|
Renee
Babcock |
University
of Texas at Austin
Austin,
TX |
Platform
Statement:
Highlight the goals you accomplished and the work you did
while serving as a Unit Chair within this Division.
|
After
receiving feedback from my commission membership in a number of
discussions, I recommended the creation of a more in-depth, hands
on technology seminar. Based on this recommendation, the new Technology
Seminar was created, and will be held the first time in February,
2009.
This past year, I was approached to have the technology commission
participate in the creation of a new Faculty Advisor training video,
and with the help of my steering committee, I authored a vignette
that will be used in the video on the appropriate (and inappropriate)
uses of technology in an advising setting.
Further, it is clear that there is a need for more updated methods
of communicating with commission members. Many feel that our list
serve, which does serve an important function, is limited in what
it can do to foster collaborative discussion. I have heard from
other commission chairs that this is also an issue for them in their
groups. I have formed a subcommittee made up of technology commission
members, both seasoned and inexperienced, to research the potential
use of blogs, wikis or other Web 2.0 tools to meet this need. I
would like to have a recommendation in place for the incoming Technology
commission chair next October as well as share this information
with the division for potential use by other groups within the division.
Finally, at our commission meeting this year, our members also expressed
an interest in having one on one, hands on opportunities to learn
about new technologies from commission members who are experienced
and comfortable with them. I plan to approach the program chair
of the upcoming annual convention to see how we may be able to meet
this need without impacting other areas of the program for the upcoming
annual convention.
What
do you believe are the Division's most important goals and initiatives
in meeting the strategic plan for both the Division and the Association? How
do you feel you can be of benefit to the NACADA Council in meeting
the Association's strategic plan and initiatives?
From conversations I've been involved in with other members of the
division, I think there is a strong desire for cross-collaboration
among different groups within the division. A potential concern
for some with the growing number of commissions and interest groups
is the perception that there may be a dilution of, or a "competition"
for members, when that need not be the case. We all are able to
learn from each other, and bring varied experiences and expertise
to the table. This diversity is an incredible strength of our organization,
and I would like to see the division and council further develop
the wonderful opportunities presented.
I would also like to see some more formalized mechanisms put in
place to encourage and help the division leaders achieve their goals,
especially with collaborating with other groups. There are so many
great ideas generated when we get together and meet with each other,
and it seems sometimes that there's a question of how to put those
plans into motion once we're back on our home campuses and spread
apart from each other.
I think the leadership of the division is very good at collecting
information on the issues of the various commissions and interest
groups (which are gathered quite effectively by the chairs of same
in conversation with their respective groups), and working from
the bottom up, to the council and further up, to set concrete goals
to meet the strategic plan of the organization. What I would like
to see more of is a refinement of the communication from the top
down to the division leaders as well, as a way of closing the communication
loop. This could benefit all the leaders as they report back to
their membership, and help them further refine their goals and further
discussion within their and across groups. This can help NACADA
become an even stronger organization, a challenge given what a large
and dynamic membership that we have.
Why are you interested in serving in this leadership position or
what influenced you to run for this leadership position?
On my campus, I have been actively involved in the leadership of
our campus-wide advisor organization for several years. I have served
as an officer, and as chair of several committees, including our
scholarship and by-laws committees.
For the past year and a half, I have been a member of our ROAD committee,
a working group that plans ongoing, year-round professional development
opportunities for our campus community. The ROAD committee currently
plans approximately 3-5 activities a month, ranging from Brown Bag
lunches to lectures or presentations by members of the campus community
of interest to our membership. I am also a current member of our
By-laws committee. Where some may not find that the most exciting
committee on which to serve, I enjoy the opportunity to be introspective
about the organization, to re-evaluate if the organization is meeting
the needs of its members, and then helping to codify our values
in the body's governing document.
I believe that the way to strengthen our advising community, to
become more effective in our daily work and in our profession, and
to show value to constituents outside our immediate community is
to participate in the process. This is why I chose to be involved
in my local organization, why I chose to serve as a commission chair,
and why I wish to be your CIGD representative.
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.
One of the things I have enjoyed most in my experience as a commission
chair is the opportunity to work with the diversity of members who
all have a common interest, if not common experiences. And in the
process, I have learned from those I was selected to represent,
I believe to mutual benefit. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Past
Involvement in NACADA:
Years
in NACADA: 9 years
National
Offices Held and Accomplishments Achieved While
in Office:
Regional
Activities/Offices Held, including accomplishments achieved while
in office:
- Presented
at Region VII conference, 2004 - session titled "Save the Trees!
Transitioning from Paper to Electronic Files."
Committee/Task
Force/Advisory Board Activities and Accomplishments:
- Member,
Advising Technology Innovation Awards selection sub-committee,
2006, 2007-2009
Commission/Interest
Group Activities and Accomplishments:
- Steering
Committee Member, Technology in Advising Commission, 2004-present
- Conference
proposal reader, Technology in Advising Commission, 2005-2008
- Current
member - Technology in Advising Commission, Advising Administration
Commission, Assessment of Advising Commission, Large Universities
Interest Group
Other:
- Presented
at National Conference 1998, 2004 (Advising Administration Commission-sponsored
session), 2005, 2006
- Activities
and Honors, University of Texas at Austin:
- Member,
Academic Counselors' Association (ACA)
- ACA
Public Relations Coordinator, 2004-2005
- Member
of ACA Professional Development Day committee, 2005
- Chair,
ACA Scholarship and By-laws Committees, 2004-2005
- Member
of ACA Resources for Ongoing Advisor Development (ROAD) committee,
2006-2008
- Member
of ACA Bylaws committee, 2008
- Recipient
of ACA Professional Development Scholarship (to present at
Region VII conference), 2004
- Chair,
2006 World Fantasy Convention (1100 member international professional
conference for writers and editors of fantasy fiction) held in
Austin, TX.
- Board
member, World Fantasy Organization, 2004-present
- Chair,
Board of Directors of FACT, Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational literary
organization based in Austin, TX, 2004-2007
|
