2023 CPAK Conference Recap

The 2023 CPAK Conference was held on April 17, 2023 at the University of Kentucky.


2023 Conference Highlights

  • The CPAK 2023 Conference and Hall of Fame Dinner had a combined over 150 individuals in attendance making it the largest CPAK conference yet!
  • With an increased focus on affordability, CPAK provided EC Members, Conference Committee Members, Presenters, Panelists, and Award Winners with an 80% discount on registration as a thank you for their volunteer service to the profession.
  • CPAK was able to again provide an 80% discount on registration for all graduate students across the state.
  • CPAK was again able to present the conference virtually, ensuring more higher education professionals could participate in the conference.
  • CPAK awarded 4 scholarships to graduate students and professionals to help provide financial assistance to attend the conference.
  • In addition to the Hall of Fame Dinner, Business Meeting & Awards, and Keynote Speaker, CPAK was able to provide a variety of 9 educational sessions and a Student Affairs Professional Panel.
  • The Class of 2023 raised nearly $3,000 in donations. This money will be used to further CPAK’s mission, increase affordability and access to professional development opportunities in the state, further the field of Student Affairs, and provide support for Student Affairs graduate students.

2023 CPAK Award Winners

  • The Dr. Michael Cuyjet Outstanding Graduate Student Award
    • Shauna Jones (WKU)
  • The Outstanding New Professional Award
    • Mitchell Bumpus (WKU)
  • The Dr. Fred Rhodes Outstanding Service Award
    • Dr. Elizabeth Todd Byron (Bellarmine)
  • The Innovator Award
    • Meagan West (UofL)

2023 CPAK Keynote Speaker

Andrea D. Domingue, Ed.D (she/her/hers) is the Chief Strategy Officer for Student Life at Davidson College and ACPA President for 2022-2023. She received her Ed.D. in Student Development with a concentration in Social Justice Education (2014) and an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Feminist Studies (2013) from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, a M.A. in Higher Education Administration (2005) from New York University and a B.A. in Sociology and Mathematics (2003) from the University of Texas at Austin. Andrea has worked in a variety of student affairs functional areas such as residence life, multiple identity-based centers, and dean of student offices across large and small colleges. A scholar-practitioner, she currently teaches graduate courses on critical pedagogy and college student development at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, published the co-edited book “Black Women and Social Justice Education: Legacies and Lessons” through SUNY Press, and served as a co-author for ACPA’s “A Bold Vision Forward: A Framework for the Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization.” Lastly, Andrea is a recognized higher education association leader serving as Co-Chair for the Consortium of Higher Education Resource Professionals (2006-2009) and held multiple leadership positions with ACPA College Student Educators International (2009-present).

Andrea D. Domingue, Ed.D. 2022-2023 ACPA President

Conference Theme

Recharge your internal batteries by reconnecting with colleagues across the Commonwealth to reflect on your unique role and purpose in the field of higher education. Presenters will deliver conference sessions aligned with ACPA/NASPA competencies to provide opportunities for attendees to learn, grow, and reflect. Topics will include the current state of access and equity within higher education, lessons learned over the past three years, finding and fulfilling your “why,” and how to create institutional change for the betterment of the students we serve.

SA Pros Panel

The 2023 Student Affairs Professionals Panel explored the “non-traditional” experiences and pathways many of our colleagues have followed with the intent of focusing on how student affairs and higher education can be more inclusive, inviting, and accessible as a career. The goal was to challenge the “status quo” of a typical SA professional and provide a better understanding of others’ experiences so that institutions can better support, recruit, and retain these individuals.

Educational Sessions

The following educational sessions will be provided during the CPAK conference:

  • The Art of Refusing: Boundaries, Self-Care and Sustainability
  • Mentoring Matters: A Three-Tiered Approach to Mentor Engagement
  • Job Search Discovery
  • Showing Students We CARE: How to Utilize a Care Team Approach
  • The Art of Creating Space: An Expansive Approach to Inviting Students to Spiritual Reflection & Connection
  • Re-boarding: How Institutional Literacy Can Help You Feel More Involved
  • Strategies to Call-In Well-Intentioned White People to Work toward Social Justice
  • Re-KYnect with your team: Getting the most out of icebreakers and teambuilders to foster team cohesion
  • Your “Why” Matters: Connecting to Wellness, Connection, and Effectiveness

Conference Photo Gallery