Welcome to Your Advising Communities Division (ACD)!  

Advising Communities connect members to topics that interest them within academic advising.  

Every member may join up to 4 Advising Communities by logging into their membership profile and updating the Advising Community selections at any time. Membership assumes a commitment to active participation in programming and activities. Members may change their Community affiliations at any time.  Some Communities are more active than others and it may vary year-to-year as the Community membership changes, as well as the leadership. If you are not getting any correspondence from a group, inquire with the Chair of that Community to ensure that you are connected.  

Benefits of officially joining an AC include:

• Getting involved in a topic of interest that impacts your work
• Helping to create resources that help advisors help their students
• Gaining experience in new areas of advising
• Opportunity to contribute to the scholarship of advising
• Networking with colleagues
• Voting privileges 
• Receive targeted updates and announcements
• Eligibility to hold an elected or appointed position within ACD

There are many leadership opportunities in the ACD with varying roles, responsibilities, and time commitments.
 
Getting Started
The requirements for eligibility to become an AC Chair are minimal and include one year of membership in the Community prior to starting a term.  However, demonstrating your commitment is important for election, and the best way to do so is serving on a specific AC Steering Committee. Each Community is required to have a steering committee to help further the annual goals of the group. The steering committee is an excellent way to understand current goals and projects, the purposes of the AC, and the role of the Chair. Other ways to get involved include reviewing annual conference proposals and active discussion on the AC listserv and/or social media outlets for the Community.
 
Advising Community Chair
Chairs are elected by the members of that specific Community.  Your platform statement is an opportunity to highlight your commitment and what ideas you would like to pursue should you be elected. After election, the Division Representatives provide a series of training opportunities during the summer prior to the beginning of the new chair's term. A Chair's term officially begins after Annual Conference. Attendance at Annual Conference is an expectation for all of the ACD leadership.  

Advising Community Steering Committee
Each Advising Community is required to have a Steering Committee comprised of NACADA members that guide the work of the community and provide regular feedback to the Chair. Each community can structure their Steering Committee as they see fit, so contact the Chair of the group you might be interested in regarding any open Steering Committee positions. 
 
Advising Communities Division Steering Committee (also known as Cluster Reps)
After completing their term, Advising Community Chairs are eligible to apply for two-year appointments to the ACD Steering Committee and serve as Cluster Reps mentoring several Advising Community Chairs. The ACD Steering committee also works on division-wide goals set by the Division Representatives. The Division Representatives and Executive Office Liaison perform a blind review process of all applicants to the Steering Committee/Cluster Rep positions. Those appointed have demonstrated fulfilling all expectations and meeting deadlines of their Chair role, significantly contributed to their Community as Chair, and show interest and understanding of the ACD Steering Committee role.
 
AC Division Representatives
The Division Representatives are either in an elected or appointed role for two years and additionally serve on the NACADA Council during that term. Only those who have completed an AC Chair term (or a term as a Commission or Interest Group Chair) are eligible to apply for appointment or run for election. The Reps lead the ACD Steering Committee, work towards goals that improve processes, policies, and structure of the overall Division, and ensure Chairs complete their responsibilities.  

Find out more about the Advising Communities Division Structure and Leadership.