By Katie Rendon, MA, Registrar, Hebrew Union College, Chair of the State & Regional Relations Committee, N&E Committee Member
State & regional organizations create welcoming spaces for sharing best practices with peer institutions, discussing local legislation that impacts higher education, and forming networks to benefit your future employment. Through joining a state & regional ACRAO organization, you have access to local conferences, webinars, and training opportunities. You can also network with local peers, creating connections that support your continued development and provide an outlet to discuss standard practices and concerns. S&R organizations also offer numerous volunteering opportunities, such as joining a committee or serving on a board. These roles are often the first steps in many people’s journeys to developing organizational leadership skills and becoming involved in ̽»¨Â¥ at the national level.
As higher education administrators, the skills that you use in your jobs (e.g., problem solving, critical thinking, organization, time management, etc.) are directly transferable to leadership positions on an S&R board. However, there may be responsibilities associated with S&R board positions that you’re less familiar with or areas where you’d like a bit more support and guidance.
̽»¨Â¥ offers a plethora of resources to support state & regional leaders as they navigate running board meetings, operating as a 501(c), planning conferences, etc. Here’s a list of some of the resources available through ̽»¨Â¥ for S&R board members:
State and Regional Organizations webpage: The S&R webpage serves as a comprehensive hub for all S&R resources. If you’re not sure what your state or regional organization is, you’ll find a list of all organizations and links to their websites. The main S&R webpage is also where organizations can update their leadership rosters. Updating your rosters is a critical component in making sure your organization’s board members are notified when new resources are developed.
: This online course, free for ̽»¨Â¥ members, outlines best practices for state & regional organizations and provides examples of how S&Rs are organized and operate.
State & Regional Guide: This free handbook contains examples and suggestions for S&R operations
: This group is an online discussion platform for S&R board members across organizations. This resource is open access, regardless of ̽»¨Â¥ membership, so S&R board members who are not ̽»¨Â¥ members can also participate. Through this discussion board, S&R leaders share best practices, ask for advice, and get announcements on upcoming S&R resources. The Exchange groups also contains a library of documents related to S&R leadership and MemberClicks.
State & Regional Leadership webinars: The State & Regional Relations Committee hosts monthly webinars specifically designed for S&R leaders, including the upcoming webinar, "Understanding 501(c) Status for State and Regional Associations," scheduled for August 13 at 2 p.m. ET. Those webinars are announced in the State & Regional Leadership Exchange group and are posted on the ̽»¨Â¥ Events Calendar. These sessions are recorded, so S&R leaders can access past webinars at any time.
State & Regional Pre-Conference Workshop at Annual Meeting: Each year, the State & Regional Relations Committee hosts a free, half-day pre-conference workshop, usually held on the Sunday morning of the ̽»¨Â¥ Annual Meeting. During this session, attendees can connect with other S&R leaders and spend time discussing best practices and workshopping issues that their S&R is experiencing.
Cyber Security Training: ̽»¨Â¥ is piloting a program to offer cyber security training to S&R Organizations.
Government Relations Advocacy Center: This ̽»¨Â¥ resource can be used to help S&R organizations track federal and state legislative updates. This platform is open access and is available to anyone, regardless of ̽»¨Â¥ membership. S&Rs can use this resource to find directories of federal and state legislators and templates for contacting legislators regarding key issues in higher education.
Already involved in your S&R? You can contribute to developing resources and promoting professional development pipelines for S&R leaders.
Consider joining ̽»¨Â¥’s State & Regional Relations Committee, which serves an intermediary role in the exchange of materials, information, and resources between state & regional ACRAO's and ̽»¨Â¥. The committee promotes maximum professional enhancement for ̽»¨Â¥ members at state and regional levels through creating S&R resources and facilitating connections between S&R leaders.