Roberta 'Bobbie' Flaherty, NACADA Executive Director 

WOW! What a Conference! We had a 61% increase in attendance over 2004, which set a record for the Association at 3381! And, what an exciting event! Over 300 presentations with opportunities to learn, network, and renew were available to attendees. A special Thank You to the presenters and the Conference Committee, and Congratulations to the Award winners. The 2006 Conference Program Committee is already hard at work to ensure that next year is just as great in Indianapolis.

The NACADA Board of Directors’ meetings in Las Vegas focused on the future of the organization – the strategic plan and finances. Let me assure you that they are watching things closely – trends in higher education, in academic advising, and in associations – to ensure that NACADA remains a strong, member-centered, financially sound organization.

With enhanced student development as the end goal, the Board focused on how the Association could support its members to ensure that students receive effective academic advising. Among their priorities are:

• increasing the visibility of academic advising within higher education
• increasing the visibility of NACADA within the higher education community,
• providing increased distance learning opportunities related to academic advising (CDs, teleconference, etc.),
• developing an “emerging leader” program to ensure continued strong and diverse leadership of the Association, and
• continuing to identify and deliver events for the variety of advisors that make this Association so dynamic.

Some specific projects that are already in the pipeline for 2006 include: a book to be published in cooperation with Wiley/Jossey-Bass, Career Advising: An Academic Advisor’s Guide, by Virginia Gordon; a revised monograph on Advising the First Year Student in cooperation with FYE at the University of South Carolina; a summer offering of the Seminar on Faculty Advising; continuation of the new CD Series for advisor training; and thoughts of an event for advisors in Puerto Rico.

In addition, you will be hearing more about the NACADA Foundation - to solicit and accept gifts to support the work of the association. Voluntary donations, bequests, and other methods of donation will be encouraged.

Many members expressed a need for assistance with advisor training on their campuses. I believe NACADA can assist in a number of ways. Please check out the following resources on our web site to select the methods most valuable for you to meet your training needs:

• NACADA Consultants Bureau to bring experts to your campus to deliver or assist with training;
• the new “Foundations of Advising” CD to provide individual or group training;
• the Advising Training Video/DVD and accompanying handbook to help you customize the training to your institution;
• the many NACADA publications addressing specific issues and populations – including the newest monograph (on CD) on the Assessment of Advising;
• the myriad writings and model programs available on a wide variety of topics in the NACADA Clearinghouse on Academic Advising; and
• the many opportunities through Institutes, Seminars, and Conferences to learn and take information back to your campuses (Administrator’s Institute, Assessment Institute, Ethical/Legal Seminar, Faculty Advising Seminar, 2 Summer Institutes, 10 regional Conferences, and next year’s National Conference in Indianapolis).

Individuals should also explore the Graduate Certificate in Academic Advising as an option for professional development and career enhancement.

We are quite aware that our 8900+ members are seeking more educational opportunities to ensure that they are providing the best academic advising to their students, and we are continually working to ensure that those educational opportunities exist! Please let us know if you perceive a need that we are not addressing.

Roberta 'Bobbie' Flaherty, Executive Director
National Academic Advising Association

Cite this article using APA style as: Flaherty, R. (2005, December). Planning for our future. Academic Advising Today, 28(4). [insert url here]