Membership Benefits


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Membership in the Association of Chief Academic Officers (ACAO) offers multiple benefits to both institutions and individuals.

Member institutions enjoy visibility as leaders on issues of import in academic affairs both within ACAO proper and in increasingly close working relationship with the American Council of Education (ACE).  ACAO-member institutions receive discounted registration fees and a voice in programming at the ACE Annual Meeting.

Chief Academic Officers are benefited through networking opportunities in an organization that brings together CAOs from the full spectrum of institutional types within the United States and internationally.  The ACAO network provides opportunities for CAOs to share knowledge of effective practices with one another; to brainstorm on issues of shared import, both at national meetings and via the ACAO Community Forum; and to work with ACE on the development of new CAOs and aspiring academic affairs leaders.  ACAO provides leadership opportunities for those interested in service to and through a professional organizations.  Leadership roles in the association, such as officer, board, and committee chair positions, are available to chief academic officers who are ACAO members or serve at a member institutions.  Perhaps most importantly, CAOs at ACAO-member institutions play an important role in shaping and professionalizing the role of CAO throughout the higher education sector.

See below for a comprehensive list of these and other member benefits:

  • Access to a dynamic webpage for CAO’s
  • Opportunity to network, share and ask questions through ACAO webpage
  • Ability to form social circles for peer-to-peer conversations with  ACAO colleagues
  • Member-only access to peer data
  • Access to peer coaching and mentoring
  • Opportunity to engage in conversations across higher education sectors nationally and internationally
  • Opportunity to shape the national higher education conversation
  • Access to CAO publications papers and documents
  • CAO representation on ACE Commission on Leadership Council
  • Discount (15%) on ACE national meeting registration fee