The Association of Christians in Student Development (ACSD) is a global organization that "provide[s] opportunities for the integration of Scripture and the Christian faith in the Student Development profession." ACSD's work with Christians at institutions around the world seeks to support and equip student development professionals through networking and professional development. Its primary services include an annual summer conference, two publications, career services, and topic-based collaboratives.
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History
In 1980, two student personnel associations, the Association of Christian Deans and Advisors of Men (ACDAM) and the Christian Association of Deans of Women (CADW), decided to merge to provide greater opportunities for collaboration and connection. Since their union, Christian men and women across the country have gathered together annually for professional development and networking opportunities.
Membership
Most ACSD members are employed by colleges within the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), though several serve in affiliated or non-affiliated institutions.
Annual Conference
Each June, a Christian college or university hosts an annual conference at its institution. Conferences typically feature notable scholars or practitioners in the fields of education or ministry. In addition to these keynote sessions, workshops are facilitated by ACSD members on a variety of topics pertaining to the field. Key foci of these times generally revolve around collaboration (within the profession and one's own institution), spiritual development, and whole-person education.
Publications
ACSD oversees two separate publications, Koinonia and Growth. Koinonia is published twice per year, and Growth is published once. Koinonia is not focused on academic research and instead is a magazine which tries to "explore student culture, and share and learn from each other’s experiences, best practices, and stories". GROWTH has a more academic focus, and provides a place for Christian authors to publish academic student development research.