The Annual Conference is the culmination of many things for our members and prospective members. For all of our educational members, 880 of whom participated this year (overall attendance was 1,007), this is the end of the academic year and a time to network and reconnect with colleagues from around the world. It’s a time for educational growth as attendees learn from more than 90 session presentations.

For recipients of the Teaching Excellence Award, Student Showcase, and Best of Regions Excellence Award, the Annual Conference is a time to be honored by colleagues and by ACBSP.

For representatives from colleges and universities that have achieved initial accreditation or reaffirmation of accreditation, the Annual Conference is a time to celebrate the hard work and dedication that resulted in a favorable accreditation decision. And for members who have just entered candidacy for accreditation, it is a time to observe best practices, to meet face-to-face with mentors and commissioners with questions about the accreditation process, and a time to learn more about  ACBSP and the services it provides its members.

Engaged Learning

“Engaged Learning in the Digital Age” was not only the conference theme, it was what was taking place among all in attendance, as session notes were added to mobile devices and photos and quotes were sent to the ACBSP Twitter account.

A Sense of Pride

The thread that connected conference attendees with the events taking place was a sense of pride in what ACBSP and its members have accomplished in the first 25 years. From a sea of blue ACBSP shirts during the Saturday “ACBSP Logo Day” to testimonials from past presidents and members at the Monday morning session, the sense of accomplishment and hope for future years was evident.

A visual summary of just some of the activities that took place in Chicago is available on Storify article, ACBSP: 25 Years Strong.