ACHE South 2025 Conference

2025 Letter from the President

Welcome to the Association for Continuing Higher Education!

It is my honor and privilege to serve as the president of the Association for Continuing Higher Education.  We are a thriving network of higher education professionals, supporting students in a variety of settings; degree completion, professional/workforce development, online learning, military, and other “contemporary student-centered" programs and services.  I smiled when a first-time attendee at our last conference told me: “I’m around people who understand what I do without my having to tell them!”  That sense of belonging and support is what has kept me connected to my “professional family” in ACHE for over 20 years.

If you are already a member, I encourage you to get involved in whatever ways have meaning for you.  Our webinars and conferences are great ways to engage with other professionals around topics of importance and relevance to your everyday work.  Committee membership enables you to share your expertise, or develop a new skill.    Whatever you do, you are supporting our professional community, learning things to take back to your institution, and expanding your professional network.

If you are not a member, please come join us.  Whether you are new to the field or a seasoned veteran, I know you will find connections that will last a lifetime and you will have access to programs and activities that will help you better serve your students and your institutions.

I look forward to seeing you, in person or virtually.

Warm regards, 

Terry Ratcliff, Ed.D.

2024-2025 President, Association for Continuing Higher Education

Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Chief Online Learning Officer,

Antioch University

Engage with ACHE through:

Events

• 87th Annual Conference in Milwaukee, WI, October 13-15, 2025 (in person)
• Spring and Summer Webinar Series (5 webinars in each)
• Feel the Love Social Events (virtual)
• Emerging Leaders Institute (hybrid)
• Certificate in Leadership (in-person at the Annual Conference)
• Regional Conferences 

Publications

• Journal of Continuing Higher Education
• “5 minutes with ACHE” Newsletter
• “The evolllution”, A Modern Campus Illumination Newsletter in partnership with ACHE 

Resources

• Jobs Board
• Webinar Library of over 30 webinars on a variety of relevant topics

Build Your Network and Collaborate with Peers

• Join ACHE Committees to develop and hone your skills
• Connect with business partners who can make your daily work efficient and profitable
• Find your community of professionals in the non-traditional student education sector 

Career Development

• Present at Conferences
• Test new ideas with ACHE that you can bring to your institution
• Volunteer to serve on committees that interest you to develop and hone your skills
• Run for office at the regional and national level of ACHE 

Recognize Outstanding Contributions to Continuing Higher Education

• Awards
• Grants