Governing Board Meeting - July 2010
Board Discussion: For an historic first time, the entire NASPA and ACPA boards met jointly on Thursday, July 22, to discuss the proposal that the two associations join to form a new comprehensive association for the student affairs profession. The boards reviewed both a financial pro forma for the proposed association and discussed in detail the draft document, A Study For A Consolidated Association, which included the work of eight subcommittees comprised of over 60 leaders from both associations. Conversations in the day-long session with the two boards were direct, candid, positive, and generative. Finalization of the Study For A Consolidated Association is still under revision in draft form to incorporate board comments and suggestions, but will be made available on the ACPA Web site and shared with constituencies as soon as it is finalized in October. A more detailed report of the July 22 session, including brief statements of the recommendations of the subcommittees and a detailed timeline of next steps is available on the ACPA Web site.
organizations. The New Association will enjoy significant financial strength and sustainability through its united status, providing new resources to fund scholarship, creativity, and innovation of practice. As the foremost student affairs association, it will be strongly positioned for private and federal grant funding and corporate sponsorships.
As the New Association welcomes and engages all student affairs professionals and faculty, it will promote and enjoy an open exchange of ideas through inclusive participation of its members at all stages of their careers and in various professional specializations. The New Association will draw on the knowledge, expertise, and experiences of seasoned professionals, serving as their networking venue for staying abreast of current trends and conversing with like colleagues on top‐level issues. Further, as the entry point association for all new professionals, the New Association also will focus strongly on mentoring and nurturing the future leaders of our profession, while gaining vibrancy and insight from the active participation of graduate and undergraduate students. The New Association will make it a priority to forge strong partnerships with sister associations, and through these collaborations, will be uniquely situated to lead policy, practice, scholarship, and advocacy for student affairs in higher education.
The New Association will lead in advancing whole person learning, particularly in areas such as ethical decision making, intercultural and multicultural competence, global knowledge, civic participation, leadership, and experiential learning. Building on the strong traditions, expertise, and experience of ACPA and NASPA, the New Association will be known for its extensive and coordinated array of professional development opportunities for members. These opportunities will assist the membership in becoming effective leaders in Student Affairs by expanding their knowledge base through professional development and research and strengthening their expertise in various arenas. In doing so, members will contribute to the
enhancement of relevant and effective services to students; partner with faculty to enhance learning and to develop evidence based research; provide transformational experiences; and contribute to the success of future lifelong learners and problem solvers of the 21st century.
Professional Competencies: The board approved the joint publication ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Practitioners written by the Joint Task Force on Professional Competencies and Standards, co-chaired by Marilee Bresciani on behalf of NASPA and Dwayne Todd on behalf of ACPA. The basic, intermediate, and advanced levels for ten professional competency areas are intended to guide practice, assist human resources in developing position descriptions, provide framing for student affairs graduate programs, guide professional development opportunities, serve as resource material for program reviews, and for many other uses outlined in the document. The understanding is that this document will evolve as the profession changes in the future and as new knowledge is generated about the changing roles and responsibilities in student affairs. Now that the report has been approved by both boards, the next steps will be to professionally edit and print the document for ease of use with all ACPA and NASPA constituencies, and then work on a plan of implementation/education for its uses within the community of student affairs.
Return to Consolidation main Web page.
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