Kazi Mamun, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Past Involvement in NACADA:

Years in NACADA: 12 years

National Offices Held and Accomplishments Achieved While in Office:

• Regional Division Representative (elected) 2004-2006 — Worked closely with the appointed representative to bring about a formula that would apply across regions in certain issue areas while allowing the uniqueness of each region to be celebrated. Brought about a regular consultation process through a teleconference of all region chairs throughout the year to exchange views and deal with complex issues.
• Region Chair, Region 9 2001-2003 — Increased membership by 10 during my tenure. Worked hard to get community college advisors on board but was unsuccessful for a variety of reasons that are too diffuclt to deal with but at least got the conversation started. Communicated with each member through electronic means at least 4 times a year. Managed to put together a joint conference of Region 8 and 9 in Vancouver in 2002. It was so successful that the next joint conference will be in Hawaii in Spring 2006. This enables members to network with members outside their region and share experiences.

Regional Activities/Offices Held, including accomplishments achieved while in office:

• Member, Region 9 Steering Committee, 1999-current
• Chair, 1999 Region 9 Conference, University of Southern California
• Conference committee member — Pasadena, 2004, Oakland 2005
• Presented at regional conferences and won best of region in 2003 (with Monique Sosa) on "Transition Advising: Advising Students into a Second or Third Choice Major."
• Presented the Administrator's pre-conference workshop with Charlie Nutt and Jeanette Wong in Vancouver 2003, with Jeanette Wong in Pasadena, 2004; and in Oakland, 2005.

Committee/Task Force/Advisory Board Activities and Accomplishments:

• Award Selection Committee, 2005 - selected the Pacesetter and other awards.
• Member, Geographic Region Committee in 2003, to determine whether or not regions were unique enough to have different organizational structures.
• Member, NACADA Journal Editorial Board, Spring 1996-1998

Commission/Interest Group Activities and Accomplishments:

• Current Member -- Advising Administration Commission, Advising Business Majors Commission
• Current Member -- Theory and Philosophy of Advising Interest Group, Advising High Achieving Students Interest Group
• Former Member -- Multicultural Concerns Commission

Other:

• Presented at Noel-Levitz Conference in Washington DC on retention.
• Presented on several occasions at regional and national conferences in Washington D.C. 1996, Kansas City, 1997, Salt Lake City, 2003.
• Activities at USC:
  • Member of the USC's Council of Academic Advisors' Steering Committee 1996-1997.
  • Member of USC's Retention Committee 1995-1997.
  • Member (ex-officio) of the Committee of Academic Policies and Procedures, 196 till present.
  • Original Member of the USC's SOS (Student One-Stop Shop), 1994-2003.
  • Member of the Advising Redesign Team of USC when there was a complete restruction of advising delivery on campus.
  • Member of the Student Affairs Council, Academic Petitions Panel, and several other campus-wide committees

Platform Statement:

• Highlight your involvement in this unit that will help you in leading this unit. What roles have you played in this unit thus far? 

When I was Region Chair (Region 9), I made an active effort to promote NACADA and its principles to the advising community in California, (and Nevada and Hawaii)increasing membership by 10%. I believed that the situation in California was unique with the community college advisors officially appointed as faculty. Since they had their own organization it was difficult to join NACADA. As Region Chair, I raised this issue in the meeting of the Region Chairs and made them aware of it.

I also made it a goal to communicate with the membership electronically at least four times a year. I am proud to say that at regional (and national conferences) people sought me out to meet with me since I had communicated with them.

I really care about students and believe in advising as teaching and am not shy about expressing my ideas to the NACADA leaders. I am a very capable leader.

• What do you believe are the most important goals and initiatives for this unit in meeting the strategic plan for both the unit and the Association?

I think the most important goal is to make ourselves known to senior academic administrators in America's colleges and universities and push forward the idea that advisors play a vital role in the development and education of our young men and women.

At my campus, I have been recognized as a leader. At a university primarily dedicated to research, it is an accomplishment to be accepted as a leader without being directly involved in teaching. I believe that I have the conviction and the persuasive ability to make a difference.

• Why are you interested in serving in this leadership position or what influenced you to run for this leadership position?

I have been a member of NACADA since 1993 and with each passing year have progressed up the leadership ladder. I am not afraid to make decisions, share my ideas and vision, and lead the organization. The Board is where most of the important decisions are made and I want to be part of it.

• Provide any additional comments or information regarding your past experiences and qualifications that relate to your candidacy for this leadership position. 

I have been passionately involved in higher education in the United States. I migrated from a very poor country but was fortunate enough to receive a Western Education. Naturalized as an American citizen, I have been able to observe first hand, how a democracy works and how decisions evolve taking into consideration the views of the many, as opposed to the few.

While this was something I dreamed about in my country, I was fortunate enough to be able to get the opportunity to come to the United States, get a graduate education in International Relations, and particpate in several decision making roles at a top university. I like the participatory nature of NACADA and the bottom-up approach to making decisions. While I am aware that often, this ends in "soft" solutions, in the end the process itself is worthwhile because in order for a decision to be accepted by a majority, it must address some of their major concerns. After the restructuring of NACADA I feel that their is great opportunity and avenues for concerns of the membership to filter up to the leadership. As someone who had come up through the ranks and who is still and advisor, I can understand and sympathize with my fellow advisors and want to make this profession as noble as teaching.

I am not afraid to make tough decisions and look forward to the challenge of leading.