History of ASCA

The Association for Student Judicial Affairs (ASJA) began in 1986 when Don Gehring of the University of Louisville, began to discuss with others his idea for a professional association to serve the needs of campus judicial officers. In January 1987, Don convened a small group of interested persons who were attending the Stetson University Law and Higher Education conference. The group met in the Coral Room of the Holiday Inn Surfside in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Those attending were overwhelmingly in favor of creating an organization and directed Don and a small steering committee to develop a constitution and begin to build a framework for a professional association. Ray Goldstone of UCLA contributed seed money to assist with the initial organizing efforts. Throughout 1987, members of the steering committee continued to meet. They gathered at the University of Louisville at a conference where they were in attendance. This group created the framework for the association, drafted a proposed constitution, created a dues structure and nominated the first slate of officers.

In 1988, Bob Bickel of Stetson University included the first formal organizational meeting of the Association for Student Judicial Affairs (ASJA) in the program at the Stetson University Law ad Higher Education Conference in January at Clearwater Beach, Florida. The group was assigned a space twice the size of the Coral Room and it was packed. Don Gehring presided over the meeting and those in attendance approved the name of the organization as the Association for Student Judicial Affairs and individual membership dues of $20. The inaugural slate of officers was approved. Charter memberships were accepted during the remainder of 1988. Felice Dublon was asked to coordinate efforts to design a logo for the association. The Board of Directors selected the current logo in a meeting held at the NASPA Conference in St. Louis in March of 1988. Jerry Crotty and Daisy Waryold edited the first newsletter in 1988.

In 1989, ASJA held its first annual conference at the Holiday Inn Surfside in Clearwater Beach, Florida on January 14-15. Bill Bracewell served as the program chair for the conference. One hundred and sixty one people attended that first conference. A committee structure was begun and the Association and the Association was reality. Also, in 1989 the constitution was revised by a committee headed by Sue Hufnagle and Bill Kibler who coordinated the process for obtaining tax exempt status for ASJA. The first constitutional elections were held during the fall of 1989.

From ASJA’s inception, membership records, financial transactions, and other administrative functions were performed at Texas A&M University by member volunteers. Due to the growth of the Association, in 1991, the Board of Directors designated the official ASJA Central Office to be located at Texas A&M University. In 1992, a central office manager position was added to the Board of Directors and Gene Zdzairski was appointed to the position.

In June 1993, ASJA held its first summer Campus Judicial Affairs Training Institute at Bowling Green State University. Don Gehring chaired the Institute, which was attended by 130 people. Also, in 1993, ASJA approved the Statement of Ethical Principles and Standards of Conduct, which were developed by a committee chaired by Bill Kibler. After holding a highly successful 2nd Annual Training Institute at Bowling Green State University in July 1994, the ASJA Board of Directors approved a resolution formally naming the Institute the Donald D. Gehring Campus
Judicial Affairs Training Institute.

At the February 1996 ASJA Conference, then President Dr. Diane Waryold initiated a project with a goal of producing a document reviewing the past, present and future of Student Judicial Affairs. It was to be the first such document from the Association with publication of the document to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Association. The completed document, The State of Student Judicial Affairs: Current Forces and Future Challenges, was presented to
the membership and served as the cornerstone of the 1998 Conference. The authors of the document were the past presidents of the Association.

In 1995 Institute began moving around the country to better serve members throughout the country. The 1995 & 1996 Institutes were held at Western Washington University in Bellingham. In 1997, Institute participants were introduced to the competency-based model that is the foundation of the present Institute. The Institute was held that year & in 1998 at St. Mary’s College in Indiana. The end of the decade saw Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island hosting the 1999 & 2000 institutes.

In 2001 the annual conference exceeded the dreams of the original members when attendance reached over 600 participants and has continued to attract over 600 participants each year since. The 2001 and 2002 Institutes were hosted by Texas A& M University. The University of Utah in Salt Lake City was our host in 2003 through 2010.  Beginning in the summer of 2011 through 2014 the Gehring Academy will be held at the University of Louisville in Louisville, KY.

In the fall of 2004 ASJA began the process of looking for a permanent Executive Director. In the fall of 2005 Billye Potts was hired as the first Executive Director of ASJA and in the fall 2006 an administrative assistant position was created and filled. In 2006 more changes took place, the Donald D. Gehring Campus Judicial Affairs Training Institute was renamed to the Donald D. Gehring Academy for Student Conduct Administration. The Board of Directors also established a Publications Board and the first on-line student conduct journal, Journal of Student Conduct Administration was published in the winter of 2008 and the second in the spring of 2009.

In 2007, a conference site selection team was constituted to start the search for a new home for the ASJA annual conference. A new site was found and agreed upon by the Board. The Board approved in the fall of 2007 to add a part-time Education Development Coordinator to the office staff to assist in providing additional professional and educational programs/opportunities for ASJA members.  In the fall of 2008 the position was promoted to a full-time Education Development Coordinator and Office Manager.  A successful candidate was hired in the fall of 2009.

In 2008, ASJA celebrated its twenty-year anniversary with a record annual conference attendance of 858. As the Association began to reflect on the past, present, and future, the name was changed to the Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA). A transformation occurred within the organization, as a new logo and website was developed and the annual conference moved to the TradeWinds Resort in St. Petersburg, Florida.  The 2010 Conference brings a celebration of the fifty year anniversary of the landmark case, Dixon v Alabama, and the start of a new day for the Association.

Today, ASCA has a membership of over 1600 members in the United States, Canada and internationally, representing over 700 institutions of higher education.