Commission Chairs serve as connections between their commission members and NACADA and between NACADA and their commission members. They perform these functions by

• Participating in the annual Commission and Interest Group Division (CIGD) meeting held the day prior to the NACADA annual conference;

• Participating in the annual CIGD Fair (or arranging for another commission member to participate) held during the NACADA annual conference. The CIGD Fair highlights activities of commissions and interest groups — showcasing the breadth of the organization, introducing members to commissions and interest groups, and encouraging involvement.

• Planning and chairing their annual commission meeting during the NACADA annual conference. Business concerns for the commissions might be conducted via e-mail beforehand, so this hour-long annual meeting can be used for discussion of items of interest or concern to the commission.

• Annually submitting two leadership reports:
  • by November 15 — after the fall Commission meetings at the annual conference, focusing on the ways the commission is carrying out the NACADA strategic plan and indicating budget requests; and,
  • by July 31 — indicating progress toward the goals set in the post-conference report.

• Creating committees and utilizing volunteers, as needed, to carry on the work of the commission. These include: steering committees, committees to evaluate proposals for the annual conference; committees to solicit and approve nominations for the Service to Commission Award; committee to oversee the commission web site and suggest resources and information to add; committees to work on specific commission goals. Chairs encourage the involvement of their commission members.

• When appropriate, submitting articles (and encouraging their commission members to submit articles) about their commission's activities or about issues of concern for their members to NACADA publications (Clearinghouse, the quarterly Academic Advising Today e-publication, the NACADA Journal, and monographs).

• Commission chairs work with the NACADA Executive Office to maintain and update the commission's web site. Guidelines for commission web page development are provided to assist you.

• Encouraging and, when appropriate, soliciting proposals for conference sessions at NACADA annual conferences. Commission Chairs also participate in the evaluation and selection of proposals that will be commission-sponsored.

• Communicating electronically with their commission members via list serves and the annual commission meeting about issues of concern. Targeted e-mails to all commission members can also be sent by the NACADA Executive Office.

• Communicating with the Division Representatives, Division Steering Committee members and Executive Office staff about concerns, policies, procedures, and suggestions for improvement. Summary of the support you will receive from the Executive Office Liaison to the CIG Division.

• When feasible, being involved in regional conferences by encouraging submission of proposals on topics of interest to the commission and by encouraging members' attendance and participation.

• When appropriate, recognizing the contributions of commission members by soliciting nominations for members who have provided outstanding service, leadership, and commitment for an annual Service to Commission Award or for other NACADA awards.

NOTE: Direct links to the information below are embedded in the text provided above.

Annual Commission and Interest Group Division Meeting

Commission chairs are expected to attend this meeting held the afternoon prior to the beginning of the NACADA annual conference. If a chair is unable to attend, they should contact the Executive Office Liaison and the CIGD Division Representatives as soon as possible.

At this meeting, the business of the Commission and Interest Group Division (CIGD) is conducted. Communication from the Executive Office and NACADA leadership and updated information on resources, policies, and procedures are shared and discussed. The meeting also includes an orientation for newly elected commission chairs, discussion of effective use of NACADA resources, and voting on issues that affect the division. Division Representatives submit a summary of this meeting to NACADA and raise issues discussed at this meeting with the NACADA Council, Board of Directors, and Executive Office.

During the summer, commission chairs will be sent details about this important meeting. We encourage chairs to submit agenda items, as appropriate.

Commission and Interest Group Fair

During the NACADA annual conference (typically accompanied by a continental breakfast), commissions and interest groups host the Commission and Interest Group Fair. Each commission chair staffs a table to share information about their commission and to talk with NACADA members who may have an interest in the commission. Display boards are available, and each chair has a budget of $50 to cover expenses for the fair. Interest Group Chairs also staff tables for their respective groups.

Commission chairs will receive more information about this fair during the summer, and successful strategies are shared on the fair webpage.

Chairs are expected to participate in this fair, which highlights commission activities. Chairs may delegate this responsibility to another commission member. In such cases, chairs should communicate this information to the Executive Office liaison since all commissions are to be represented at the fair.

Annual Commission Meetings

Each commission and interest group is provided a meeting time during the NACADA annual conference. Times, days, and meeting rooms are included in the conference program and details are sent to commission chairs during the summer. Chairs are encouraged to communicate information about these annual commission meetings with commission members before the conference and solicit agenda items for discussion. The Executive Office can forward messages to all commission members for the chairs.

Commission chairs are responsible for setting the agenda for and conducting these hour-long meetings.

Chairs are encouraged to conduct business items for their commissions via e-mail beforehand, so this hour-long annual meeting can be used for discussion of items of interest or concern to the commission. Effective strategies for conducting commission meetings are shared at the Leadership Meeting and are also posted on the CIG Division web site at www.nacada.ksu.edu/CandIGDivision/CIGDAnnualMeetingTips.htm.

Reports and Budget Requests

Post-Conference Report - due November 15

By November 15, each commission chair submits a post-conference report. Chairs will be notified whether this report is to be submitted online or via Word document.  Links to the past post-conference reports are posted on the web site.

This post-conference report is intended to share commission information and goals with commission members and with NACADA. The report includes:

• A brief summary of the commission meeting held at the recent annual NACADA conference, including the number of members attending
• Commission goals and objectives for the upcoming year, focusing on how these implement the NACADA strategic plan. It is not expected that each commission will implement every part of this strategic plan. Rather, commissions are encouraged to focus on implementing a few specific items each year and reconsidering each year ways to expand their goals by focusing on parts of the strategic plan not implemented earlier. Strategies for connecting commission goals and activities with the NACADA strategic plan will be shared at the Fall Leadership Meeting.
• The status of any action items or items from the strategic plan assigned to the commission
• Volunteer opportunities for commission members
• Names of commission members serving on commission committees or task forces
• Issues of concern directed to the Division, Council, Board of Directors, or Executive Office
• Budget requests, as appropriate, to reach commission goals  

Annual Report - due July 31

By July 31, each chair submits an annual report to the Division Representatives and the Executive Office.  Chairs will be notified whether this report is to be submitted online or via Word document.  Links to past annual reports are posted on the web site.

This report focuses on the status of the goals and objectives set in the post-conference report. Because these reports are used to help set the agenda for the fall meeting, reimbursement of expenses for this meeting will not be made until the annual report is received.

Reimbursement Procedures

Commission chairs are reimbursed for partial expenses incurred from coming an extra day to attend the CIG Division Meeting prior to the annual conference. A reimbursement form will be distributed at this meeting. For more information, review the reimbursement procedures found on the NACADA web site.

NOTE: Reimbursement will not be made until the required annual report is received (due July 31).

Using Volunteers Effectively

We encourage commission chairs to involve their members in the activities of the commission. The annual commission meeting and the CIGD Fair can be convenient ways to recruit volunteers. It is also possible to send an e-mail via the Executive Office (though experience suggests that this is less effective than a face-to-face appeal).

Often busy, commission members are happy to be asked to serve on a steering committee for the commission (a sounding board for the chair), to read conference proposals, to serve on a task force about a particular concern, to identify helpful resources for commission members, or to update the commission web site.

The key is to make clear the expectations of the volunteer service. The more explicit and realistic commission chairs can be, the more likely that they will find members willing to help.

In addition to sharing the workload, recruiting volunteers can be an effective way to mentor commission members for future leadership within the commission and within NACADA.

Commission chairs will also want to recognize these volunteers in the commission reports, thank them verbally at the annual commission meeting, and send written notes or e-mails to thank them for their service to the commission and to NACADA.

Commission Involvement with NACADA Publications

Commission chairs are encouraged to write articles about topics of interest to their commission for NACADA publications, such as those in the Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources.

In particular, chairs are asked at the Fall Leadership Meeting to commit to writing a short content article for an upcoming issue of the quarterly Academic Advising Today e-publication. Review e-publication guidelines and/or the archives.

Chairs are also encouraged to submit short activity updates to keep members apprised of commission activities, initiatives, and contributions to the Association.

Guidelines for Selection and Review of Commission-Sponsored Conference Proposals

Commission chairs are responsible for reviewing annual conference proposals and selecting commission-related sessions. This task could be shared among members of the commission's steering committee, with the group deciding the conference sessions that will be designated as "commission-sponsored". The reviews typically take place during a two-week period in mid-February. Start early enough to find persons willing to read and to give the readers time to review proposals and submit their evaluations by the established deadline so the chair can then submit summaries of the evaluations to the annual conference committee.

Additional information can be found at www.nacada.ksu.edu/CandIGDivision/PropRevGuidelines.htm regarding the selection of these sessions, suggestions for guiding this process, evaluation criteria used by reviewers, and characteristics of effective proposals. 

Electronic Communication

Commission chairs are added to two special e-mail distribution lists - "CIGDIVISION" and "NACADALEADERS".  These lists and their membership make-up are explained at www.nacada.ksu.edu/Leadership/Leadership-ListserveDescriptions.htm.

After being added to each list serve, chairs will receive a "welcome message" that provides instructions for message posting. NACADA uses these distribution lists to send information and monthly reminders about upcoming deadlines and to hold discussions and solicit ideas on issues of concern. If not already subscribed, commission chairs are also added to their respective commission list serves.

Commission chairs also use electronic communication to communicate with commission members. The NACADA Executive Office can send bulk e-mail messages to all members of a particular commission. The chair provides the text for the message to the Executive Office liaison who will send the message under the chair's name.

Sending messages from the Executive Office permits NACADA to correct addresses (in the event of invalid address) and update member records. Since commission membership changes often, sending messages to commission members via the Executive Office liaison assures that messages reach all members of the commission since only a small percentage of a commission's members are subscribed to its list serve.

Awards Criteria and Nominations

The Service to Commission Award was established to specifically recognize individuals who have provided outstanding service, leadership, and commitment to their respective commissions. Each NACADA commission that has been in existence for a minimum of three years may select one individual each year to receive a NACADA Service to Commission Award.

If a commission would like to offer the Service to Commission Award, the chair should include a budget request of $50 in the post-conference report to cover the cost of the plaque. Making a supplemental budget request to the Division Representatives is also possible.

A recognition plaque will be presented to the Service to Commission Award recipient at the commission's annual meeting held during the NACADA Annual Conference in the fall. For award criteria and guidelines, selection and notification procedures, and a list of commissions that requested funding for this award for the current year, visit the Service to Commission Awards web page.

Evaluation of Commission Chairs

NACADA is grateful for the vital role volunteer commission chairs perform for NACADA and for their commission members. Communication with NACADA and with commission members via the pre-conference Leadership Meeting, participation in the annual CIGD Fair and commission meetings at the NACADA annual conference, and the two required reports (as well as other ways listed under "Expectations of Commission Chairs") are most important. Each of these avenues of communication fosters connections between NACADA and each commission, which are essential for the success of both NACADA and each commission.

We encourage chairs to call on their commission members to help them perform these duties. This can be a great way to involve members and to mentor members for leadership opportunities.

CIGD Steering Committee members and Division Representatives will contact commission chairs who do not fulfill their expected roles, such as attending the pre-conference CIGD Meeting and CIGD Fair (or do not arrange for another member to attend in their place), or do not submit the two required reports. Reimbursement of commission chairs for CIGD meeting expenses will not be made until the report due July 31 is received.

Chairs may be removed if, after communication via phone, e-mail, and letter from Steering Committee members and Division Representatives, response is not made and/or reports are not submitted. Division Representatives will keep copies of their correspondence and will clearly indicate to the chairs they contact that they face removal from their leadership position.

If a chair must be removed, the Steering Committee and Division Representatives will work with the commission members to find a replacement.