and digital round tables on various topics moderated by our Advisory Council with live Q&A. Members of our Advisory Council have served in the chief academic officer role during their career, and many of them are now retired. These convenings offer valuable advicegiven by seasoned colleagues, hoping to help our members stay ahead of current trends and issues impacting their campus work. 

ACAO continues to seek members from all types of higher education institutions and members participate at many levels including serving on our various committees.  Everyone’s ideas and willingness to serve are welcome.

You can find more about ACAO on our website.  Please join or renew your membership, for it is only together where we can influence change and move our profession forward.  I look forward to working with you and meeting you at the ACAO breakfast and sessions for chief academic officers at the 2019 annual ACE conference in Philadelphia.  

Sincerely,

Martha Potvin, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Springfield College

• Join Now and Receive 13 Months of Membership for the Price of 12, through June 30, 2019! For more information, contact [email protected] 
  
  
• ACAO in the News! CAO's Believe in Adaptive Learning Tools, but Lack Campus Support - EdTech, Meghan Bogardus Cortez

• Campus Tech Trends That Will Matter Most in 2018  -  Digital Resource Library!

• To A Degree Podcast: Episode 11: For this episode of To A Degree, a panel of Chief Academic Officers gathers to discuss what it means to go digital; what higher ed is doing well, what higher ed must do better, how to engage and support faculty in the effort to bring digital resources into instruction, and the working relationship between the CAO and the CIO.
• To A Degree Podcast: Episode 10: High Impact Higher Ed: New Research reveals that some institutions have more success than others in helping students from low-income backgrounds move up the socioeconomic ladder.  We talk with researchers about these important new findings and the presidents of two colleges cited as being high impact institutions.
• Recording Now Available!

  A conversation with EDUCAUSE president John O’Brien about the opportunities “going digital” present to enhance student learning and engagement and to improve retention and degree completion.   

• Resources for Current Topics: Issues surrounding freedom of expression on campus.  Links and Information on current topics important to CAO's in Higher Education.

• Recording Now Available!   ACAO/NADOHE Joint Webinar Event "Chief Diversity Officers and Chief Academic Officers in Collaboration "

ACAO Free Coffee Hour  Discussions!

Mark Your Calendars!

April 24: Responding to the Case Against Academia

May 22: Planning a Professional Transition

**June 26: Working with Your CFO/CBO*    **RESCHEDULED for September due to summer schedules and low registration.

*Please note: Registration is reserved for CAOs only.