Getting Started

Get started on ACA Connect with the User Guide below.

Don't see the answer to your question here?

Check out our FAQ page or Contact Us for more information.

Logging In

Click the button at the top right where it says Sign In, and type in the username and password you use to log in to My ACA.

View & Update Profile Information

To update your profile, click on the icon on the left of your screen. From here, you can update your bio, educational background, job history, add a picture, and update your email subscription preferences. Click the Home on the top navigation bar to return to the home page.

What is a Community?

Communities are groups of people organized around common subjects, such as special interest topics or membership in an ACA Committee, Division or geographical location. As ACA Connect grows, there may be more communities to join.

Joining a Community

Some communities are open to anyone to join, like the Interest Networks and the Topic-Focused Communities. Click the “join” button next to the name to automatically join the community.

To become a member of specific ACA communities, such as division communities and committees, you need to be either elected or pay for membership. Once you fulfill these requirements, ACA staff will add you to the respective community, and you will receive a confirmation email upon successful addition. Learn more about volunteering for a committee and joining ACA’s divisions.

You will receive a welcome email when you have successfully joined your first community.

When first joining a community, you will receive a notice about ACA’s Community Rules. Please read the community rules and click Agree before joining the community.

You will not be allowed to access ACA Connect without agreeing to the terms and conditions. You can find ACA's Community Rules under the Support tab within the navigation bar.

Creating a Discussion Post

Start a discussion by clicking on Communities in the top navigation bar and selecting your desired community from the list on the My Communities page. From there, select the Discussion/Threads tab and click the button that says Post New Message/Start New Thread.

Enter your subject, type your message, attach any necessary documents, and then hit send. All discussion posts and replies are reviewed by the community manager to ensure they abide by community rules.

Replying to a Discussion/Thread Post

To reply to a post, click on the post and then on the Reply button to the right. You can also click on the down arrow to Reply Privately to Sender.

Viewing & Sharing Files in the Community Library

To view resources in your community library, click on the Library tab. You can view library contents in “list” or “folder” form by clicking the respective icon to the right. Then, select the folder or subfolder to view.

Uploading a Document

There are two ways to upload a document to a community:

  • Option 1: Click on Participate in the top navigation bar and select Share a File.
  • Option 2: Navigate to the desired community, go to the Library, and click the Create a Library Entry button.

When uploading, enter a title for your document, select the community, choose the document type, and click Next.

Attaching a Document to a Discussion Post

You can also upload a document while writing a discussion post. Simply click the Attach button at the bottom of the page, select your document, and it will be linked to your post.

Using the Member Directory

Accessing the Community Member Directory

To access the Community Member Directory, click on the Directory tab in the top navigation bar. Enter the first and last name of the member you’re searching for, then click the Find Members button.

Adding a Member as a Contact

To add a member as a contact:

  • Search for the member using the directory.
  • Click the Add as a Contact button to the right of their name.

Adding someone as a contact allows you to quickly access their profile and send private messages more easily from your profile.

Note: The member must approve your contact request before you can view their full profile.

Community Subscription Options

Members of ACA Connect communities are automatically subscribed to a Daily Digest. You can adjust the preferences for each community you're a member of by going to Profile, clicking on My Account, and selecting Community Notifications.

Subscription Options

You can select from the following options:

  • Consolidated Daily Digest: You will receive one email each day containing the previous day's messages from all communities you've chosen to include in your Consolidated Daily Digest.
  • Consolidated Weekly Digest: You will receive one email every Sunday containing a review of the previous week's messages from all communities you've chosen to include in your Consolidated Weekly Digest.
  • Real Time: You will receive an email each time a new message is posted.
  • Daily Digest: You will receive one email each day containing the previous day’s messages from the individual community.
  • No Email: You will not receive emails from an individual community. If you've selected a Consolidated Digest, the community's content will be included in your digest.

Privacy Controls

To control the information that other members see on your profile, log in to ACA Connect, go to My Profile, and click on the My Account tab. Then select Privacy Settings.

From there, you can choose what information others can see or not see. Be sure to click the Save button when finished.

Helpful Links