Ruth Darling, NACADA President
Dear Colleagues:
By now, each of you have received a copy of the 2004 NACADA National Conference Brochure in the mail or have reviewed the information on the Association’s web site. I hope you are clearing your calendars and making plans to attend our 28th National Conference where we will celebrate NACADA’s 25th anniversary! Over the past 25 years, NACADA has grown from a young organization with a charter membership of 429 to an association with over 7,800 members, serving critical roles in the development of the profession and the implementation of quality academic advising on our campuses that focus on student learning.
The conference theme “Building Bridges: Advisors as Architects for the Future” is particularly meaningful as we reflect on the role NACADA plays in the professional lives of our members and ultimately in the academic success of our students. Under the leadership of Tom Grites (Academic Advising) and Maura Ivanick (Core Values), task forces have been focusing on two key areas for our Association, the development of a statement on the definition of academic advising from the Association’s perspective and the review and update of our Core Values Statement. These two documents along with our strategic plan should provide the vision (or the “Bridge!”) for NACADA, our membership and the institutions we serve as we engage in our daily work.
An important part of this development and review process is to obtain feedback from you on the drafts of these documents. Please note the brief article in this newsletter concerning the statements on defining academic advising and the core values. Click on the link that will take you to the drafts where you can provide feedback on-line to the task forces. Also, at the National Conference, a roundtable session has been scheduled for Friday, October 8 at 10 am, where Task Force members will be present to review the process of writing and updating the statements and to share in a discussion of the various issues. These types of discussions are critical to the Association’s vitality and the sense of vision we share as members of NACADA.
Best wishes to you as the summer orientations and academic terms come to a close and you prepare for another academic year. Remember that NACADA is an ever present resource for you via the web site, telephone or in person! I look forward to seeing you in Cincinnati, October 6 – 9!
Sincerely yours,
Ruth A. Darling President
Cite this article using APA style as: Darling, R. (2004, September). From the president. Academic Advising Today, 27(3). [insert url here]
