Carol Ann Baily
	Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN
	Platform Statement: Highlight the goals you accomplished and the work you did while serving as a Unit Chair or Division Representative. In addition, highlight your involvement in all areas of the Association, demonstrating your experiences that make you qualified to serve in this position on the NACADA Board of Directors.

As chair of the Advising Adult Learners Commission, I established the first online newsletter for the Commission to increase our ability to communicate with our Commission members. I went on to serve on the Commission and Interest Group Division Steering Committee where I worked with various Commissions and Interest Groups, helping them to develop their groups and to communicate with their members more effectively. This experience has given me a desire to improve the communications with all NACADA members.

In 2000, I served on the Task Force that planned for the changes in the NACADA organization to better meet the needs of our members as we grew into a large organization. Later on I served on the Implementation Team to put into place the new structures that we had designed. Our goal at that time continues today. We want make it possible for NACADA members to get involved at many points within the organization, to receive support and mentoring along the way, and to aspire to leadership roles within the organization.

I believe that this experience gives me a unique perspective to bring to the Board. I intend to work on the Board to continue improving communications to get members involved, to provide them support and mentoring, and to help them assume leadership within NACADA.

What do you believe are the most important goals and initiatives for the Association in meeting its strategic plan and what do you feel you can contribute to this position in meeting these goals and initiatives?

I believe that the most important goal is to champion the educational role of academic advising to enhance student learning and development in a diverse world. As the author of the chapter on Advising Adult Learners in the Advising Special Populations Monograph, I believe that I have actively participated in accomplishing this goal. These monographs help educate university and college decision makers about the role of quality academic advising in higher education.

I also believe that my experiences with the mentoring program and leadership development efforts of NACADA provide me the experience needed to meet our goal of diverse leadership opportunities to ensure the effectiveness of the NACADA organization. If we encourage personal growth and effective leadership within our organization and we continue to inform educators and the world at large about the role of academic advising in college education, we will strengthen not only our organization, but higher education at large.

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

In the years when I was Chair of the Advising Adult Learners Commission, the Commission Chairs sat on the large Board of Directors and I gained the broad perspective of the organization as a whole, even though I represented just one commission within NACADA. Later, when I served on the Steering Committee of the Commission and Interest Group Division, I saw how important it was to have experienced leaders to help those new to their roles grow and develop into leaders, without feeling stranded and on their own.

I would like to take this experience and apply it to the current Board of Directors. I would like to provide the vision and the direction for the future and to empower our members to develop into leaders in all the various facets of the organization: commissions and interest groups, regions, committees, and special task forces.

Provide any additional comments or information (either personal or leadership-related) that you want potential voters to know about you that is not covered elsewhere in your platform information. 

Since I have served in a variety of capacities within NACADA, I believe that this broad experience gives me a solid background to bring to the Board of Directors.

I also bring a vision of the future of NACADA. I believe that our strategic goals can move our organization in the direction that we want to go. I would like to be one of those steering the ship, so we can reach these goals within the next few years.

Past Involvement in NACADA:

Years in NACADA: 16 years

National Offices Held and Accomplishments Achieved While in Office:

• Chair, Advising Adult Learners Commission, 1999-2001

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

• Presenter at Region 3 conferences for the past 12 years
• Conference Committee Entertainment Chair for Region 3 in Nashville, 2005

Committee/Task Force/Advisory Board Activities and Accomplishments:

• Member, Task Force on By-Laws Changes, 2006-2007
• Author of Advising Adult Learners chapter in the Advising Special Populations Monograph, 2006-2007
• Member, Annual Conference Advisory Board, 2005-2007
• Member, Organizational Structure Implementation Team, 2002-2004
• NACADA Mentor, 2001-2003
• Member, Task Force on Strategic Planning, 2000- 2002

Commission/Interest Group Activities and Accomplishments:

• Member of the Advising Adult Learners Commission since 1993
  • Chair of the Commission, 1999-2001
  • Webmaster and creator of the Commission newsletter, 1997-1999
  • Received Service to Commission Award, 2005
• Member, Commission and Interest Group Division Steering Committee, 2001-2003
• Current member: Advising Graduate & Professional Students Commission, Advising Transfer Students Commission

Other:

• Presenter at Annual NACADA Conference, 2000-2005
• Association of Non-Traditional Students in Higher Education (ANTSHE) founding member (1996-97)
• Presenter at the annual ANTSHE conference, 1997-2007
• Keynote presenter at the ANTSHE conferences, 1999 and 2003
• ANTSHE Friend of the Association award, 2003
• Chair of 2008 ANTSHE National Conference held at Middle Tennessee State University, March 2008