Mission
Founded in 1945, the American Conference of Academic Deans (ACAD) is an individual membership organization dedicated to the professional development of academic leaders. Recognizing that provosts, deans, and other academic administrators undertake academic leadership as their “second discipline,” ACAD’s mission is to assist these leaders as they advance in careers dedicated to the ideals of liberal education. Through meetings and workshops relevant to the current and future directions of higher education, ACAD facilitates professional networking across institutional types in order to promote collaboration, innovation, and effective practice.
Vision
The American Conference of Academic Deans will be recognized as a leader in promoting the effective practice of academic leadership in higher education. Our professional development and networking opportunities will not only expand the expertise of academic leaders, they will also advance inclusive excellence in order to meet the changing needs of students, faculty, staff, and society and to foster their success. To these ends, we will also partner with other organizations whenever such partnerships serve the needs of our constituency.
Values and Guiding Principles
In fulfilling its mission, ACAD will be guided by certain values. We will:
- Uphold the highest ethical standards in our work and promote ethical development in our academic communities.
- Foster and support academic freedom.
- Promote within academic communities equity, diversity, and respect.
- Encourage innovation by faculty.
- Promote responsible stewardship of resources.
Approved by Board of Directors, April 2012
