Board Update E-mail to All Members from NASPA President Elizabeth Griego (July 28)

This e-mail is to provide NASPA members with a brief update on the NASPA Board of Directors' meeting and deliberations July 21-24, in Las Vegas. The minutes from the meeting will be posted in full in a few weeks' time on the NASPA website.

CONSOLIDATION

Board Discussion: For an historic first time, the entire NASPA and ACPA boards met jointly on Thursday, July 22, to discuss the proposal that the two associations join to form a new comprehensive association for the student affairs profession. The boards reviewed both a financial pro forma for the proposed association and discussed in detail the draft document, A Study for a Consolidated Association, which included the work of eight subcommittees comprised of over 60 leaders from both associations. Conversations in the day-long session with the two boards were direct, candid, positive, and generative. Finalization of the Study for a Consolidated Association is still under revision in draft form to incorporate board comments and suggestions, but will be made available on the NASPA website and shared with constituencies as soon as it is finalized in October. A more detailed report of the July 22 session, including brief statements of the recommendations of the subcommittees and a detailed timeline of next steps is available online.

Vision Statement: Included in the draft study reviewed and discussed by the boards is a draft Vision Statement for the New Association. The boards welcome your review and comments on this statement by entering the discussion blog on the NASPA website.

NASPA Board Resolution on Consolidation: The NASPA Board of Directors formally voted to forward the proposal for a new association to the NASPA membership following further membership discussion and pending the board's positive review of seminal documents named below. The text of the resolution, passed unanimously by the board, is as follows:

After the progress made in the joint information session of the NASPA and ACPA Boards on July 22, 2010, the NASPA Board affirms the continued exploration of the creation of a new student affairs association.  The NASPA Board recommends continuing the process with the ACPA Governing Board by reviewing a financial and full legal third party due diligence of both associations, and by clarifying the governance and board structure, establishing a combination agreement and creating bylaws for a new association.  Pending satisfactory completion and positive review of these documents by the NASPA Board and with further discussion with NASPA constituencies about the proposal for a consolidated association, the Board will vote to forward the proposal for a new association to the NASPA membership for a vote to occur by April 15, 2011.

The NASPA Board of Directors also reviewed separately attorney advisories on the who, when, where, and how of NASPA voting on a proposed new association:

Who Would Vote: The matter of consolidation is so consequential for NASPA that the association's new attorney, as well as previous counsel, has advised that applicable law requires all voting members should be eligible to vote. Currently, voting members as defined in the NASPA by-laws include Voting Delegates, Professional Affiliates, and Faculty Affiliates.

When the Vote Would Occur: The board confirmed its ongoing and consistent intention that extensive membership discussion on a proposed new association will continue so that all voices are heard and so that membership is fully informed. The board confirmed that the voting period would align with the period provided by ACPA for its member vote. If the NASPA Board of Directors' review of documents is positive, the voting dates will be confirmed at a later board meeting with the timeline expected for late March/early April, to end no later than April 15, 2011.

Where and How: The board indicated its intention that the vote would be by electronic means to protect confidentiality of the individual vote and to afford the widest possible eligible member participation.

Proposal that graduate students be permitted to vote on the matter of consolidation: The board discussed at some length a proposal from graduate students that they be permitted to vote on the matter of consolidation. In order for graduate students to vote, a resolution would need to be forwarded to the voting delegates to revise the NASPA by-laws to consider graduate students voting members of NASPA. Voting delegates are currently the only members eligible to vote on by-law changes.  While expressing its understanding and appreciation of the intent of the proposal, the board passed the following resolution:

The Board values the input and contributions of graduate students and feels that these individuals should be able to participate fully in the association, in principle.   We are not prepared to endorse the resolution because of timing and the complexity of the issue.  Working with the New Professionals and Graduate Student Knowledge Community, we will explore ways for graduate students to have input into the consolidation discussions.

Motion from the Foundation Executive Committee: A motion initially put forth by the NASPA Foundation Executive Committee was withdrawn without a vote since the Board Resolution on Consolidation made it unnecessary.  

Further discussion with membership on Consolidation: Additional discussion with constituent groups is planned over the next few months with SSAOs through the James Scott Academy; within interested Knowledge Communities, particularly the New Professionals and Graduate Students KC;  within interested NASPA Divisions; at the November regional conferences; and at the annual conference in Philadelphia in March 2011. Members are reminded of the opportunities for continuing online discussion about consolidation, both through the members-only section of the NASPA website and in the public section of the website. The best resource for updated information and a timeline for next steps may be found on the Consolidation page of the website.

OTHER BOARD ACTION: PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES

The board approved the joint publication ACPA NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Practitioners written by the Joint Task Force on Professional Competencies and Standards, co-chaired by Marilee Bresciani on behalf of NASPA and Dwayne Todd on behalf of ACPA. The basic, intermediate, and advanced levels for ten professional competency areas are intended to guide practice, assist human resources in developing position descriptions, provide framing for student affairs graduate programs, guide professional development opportunities, serve as resource material for program reviews, and for many other uses outlined in the document. Board member discussion of this publication included the understanding that this document will evolve as the profession changes in the future and as new knowledge is generated about the changing roles and responsibilities in student affairs. Now that the report has been approved by both boards, the next steps will be to professionally edit and print the document for ease of use with all ACPA and NASPA constituencies, and then work on a plan of implementation/education for its uses within the community of student affairs.