ALPINE Sul Ross State University’s Director of Residential Living, Yuan Zhou, has been elected to the governing board of the American College Personnel Association – College Student Educators International (ACPA).
The ACPA, headquartered in Washington, D.C. at the National Center for Higher Educations, “is the leading comprehensive student affairs association that advances student affairs and engages students for a lifetime of learning and discovery,” according to their website.
Zhou will serve as an Assembly Coordinator for Commission for a three-year term. The Assembly Coordinator’s duties include leadership and guidance to the association’s commissions. She will also help to prepare and propose the annual budget, plan and coordinate meetings, including the annual convention, engage in advocacy to advance the interests of the association, assist the Awards Committee, and serve on the Nominations & Elections Committee, among other duties.
Zhou has previous served the ACPA on the Commission for Global Dimensions of Student Development (CGDSD) and with the Asian Pacific American Network (APAN).
During her time in APAN from 2017 – 2021, Zhou served in various roles from the Professional Development Co-Chair to the Convention Co-Chair. She also served on the CGDSD Directorate Board as the Vice Chair for Educational Programs for two years before applying for the chair position. From 2020- 2021, she served CGDSD as its commission chair and worked to support 27 directorate board members through the crucial pandemic period.
She is currently serving as the past-chair, spearheading the implementation of two projects as part of a successful fundraising campaign. In addition to her entity group involvement, Zhou has been an active contributor to the wider ACPA community as a presenter at every annual convention since 2019 with a focus on bringing awareness to international student and staff experiences on college campuses. She has been awarded for excellence and commitment throughout the years, including the Distinguished Commission Chair (2022), the Distinguished Commission Directorate Member (2021) and Outstanding New Professional in Residence Life Award (2020).
Zhou came to Sul Ross State in November 2022. As the new director of residential living, I am dedicated to leading the department in a direction that aligns with Sul Ross’s vision, which focuses on student success and retention on our campuses. Residential Living will partner with students and provide them with a fun yet educational experience,” she said. “One of the reasons I seek involvement opportunities both within Sul Ross and with various regional and national professional organizations is because I am a firm believer that there is great value in learning from experiences of those outside of your immediate bubble.”
