Charlie Nutt, NACADA Executive Director
I am always on an emotional high after our Annual Conference, but this year I am even more so. It was exciting to open our conference with good news, including our membership rebound from a 2009 decline, increased participation at our spring Regional Conferences, and increased participation in Orlando, with nearly 2800 participants gathering for the NACADA Annual Conference. It is clear that NACADA continues to be a vibrant, growing association that is responsive to our members’ needs.
This was especially apparent in the special social media component of this year’s conference that connected our participants before, during, and after the conference, while sharing with those members unable to attend the conference. It was fascinating to see the Facebook postings, Tweets, and Blog postings as well as the sharing of videos and live pictures among participants and non-participants alike. These social media opportunities brought a new level of involvement to the conference. I want to thank Brad Popiolek (University of Texas at Austin) and Laura Pasquini (University of North Texas) who worked so closely with Rhonda Baker from the Executive Office in designing and implementing this wonderful opportunity for the association. Brad, Laura, and Board Member Jennifer Joslin (University of Oregon) will continue to work with the Executive Office to expand these opportunities for other association events and to connect more effectively with our members. With the addition of the MyNACADA on-line services and these exciting explorations into the use of technology, NACADA will continue to grow and expand our work and connect across the globe!
This will be an exciting year for the association and for you as you work on campus for student success! As we see significant changes in higher education across the globe, academic advising and academic advisors will be valued and respected more than ever before because of our strong connection to students’ persistence to graduation. As NACADA members, I know that you will continue to turn to us for the most cost effective and comprehensive events and resources. These include our
In addition to our events, I know you also turn to NACADA for our vast free resources in the NACADA Clearinghouse of Academic Advising Resources as well as our member-discounted publications and resources.
As NACADA members you know that NACADA is committed to providing you with the highest quality, most cost effective resources and events to support campus initiatives for student success, retention, and persistence. We also know that your colleagues and top administrators may not be aware of our comprehensive offerings. I strongly encourage you to regularly share information on our events and resources with those who make funding decisions on your campus so that NACADA will become the FIRST PLACE campuses turn when developing and implementing student success initiatives.
Charlie Nutt, Executive Director NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising (785) 532-5717 cnutt@ksu.edu
Cite this article using APA style as: Nutt, C. (2010, December). From the executive director: NACADA - the most cost effective and comprehensive resource in higher education! Academic Advising Today, 33(4). Retrieved from [insert url here]
