TABLE OF CONTENTS
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Welcome to the ACUI Region VII Newsletter, where I hope you’ll find everything you need to stay up to date on the happenings of Region VII. If you’re a seasoned ACUI Veteran, I hope you continue to find the community, connections, and development you’ve known for years. If you’re new to ACUI, I hope you, like me, realize how great of a family ACUI and Region VII can be in supporting your personal and professional development.
Inside this issue you’ll learn hear from our Regional Director, explore the sights of the past regional conference, learn about the joys of volunteering with ACUI, and much more!
In Campus Community, Zac Lomas
Updates From the Regional Director
Chris Taylo
Regional D Rutgers Un
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As we close out anothe Region VII, I want to tak on all that we’ve accom share my gratitude for each of you who make our region such a vibrant, passionate, and supportive community This year has truly been one of growth, connection, and community, filled with programs that brought us together in new and impactful ways
into an empowering space for mid-level professionals to reflect, set goals, and continue shaping their leadership journey Thank you to everyone who made this inaugural program such a success your enthusiasm and thoughtful feedback have already sparked ideas for future sessions
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We kicked things off with Grad & Grow, where emerging professionals and graduate students had the opportunity to learn, build relationships, and lay the groundwork for their future in our field This program continues to be one of my favorites because it so perfectly captures the heart of ACUI: developing people, fostering community, and preparing the next generation of leaders I am excited to announce that for our 5 anniversary of Grad & Grow, we will be hosting at two locations; a northern university and a southern university!!!
Our year culminated at Montclair State University for the 2025 Regional Conference, where more than 150 of us gathered to learn, share, and celebrate the incredible work happening across our campuses The energy, collaboration, and creativity on display reminded me once again why this region is so special To the Montclair team and all who volunteered, presented, or participated thank you for helping us end the year on such a high note For those that couldn’t make it, I would love to hear how we can help get you to next year’s regional conference
Updates From the Regional Director
p g pp , represent our region, and help create spaces where you can grow and connect The strength of Region VII lies in its people, and leading alongside you is one of the greatest honors of my professional life
And speaking of supporting our volunteers, we have exciting opportunities for those who want to get more involved We currently have open positions on the Conference Planning Team (CPT) If you’ve ever considered stepping into a leadership role, contributing to regional programs, or expanding your professional network, I encourage you to apply Your voice, your ideas, and your passion are exactly what keep Region VII thriving
edible year, Region VII. I’m will continue to build
ConfessionsofanACUI Volunteer
Zac
Lomas Communications Coordinator
Rutgers University - New
Brunswick
For those who don’t know me, my name is Zac Lomas and I’ve been editing the Region VII Newsletter for the past 2 years My volunteer term ends with the coming of the new year, which means this is my last newsletter, so I wanted to pull back the curtain and provide a little insight into how I got here and what this experience has meant to me
Like so many of us, I didn’t ask for this particular role, but was asked to fill it when it was vacant In retrospect this was exactly the opportunity I needed to fit my skillset and grow within the Region
Over the past 2 years, I’ve been able to put my own spin and identity on this Newsletter, adding narrative storytelling to its repertoire, highlighting the incredible work and even more incredible people of Region VII
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unions specifically But more than that, it continues to help me grow as a professional
Volunteering with ACUI is something that has always been a part of my identity since my first Regional conference back at Penn State in 2018, when my supervisor made sure that we all signed up for some sort of volunteer opportunity at the conference
Even though my volunteer responsibilities at that conference consisted solely of watching the silent auction for a few hours, I remember being in awe of the Conference Planning Team and Regional Leadership Team. Those teams had clearly put in so much work to make an incredible experience and I knew I wanted to be up on the stage in their shoes one day.
And suddenly, I was. After finishing grad school, getting a job, and luckily staying in Region VII, I was able to volunteer on CPTs and then join the RLT
Surrounded by amazing professionals and frequently provided with the opportunity to network and learn from them is one of the greatest gifts of being an ACUI volunteer
Many of us text, call, or email one another when we need to bounce ideas off of each other or just support one another when we’re dealing with the challenges that come with working in higher education.
ACUI is an organization that is only as strong as its members and I know that Region VII has consistently been blessed with strong members. However, that pipeline is only as strong as the next person coming through it. Is that person you?
If you’re not already envisioning yourself on the stage at next year’s conference or serving in some sort of volunteer role with ACUI, start thinking about it. While it may not pay you back financially, the relationships, experiences, and knowledge are well worth the time put into any volunteer position.
I know that in giving back to ACUI we also receive so much.
While this certainly won’t be the end of my volunteer journey with ACUI (I still have a few tricks up my sleeve), I can say that it has been an honor to serve Region VII in this capacity and I cannot wait to see who picks up this mantle after me!
In Campus Community - Always,
Zac Lomas Communications Coordinator
RegionalConference Scrapbook
Let’s look back on 3 incredible days of learning, friendship, and of course, community, at Montclair State University through our favorite snapshots of the weekend that was! You may even see yourself!
RegionalConference Scrapbook
2025RegionVII AwardWinners
Edgar A. Whiting Award
As the highest Region VII honor, this award is presented to an outstanding member of Region VII who has consistently performed above and beyond the call of duty in their role within ACUI and in their institution(s). The individual has attained prominence through efforts to develop the college union and student activities movement on a regional basis through their work within the Association and on their campuses. They exemplify the core values of ACUI by demonstrating exceptional commitment and support of other colleagues and continually volunteering in regional activities, councils, and programs to help advance the mission of ACUI
Clayton Kolb West Chester University
Melissa Ulmer Rowan University
Christine A. Chergi Award
This award serves to honor and recognize a longtime college union or student activities professional of a Region VII member institution who has made exceptional contributions and demonstrated a longterm commitment to the profession and within Region VII The recipient of this award will have demonstrated long-term volunteer service to Region VII and the college union/student activities field with a minimum of 10 years relevant career experience in the college union/student activities field The nominee must currently be involved in or recently retired from a member affiliated institution of ACUI and in Region VII
Zachary Lomas Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick
Joseph H. Benedict Award
This is an award that recognizes leadership, volunteer service and commitment to Region VII and the Association. The recognized individual will have 5–10 years of relevant career experience and displayed service, activism, and participation in the region and Association, while demonstrating an inspirational commitment to the college unions and student activities movement in addition to the mission and values of ACUI.
Outstanding New Professional Award
This award is for an outstanding new professional who has been identified as a model of employee service and volunteer involvement. The recognized individual will have served 5 years or less in the profession of college unions and/or student activities, demonstrated a support to the region and Association, positive impact on the community served, and commitment to fulfilling the role of the college union. Additional consideration will be given to individuals who have demonstrated support to Region VII and/or the Association by their involvement
Outstanding Graduate Student
This award is given to an outstanding graduate student of a member institution of Region VII who has shown exemplary performance in the college union/student activities field and/or commendable service to ACUI
Salvatore Kallai
Montclair State University
Emily Inserra Montclair State University
Luanne Hernandez Ramapo College
Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award
This award is given to an outstanding undergraduate student of a member institution of Region VII who has shown dedicated work ethic in the student union/student activities field.
William Paterson University with Commons Community Builders: Celebrating 50 Years of Building Community in the Student Center!
William Patterson University
Outstanding Community Building Program Award
This award recognizes any program that fosters the enhancement of the campus community. The nominated program will demonstrate clearly stated objectives, include assessment data and/or evaluation materials, and supporting documentation including publicity material, photographs, and/or student testimonials.
Heart of the Campus Award - Advancing Community Spaces
This award recognizes a planned, implemented and evaluated space within a Region VII College Union that embodies ACUI’s Role of the College Union statement.
The nominated space strives to “advance a sense of community, unifying the institution by embracing the diversity of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guests.”
This space “bolsters the educational mission of the institution and the development of students as lifelong learners”.
Basic Needs Center
Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick
While next year’s conference feels far away, it’s never too early to start thinking about which colleagues, programs, or spaces you’ll nominate for a Region VII award. Make sure to start collecting documentation of events, assessment, and testimonials so you can make your case to be the next individual, office or event showcased in next year’s awards recap!
Information about Region VII Awards can be found here.
EducationConnection
InReflection:
Aside from my day job, I teach a Psychology of Leadership course, where two of my favorite worlds meet. It’s a hands-on class built on service, Socratic seminars, and presentations. One of the things I stress with my students is that learning doesn’t just come from doing, it comes from taking a moment to reflect on what you’ve done
I see this in my own home. My son will spend hours building a Lego masterpiece, only to have it collapse when he adds the final piece. It’s not until he pauses and thinks it through that everything finally makes sense That pause, that reflection, is where real learning lives
That same belief has guided my four years as Education Coordinator for our region. Together, we created the Grad and Grow Institute, brought Mental Health First Aid training to our community, and launched The Next Steps Conference, each designed as a space to reflect, grow, and get better I’m especially grateful for Sidra, who stepped in seamlessly this year and elevated what we built.
These four years have given me a deep appreciation for ACUI and a lot of personal growth. I’m confident the next person who takes the torch will continue moving the region forward.
Thank you for the honor. Signing off for now.
Antonio Talamo
During my year as co-ed coordinator, I learned what it means to be a leader. It’s easy to think that a leader is someone with a fancy title who wields power without a care. Through experience, though, I realized that is not who a leader is.
A leader is quiet - they know that they do not need to be loud because their actions speak volumes. They lead by example, showing others consideration even when it may not be advantageous to them. They lend a helping hand whenever they can, care for others, and think ahead when making decisions, encouraging collaboration I have been truly blessed to have seen so many examples of good leaders through my work, ACUI, and as ed-coordinator working with Antonio. You are all who I want to be when I grow up. Thank you! <3
Sidra Habal
Antonio Talamo
Sidra Habal
RegionVIIRising: StudentSpotlights
Marc Zamora (he/him)
Marc Zamora is a graduate student at West Chester University pursuing a master’s degree in Applied Statistics. He currently serves as the Graduate Assistant for Sykes Student Union, where he supports both daily operations and long-term initiatives within the student union, utilizing data-driven insights to improve staff engagement. His responsibilities span scheduling, hiring, and training, producing survey reports, planning monthly Building Manager socials, supervising the Graphic Design Team, and supporting team-building efforts and largescale campus traditions such as Ramboree and Banana Day.
Marc brings a logical yet people-centered approach to his work, focusing on creating systems that help student employees feel prepared, connected, and supported He utilizes assessment data to inform decisions while still prioritizing belonging and relationship-building within his teams Across all of his roles in the Union, Marc values consistency, clear communication, and making the student union a welcoming space for all
Marc is also involved with ACUI Region VII, where he previously served on the Regional Awards Committee, helping recognize outstanding work and leadership across the region. Going forward, he hopes to continue expanding his involvement with ACUI as part of the Annual Conference Management Team assisting in professional development and student learning on a nation-wide scale.
Originally from Penn State Main Campus, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing, Marc continues to build on his passion for organizational effectiveness, student development, and creating meaningful campus experiences through his work at Sykes Student Union.
SpotlightonVII
Calling all book lovers! We are excited to announce our relaunch of our Region VII Book Club with our next book: A Mind Unraveled: A Memoir by Kurt
Eichenwald
A Mind Unraveled tells the story of author Kurt Eichenwald’s experiences as a person with epilepsy, his struggles with discrimination, alienation, trauma and a negligent medical system. Eichenwald’s inspirational and, at times, very visceral and upsetting story holds relevance to our work in higher education
A Mind Unraveled offers a glimpse into a world few have truly experienced. Eichenwald holds nothing back in sharing his lived experience with the reader, drawing not just from his memories, but also his diaries, records, and eyewitness testimony by friends and family when his condition prevents him from recalling all that has happened to him Written in the unmistakable and matter-of-fact prose of a journalist, this book is a real page-turner that you will find hard to put down once you begin reading.
The discrimination, abuse and inability for the longest time to receive proper treatment Eichenwald faces because of his epilepsy is truly shocking. What’s more shocking is that Eichenwald’s experience is a modern one. Having only been diagnosed with epilepsy in the late 1970s, Eichenwald’s memoir is not a retrospective on a distant, less enlightened age, but of our own modern world which still struggles to treat people with epilepsy, the neurodivergent, and people with mental illness with dignity In our own work, we as higher education professionals can draw many lessons from the Eichenwald’s memoir
This book was selected by Zac Lomas, who won this opportunity as part of this year’s silent auction and was chosen specifically due to his personal experiences with epilepsy and his own belief in the importance of supporting students with disabilities.
The Book Club will meet next to discuss A Mind Unraveled Wednesday, January 14 at 12:00PM If interested in attending, please check your emails to complete the RSVP form that was sent out by Monday, January 12 . th th
We look forward to seeing you there. Happy reading!
Let me start with the end - I honestly don’t know the answer to the question “Is it Actually Inclusive for ACUI to Eliminate the Inclusivity Coordinator”? I do know that it is more nuanced than: “of course not”.
After serving as the Region VII Inclusivity Coordinator for 2.5 years, I found out this summer that the new Regional Leadership Team (RLT) structures would no longer include an Inclusivity Coordinator. I’d be able to serve out the end of my term - which officially ends in a few weeksbut neither I nor anyone else would serve in the role come January 2026.
We know it is the responsibility of everyone on CPT and RLT to make the regional conferences, other regional events, and the regional experience accessible and welcoming to everyone- but when everyone has other primary responsibilities, there was always someone responsible for making sure accessibility and inclusion was being considered Is there a chance the same attention won’t exist- there definitely is In an organization that has always made inclusion a focus, there is no longer someone whose primary responsibility is inclusion
Eddie Seavers Region VII Inclusivity Coordinator
But Region VII isn’t the only region in ACUI The impact of decisions by the current administration is felt differently across the country and we have colleagues and institutions throughout the United States that might not be allowed to have anything to do with ACUI if there was still an Inclusivity Coordinator. Just like us, our colleagues look to ACUI for professional (and personal) development and this change may be necessary to keep them connected to ACUI. And then, there are millions of students at schools represented by these professionals who have a better college experience when the staff learn and grow through ACUI and can best serve those students. While there are many layers to it, maintaining the Inclusivity Coordinator position could harm students from wide swaths of the country.
As I said at the start, I don’t know if this was the right decision but I do know there will be colleagues from across the region serving on CPT and RLT who must and will pay extra attention to inclusion and accessibility, knowing there is no longer one person who will be able to double check or push back on things. It really must be the responsibility of many and not just of one.
We understand that sometimes folks in ACUI use acronyms or terms that not all members are familiar with. While we try our hardest to avoid this, you still may hear these terms and phrases and not be sure what they mean. To help everyone stay in-theknow, here is a glossary of commonly used ACUI acronyms or terms that you may hear in the future.
ACUI - The abbreviation for Association of College Unions International
Annual Conference - Association-wide meeting held each year
Board of Trustees - Volunteers that work on determining and advancing strategic directions, governing over long-term goals, representing the association to other members, and setting the tone for member experience
The Bulletin - ACUI’s online member magazine
CAS - Council for the Advancement of Standards
CO - Central Office
Community of Practice - A term referring to networks of members that share a common interest.
CPT - Conference Planning Team (team planning Regional conferences or could refer to Conference Program Team (team planning annual Conference)
CUPSI - The abbreviation for College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational
ERF - Education and Research Fund
ILEAD® - Institute for Leadership Education and Development, I-LEAD® is ACUI’s premier student program, designed to emphasize the key concept areas of leadership, community development, and change
IPDS - IPDS: New Professionals Orientation is an introduction to the profession that offers ample idea sharing, discussion of theory and skills, and opportunities to network
RD - Regional Director Regional directors serve as the chief administrator of their region, representing regional activities to other ACUI leaders and members.
Region VII - ACUI is broken down into eight separate regions that cover the globe. Region VII is made up of Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland , New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Quebec.
RLT - Regional Leadership Team
VDT - Volunteer Development Team
Wanttobefeaturedinthe NewsletteroronSocialMedia?
As communication coordinators, Dom Hannon and I, have a goal to consistently provide our Region VII members with content about our members, events, student unions, and more.
However, we can’t do that without you! Our members are the lifeblood of our Region and so we want to hear your stories, your successes, see your building, and more. To be featured just fill out our content form which can be found by scanning the QR code on this page.
We can’t wait to hear from you!
-Zac Lomas