#AddValue NPGS Community Progress Update

The NASPA New Professionals and Graduate Students Knowledge Community (NPGS KC) strives to educate, disseminate relevant information and expand our involvement in NASPA. The question becomes how can we add value to our NPGS community? How can you connect and add your unique input? What products or services could the NPGS KC improve or provide for our diverse membership?

These questions guided the development of our vision to #AddValue when we were elected to serve the NPGS community for the 2016 - 2018 term. Our goals and objectives to #AddValue for the NPGS KC membership for 2016-2018 are outlined on our website, but the NPGS Leadership Team wanted to update you on our (1) accomplishments, (2) what we are currently working on, and (3) plans for how we intend to #AddValue this next year.

Accomplishments for 2016 - 2017

• Regular, weekly blog posts; engaged 46 members over the last calendar year as writers
• Established NASPA's Now Professional recognition program which will honor 25 new professionals and graduate students each year
• 20 participants in the Annual Conference New Professionals Symposium; 2 sponsorships to fund attendance for the symposium were offered
• Second NPGS Research Team offering; Over 60 members applied to participate in this second team
• NPGS hosted it's 5th Annual Consortium at the Annual Conference
• Second Annual #SAgrad social in partnership with Technology KC was hosted in San Antonio 
• Communication and accountability within KC Leadership Team
• Creating a solid, sustainable structure for the KC
• Established leadership opportunities at all levels - national/regional teams
• Providing Professional Development programs/initiatives
  • e.g. regional NPGS pre-cons, webinars, social media
• Expanding presence on a regional scale, in the KC team itself, and nationally
• Listening to and assessing the needs of our constituency with a Needs Assessment survey and Research Study
• Developed programs and resources for individuals going into disability resources in conjunction w/ Disability KC; Posted on website under Resources
• First Research Team produced four manuscripts and three NASPA Annual Conference programs 

Working On/In-Progress for 2017 - 2018

• Encouraging membership and preparing them for national/regional presentations
  • In the form of master class students, articles, blogs
• Motivating doctoral students to get involved
• Thinking about collaborating with NASPA Graduate Associate Program
• Supporting regional conference pre-institutes 
• Figuring out effective partnerships 
• Research resource guides
• Posting quarterly reports for KC Membership
• Create a comprehensive calendar for upcoming events
• Formulating identity-based KC roundtable
• Increasing number of participants in the Consortium

Plans to Start in 2017 - 2018

• Expanding NASPA grad program database 
• Starting doctoral engagement pan
  • Doctoral writing room
  • Mentorship program for recently completed doctoral students
  • Survey for doctoral engagement
  • 3-minute thesis/dissertation
  • Research teams, intersections with other KCs
• Resources to prepare individuals to create program proposals
• Navigating relationship and involvement with TPE
• White papers
• Reaching out to graduate programs and passing along info
• Doctoral award in regions
• Doctoral-specific position or leader on regional teams
• Reframing Ph.D. pitch: "NASPA is the place to stay grounded in practice"
• Having a presence/reaching out to ASHE
• Graduate program database updating
• Thinking about new professionals without a master's
• Conceptualizing a mentoring network
  • Instead, just connecting NPGS to existing programs