In Spring of 2020 the Regional Review Work Group submitted its final report based on a survey and focus groups that gathered information from the membership regarding the regional structure and, more importantly, how we as an Association serve our members. This was a significant quantitative and qualitative study that provided a wealth of actionable information.
The current global pandemic has impacted NACADA’s operations and philosophy on how professional development can be provided to its membership. To provide a historical perspective, the Regional Review was completed in March 2020 prior to the pandemic. The Regional Review Implementation Committee (RRIC) began its work in June 2020, after the pandemic had begun. The implications of virtual engagement for conferences and meetings based on new strategies implemented after the pandemic have shifted the way the Association operates and engages with its members. The resources provided to support virtual professional development opportunities have increased access to NACADA globally. This shift in operations will continue to have an impact on how members interact with and perceive the value of NACADA and the advising profession as a whole, as well as on their personal professional development, and for the support of their work on their campuses.
Upon review of this final report, the NACADA Board of Directors charged the RRIC to take the recommendations from the Region Review Report and determine what units in NACADA should assume ownership of implementing the recommendations and timeframe for implementation, and whether there would be any financial implications to their operations. Additionally, the RRIC added considerations of how the Association has already addressed some of the recommendations based on their response to the global pandemic.
The following committee members were brought together for the first RRIC meeting in June 2020:
Co-Chair - Melinda Anderson, Board of Directors Co-Chair - Deb Dotterer, former Region 5 Chair, Professional Development Committee Co-Chair - Mehvash Ali, Board of Directors
Charlie Nutt, NACADA Executive Director Shea Ellingham, Region 8 Chair, Canada, Finance Committee Chris Kirchhof, Region Division Representative Karen Lewis, Region Division Representative, Professional Development Committee David Grey, UKAT CEO, Research Committee and Editorial Board, Publications Advisory Board Janine Mayers, British Columbia Liaison, Region 8 John Sauter, ACD Cluster Representative, Technology in Advising Steering Committee Lizbeth Alcántara, EO Project Manager
The work required that the committee be divided into three groups, with each group responsible for two of the six thematic areas identified in the Region Review Report. Those areas were Accessibility and Availability, Breadth and Depth of Content, Engagement, Global, Infrastructure, and Leadership Opportunities.
The groups considered each recommendation within their assigned two thematic categories in terms of the following:
The RRIC assessed the recommendations in the original Regional Review Report in light of the shift in the manner in which the Association operated post-COVID with significant advancements in virtual engagement. The RRIC has thus highlighted some areas within the recommendations to emphasize how this paradigm shift in the delivery of professional development is a critical step in engaging the membership moving forward.
Once the groups had completed their individual work, the full committee met to review all the recommendations together, noted additional comments, and finalized the work completed by the individual groups. The RRIC is finalizing their report to the Board of Directors to be presented during their Mid-Year Meeting in April 2021.
