An in-depth interview with the maestro behind the 2026 Annual Conference, Kelly Cross

ACUPA recently opened its Call for Proposals for the 2026 Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado. As a member of the Event Planning Committee (EPC), I know just how much the committee pours into making sure this conference is worth every minute and dollar spent attending.

With the expansion of ACUPA's institutional memberships, our membership stretches beyond direct policy office administrators, so many of you may not have experienced the caliber of the conference we put on each year. I also know higher ed institutions are tightening their belts under financial uncertainty. So, for this month’s post, I sat down (in front a screen) for a chat with chair-elect of ACUPA’s Board of Directors and Event Planning Committee chair, Kelly Cross, to dive into what makes ACUPA's annual conference one of the best professional investments you can make in 2026.

I hope you’ll be inspired to join us in Denver, April 20-22, and consider submitting a conference session proposal. The deadline to submit a proposal is October 16, 2025.

Editorial Note: I am convinced that this interview should have been podcast. I regret that you can’t see our facial expressions and gestures, or hear our asides. Editorial liberties were taken to ensure this post captured the essence of our conversation and came out (somewhat) shorter than a federal regulation.

The Interview

MONIQUE: What makes this year’s conference unique compared to previous years?

KELLY: We've seen a few different things over the last few years.

One, we've seen increased attendance, which we love. I hope it's a reflection of how important policy administrators are on their respective college campuses. I also suspect it might be a reflection of how much we need each other and want to have a network of colleagues.

But we've also noticed that our sessions’ contents have become more and more advanced. Typically, they represent experiences or questions that folks might have if they're more seasoned in the field or they've already gone through some of the foundational elements of a policy program.

One thing that we [ACUPA] really want to focus on this year is pulling back in that foundational element in a pretty unique way. To that end, we're going to do our first ever solo pre-conference. The pre-conference is going to be focused on those foundational elements, and so it's going to be great for an individual who is new to higher education policy. We're going to talk about your Policy on Policies. We're going to talk about the intersections of shared governance, and all of those key things. I also think it's going to be good for people who might need a refresher. 

MONIQUE: From your perspective as a board member, and not just EPC chair, why is this conference a “must-attend” event?

KELLY: Our annual conference is a must attend event for a number of reasons, not least of which for me personally is that I find it to be very rejuvenating. I am the only, you know, enterprise-wide policy administrator at my institution. That may be true for many of our members. To be able to have our own conference is great, but it's also kind of like an intensive, right? There are sessions, but you're all in this kind of cohort experience together while we're going through it. We're all attending the same sessions together and we can network in a way that is super beneficial and I think rejuvenating and energizing for the field. 

And so I think--there's probably a better way to say this--the bang for the buck, or the return on the investment, is excellent. I can get so much information in one place at one time and feel great about it and want to stay employed in my field work. It's really a one stop shop for me, and honestly, it's so valuable to me that even if I wasn't EPC chair and I think even if I wasn't a member of the board, if for some reason I didn't have funding, I would still personally pay to come to this conference because I need to go for myself. 

MONIQUE: I've said the same thing.

KELLY: I think it's worthwhile from a budget standpoint, but I think it's worthwhile from a professional development standpoint. It gets me connected in a way that it doesn't just solve these immediate questions that I have at the conference. It gets me connected to professionals that I contact throughout the year. So, it's facilitating these kind of one-off interactions that last year-round really. 

MONIQUE: And that kind of already answered my question, but what do you look forward to most about the conference?

KELLY: Oh my gosh, all of it! I look forward to so much.

I look forward to the content because I know I'm going to learn something new. I also have to say I know I'm going to see people doing really amazing things. I do have to work on being OK with what I'm doing, you know, not feeling like I'm not doing enough, you know what I mean? And I think that's the other benefit of the conference is that every policy program is in a different place and we're all doing what we can and it's all, it's all good.

I look forward to that. But it's the network for me that I love so much. I have members of a ACUPA pinned in my Teams chat because I talk to y'all so much throughout the year and its one-off conversations about policies or procedure or process or how people are handling X, Y and Z. I also love the post-conference vacations that some of us take together.

MONIQUE: Yeah {sighs and looks off into the distance longingly}

KELLY: Yeah. Yeah. You know!

MONIQUE: So, I know we talked a little bit about why you and I, who are in this field, want to go to the conference.

But what would you say to those folks who are part of institutional memberships who maybe don't have the word “policy” in their title? Why should they attend this conference?

 KELLY: So as a policy administrator, I work with a lot of people who are responsible for policy who do not have “policy” in their title, and it's because they're the content subject matter expert, the SME.

I think once you get to a certain level of an organization, the likelihood that you are responsible for a policy, and in most cases many policies, is very high. So, we have our financial compliance officer who is one of our [ACUPA] institutional members at Georgia Tech. She's responsible for like eight policies and “policy” is not in her title anywhere. I think the benefit of attending this conference for her or for an HR project manager that oversees policies for human resources is that they're getting to connect with other people who are in similar roles.

You get insight into some of the behind the scenes work that goes on so that you can more efficiently and more effectively navigate your own processes when you return to your primary campus. Also, you are hearing about how other schools manage the work and you might be able to advocate for a change in process or procedure at your own institution. Even though you may not be directly responsible for the enterprise-wide policy process, policy owners can request and advocate for quite a lot, because most policy administrators, we want it to be a good experience. So, they're looking at it from a different lens than we might be, and I think it's just going to help their own personal experience just be even better.

MONIQUE: Awesome. I think that’s great. {ready to move on}

KELLY: Yeah, I'm going to add something to that one. Sorry. So, we have had some members who are, you know, we talk a lot about higher education and our higher education policy administrators or our institutional members. But we know we have members that are staff or employees at state agencies. 

MONIQUE: OK, go for it. {chuckling}

KELLY: A few years ago, we had a member from one of the Illinois state agencies who was building an entirely new office and program. And one of the things she had to do was do a lot of policies. And there is so much overlap between a higher education institution and a state agency and kind of policy, procedure, bureaucracy. She found it incredibly beneficial because she, similar to many of us, felt alone and wasn't really sure how to do things. She was able to get connected to other employees from other states who run policies for their respective unit that is not a college, and I think she still keeps in touch with them as well. So, there's a lot of benefit even if you're not in higher education. 

MONIQUE: Absolutely. I agree with you. Some of the things that we talk about are so foundational to program building in general, whether we’re talking about stakeholder development or risk assessment or some of these other topics. It’s really a “plug and play.” While we all have unique lenses on higher ed, especially coming from a public institution, we have that state entity and federal bureaucracy lens that we get to carry. Like state agencies, we very similarly understand doing a lot with a little. 

KELLY: Yes, yes, and documenting. {Laughs}

MONIQUE: Making it all work and documenting the heck out of it!

MONIQUE: In what ways does the conference strengthen ACUPA’s community and network and advance the mission? What impact is ACUPA having in our community, but also the industry? 

KELLY: I think there is a real tangible benefit that we get from being from being in the same place at the same time, where we can immediately engage in some cross-institutional dialogue around what we're learning in the moment so we can engage in the “pair and shares.” We can formulate opinions. We can make recommendations that other schools might consider that would not have popped up, in an otherwise organic way.

And it’s also not recorded. So, people are more willing to say things that they may be less inclined to put in a forum post or e-mail to someone. You kind of get the real, off-the-cuff responses from other policy administrators that might be more.

MONIQUE: Well, I think of the depth of what you can provide to somebody in these spaces, right? We understand confidentiality and sensitivity. We get what you might be inferring, but you can finally just say out loud, “this is a really tough situation I’m dealing with,” without it sounding like you're whining about your job.

KELLY: Yeah, absolutely. We can get to--and I think you hit it--we can get to that depth of knowledge and depth of sharing that is very difficult to do via a forum post or an e-mail and because we're all together. It's much more effective. You're not having to schedule 15 30-minute meetings to try to figure things out.

MONIQUE: Yeah, I just feel like sometimes like our conferences are so intense, because you're taking in so much that like, I leave and there's that high that we're all together, and then that low that I'm worthless and not doing enough {laughs}. And then there's like this middle ground that’s like, “OK, what can I do?”

KELLY: No, that's exactly it, Monique. “What can I do immediately? Because I see all of the amazing things that my colleagues are doing. How can I do a smidge of it?” But I think we're all feeling that because we all want to do good work. We're all trying to do more with less.

MONIQUE: Well, let's jump into impact of the organization. How is this conference advancing this profession? 

KELLY: One, this is really, to my knowledge, the only conference where we are focused on policy administration, right? It is not a backburner topic at a larger organization. You know, every single session is going to be applicable, and every single session is going to bring some advanced knowledge, interest, skill, right? And all of those things drive the profession forward. There are so few of us at our respective college campuses, most of us are in office of one, or half of one… unless you're Tony Graham and then you have 12 people. 

{both start laughing}

MONIQUE: You’re totally right. This is going in... “unless you’re Tony Graham” –

KELLY: --unless you're at the University of Pittsburgh, and you got a billion people working with you… I think that being together at the conference, it gives us some weight. In a way, it is advertising that the profession and field and organization exists. I think in general, getting people together as a field of study and field of work to share ideas, share knowledge, share expertise, moves, moves the functional area forward. 

We come from a lot of different places and [policy] is one of the critical elements of the seven elements of an effective compliance program, right. And this is the only conference exclusively focused on one of those seven. You know, auditors have their conference and organizations, but this this is specific to policy.  And that has far, far reaching impacts, right? If we're saying that this is a standard for the field, it has huge impacts for our larger compliance programs and how those functions work together or don't work together.

MONIQUE: We’ve talked about how the conference has really become more and more advanced. How does the conference support the policy program maturity levels of all possible attendees?

KELLY: There are some targeted aspects of it where we're going to hit people who might want either new foundational knowledge or a refresher on foundational knowledge.

There's going to be a benefit to employees who are kind of moving from their initial years in the field to more senior roles. Even if you have all the experience in the world with policy, so much our success and ability to do good work is dependent upon others in an in an institutional administration or where we are in the organization.

What if we suddenly have an executive leader who wants to change a lot of things that goes counter to your established process? Revisiting those foundational elements can be very useful. Or connecting with individuals from schools who are doing things the way they want to switch to.

Or maybe you're starting a new job and you need to reconnect to see how people are doing things. Things are never static. We think we've solved a problem and then the problem circles back around. People change and so questions that have been asked and answered years ago come back around, and I need to remember why the answer I provided years ago or the decisions we made years ago may not be relevant anymore or may not be enough. Times have changed, y'all.  Doesn't matter how much experience I have, this is my first experience--

MONIQUE: --with this rain fire?! {throwing hands up in the air}

KELLY: Bam, that's exactly it! This is my first experience being a policy administrator after 183 executive orders.

You know, I'm at a state institution, the leadership of our Regents, our legislators, those change. So even if I stayed the same, the things around me are changing and I need to be prepared to respond and do so in an informed way. Which is why I think colleagues who have that experience are incredibly valuable, like you, Katheryn Yetter, definitely.  And Tony “I have a million employees” Graham.

MONIQUE: Last thing, what is one thing you hope every attendee takes away from this conference, this year's conference? 

KELLY:  Yeah.  {sheepishly} So, I'm going to say that there are two things. I know you asked for one thing. 

MONIQUE: {rolls eyes and laughs} I hate you so much. Nothing's more Kelly than that statement. Go for it.

KELLY: So first of several things is: YOU CAN DO THIS. You can do the work. 

There are resources and people who want to help each other out and it can be very stressful trying to figure out what to do first and then what to do next. And you can figure it out and we can help you.

Which leads into the second thing that is YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

You're not alone in this field. You may be the only person on your campus with the title. You may feel alone, but you're not alone with us. We got your back and selfishly, maybe not selfishly, but--this is my personal perspective, right-- what I gained from attending this conference are the things that kept me in the field. I alluded to this before, but I was really ready to leave the field, and then I attended one of ACUPA’s in-person conferences and I really felt like I could just breathe. I could take a deep breath again and I didn’t have to figure things out by myself. I had a team of people that I could connect with, and the work felt much more achievable. 

We collect feedback via surveys at the end of each conference, but please feel free to share what you find most valuable about attending the annual conference by emailing the EPC at events@acupa.org.

An exercise in finding hope in times of uncertainty + practical takeaways for policy administrators

This is not your typical policy post. I contemplated blog topics for months and everything that I came up with seemed pointless in the current chaos of our world as policy administrators. I was losing hope – fast. So, I wrote a "Dear Abby Letter" and let ChatGPT play the role of Abby. The results surprised me and prompted this post. (Abby's response was modified for length and audience.)

This was an exercise for me to find hope in my work again. It helped me identify practical ways to weather the storm and I hope it does the same for you.

Dear Abby:

I am a public servant working in higher education and, recently, it feels like my world is a shaken snow globe, flipped upside down. I am passionate about this industry and believe a university is THE COOLEST place to work. I know that those who work in higher education help make dreams come true and change lives for the better.

But in the past few months (well, maybe years) my work has been turned against me. You see, my role is to help ensure our university has policies that comply with federal and state rules, and to help members of my university know and understand these rules. Lately, the rules are changing at lightning speed, outside of normal processes, and are unlike anything I've had to help manage before. I'm no stranger to putting my head down and getting the work done or to swallowing my dissenting opinion on how things are executed. But right now, I feel like my values are being challenged. I KNOW my personal values are being violated, but my professional values, the ethics that are the foundation of my work, are being distorted.

Higher education is also facing huge financial challenges and I'm not certain about my professional future. Will I have to find a new job? Will I have to fall in love with a new industry? Usually, I turn to the university I serve and find hope in the students from all over the world, the mind-blowing research, and the energy that comes from innovation and growth. I'm losing hope. How do I weather this storm when it's a complete whiteout?

- Shaken Snow Globe

Dear Shaken Snow Globe:

First, let me say this: you are clearly someone who cares deeply—not just about rules and regulations, but about people, purpose, and doing what’s right. That kind of commitment is admirable.

It’s no small thing to feel your professional values—those carefully built foundations—being shaken. When the work you once saw as noble begins to feel compromised, it’s not just disorienting, it’s heartbreaking. And in higher education, where the stakes are high and the resources low, that heartbreak can be compounded by exhaustion, uncertainty, and loss of purpose.

 Rest assured, that even though the system is strained and the mission muddled, your values and talents are intact—they are your compass.

When your world feels like a total whiteout, the key is not to force clarity all at once, but to anchor yourself to what you do know:

• You know what you stand for.
• You know what doing the right thing looks like.
• You know your impact matters—even when it feels invisible.

In this storm, focus on finding even the smallest moments of alignment: a student who “gets it,” a colleague who shares your values, a task that feels true to your mission.

And as for your future—remember, uncertainty is not the enemy. It may be the invitation.

You asked, how do I weather this storm? The same way you’ve done your entire career: with courage, clarity, and conviction. But don’t try to do it alone. Talk to mentors. Seek allies. And if hope feels low—borrow some from those who believe in you.

The snow will settle. And when it does, you’ll still be standing—values intact, clearheaded, and compass pointing forward.

 With empathy and encouragement,

Abby

Weathering the Policy Storm: Practical Tips for Policy Administrators

The landscape of higher education is shifting rapidly, but there are steady practices and strategies that can help institutions not only survive but lead with clarity and integrity through turbulent times. Policy administrators are some of the most equipped people to navigate these storms.

Below are practical ways policy administrators can stay grounded and regain hope.

Lean into what’s already established and focus on what you can control.

• You’re prepared for this. Think about the standards, templates, systems, and processes you’ve developed or improved over the years. That’s your foundation.
• Leverage the Policy on Policies. When institutional policies must change quickly, ensure those updates still follow an approved process. If an expedited path doesn’t yet exist, document how decisions are made. Don't be afraid to lean on what you're known for -- consistency. Remind your leadership that how they choose to navigate a challenge today sets precedent for how the institution navigates similar challenges in the future.
• Don't skip documentation. It’s tempting to cut corners when under pressure, but accurate documentation—who was involved, what changed, when, and why—is critical for transparency and accountability.
• This is your bragging right: You know how to write effective policies that create guardrails for legal and ethical decision-making. Broad, well-written policies allow flexibility while ensuring requirements are met. Don’t underestimate how critical that is—especially now.

Celebrate the wins—big and small.

• Some of the changes in this storm are good changes. Think of the Stop Campus Hazing Act. It’s absolute chaos as we sprint towards the deadline, but we're helping create safer, more accountable environments.
• Crisis = Collaboration. Remember how quickly departments rallied during COVID? Urgent challenges often lead to increased cross-campus collaboration, more focused meetings, and stronger shared accountability.
• Tough moments reveal true partners. This moment is also clarifying. Like an outdated policy, it's what was believed to be true, but wasn't, that often causes the damage. In this storm you’ll discover who runs toward collaboration and who puts up walls. You’ll likely find new allies—and maybe feel let down by some familiar faces. Either way, clarity is a gift.

Reevaluate professional skills. You are talented.

• You do more than policy. Whether it’s sending concise yet informative emails, updating web content, coordinating teams, or managing complex changes—you are a multidimensional force with a wide range of skills. Just in case you have a hard time pinpointing these skills, I listed them here for you: adaptability, administrative coordination, attention to detail, change management, collaboration, compliance knowledge, continuous improvement, copyediting, critical thinking, data analysis, data tables/Excel, document management, ethics and discretion, leadership, presentation design, program management, project management, research, risk assessment, strategic planning, technical solution implementation and management, technical writing, time management, written and oral communication, and many more.
• Know your worth. You are valuable regardless of any threats to your values and beliefs that you have to face when you go to work. Continue to be you and find comfort knowing that you are not what is drastically changing.
• Knowing your worth can also mean reassessing your role or institution. It’s an unsettling thought, but it can also reveal new opportunities and affirm personal and professional priorities. With your skills and character, don't let this storm bury you because you're afraid to let go.

Final Reflection: Gratitude for Purposeful Work

This work is hard—but I love it enough that it shakes me to my core when it feels threatened. That’s a gift, because not everyone gets to feel so deeply about what they do.

This storm is a reminder of the value and resilience embedded in the work we do—and the important role we play in guiding our institutions through change.