Admission Counselor University (ACU) is an annual event put on by the Iowa ACAC Professional Development Committee that exposes new admission professionals, whether day one on the job or nearly through their first year, to the valuable information they will need to succeed in the profession, and the advice of more experienced professionals in the field. ACU, typically held in-person over two days, was held virtually this year on July 21, 2020. Each session was hosted by members of the Committee, and attendees were sent a digital itinerary with each session’s title, time, and respective link. This year, 54 admission professionals statewide attended the virtual event.
Attendees listened to sessions to help them develop their listening skills, differentiate between recruiting and counseling, build the relationship between high school counselor and admission professional, learn the NACAC code of ethics, and listened to advice from more experienced professionals pertaining to travel and the field as a whole.
I attended ACU last summer as a new professional, and was grateful for the experience, especially because the event allowed me to network with others. That network definitely came in handy when I was able to see familiar faces while out on the road. Though I joined the Iowa ACAC Professional Development Committee fairly close to ACU, it was interesting to have exposure to how sessions were planned, and an even better experience to step up and present this year. My northwest Iowa travel buddy, John Peterson (UNI Admission Counselor) and I presented on our first travel season, from the hard lessons learned to the advice we would give to younger counselors.
Overall, ACU offered the admission professionals an opportunity to learn more and to network with others, albeit virtually. I hope all who attended enjoyed the event, and found the information useful. We can’t wait to see you all out on the road someday!