I’ve had my fair share of memberships to national
professional associations in my four+ years in student affairs, namely ACPA and
ACUHO-I. I’ve had the privilege to
attend the national meeting of both organizations at least once. Although I value what the national orgs
do for our profession (especially publications and job placement), I must confess that at the moment I’m getting more
professional development from my state association, WCPA. Many of my colleagues belong to
UMR-ACUHO, and likely feel the same way.
Why I No membership fee. However, most
state/regional associations have membership fees that are significantly lower
than national associations.
Shared experience.
yes”> We all have similar types of students, are working under the
same state budget (those of us in public institutions, anyway), and are
impacted by the same local events.
Small, powerful network of professionals. The membership to my state association
is currently a little over 300.
Although that pales in comparison to the thousands of people that belong
to national organizations, it’s a powerful group for me. Should I try to get a job at any other
institution in this state, knowing just a few of those 300 may help me get my
foot in the door.
Involvement opportunities. It took me approximately 30 seconds to
join the Professional Development Commission; all I had to do was walk into the
meeting. Some of my
colleagues have been on the Executive Board since they were in grad school or
their first entry-level position.
All it takes to become a leader in this association is to announce that
you’re willing.
Easy-to-attend conferences. The conference is short (2 days) and
held in a central location each year.
Also, it’s affordable.
Registration was $150, which included 4 meals, and hotel rooms were well
under $100 per night. The yearly
Professional Development Institute is always at a campus within driving
distance; this year it’s on my campus.
That sure makes me likely to attend.
Positive, engaging membership. This year I presented at the conference
for the first time, and I met a number of grad students and professionals eager
to talk about my area of interest.
They provided lots of positive feedback, and ideas I could bring back to
my campus.
Are you a member of a state/regional association? What types of experiences have you had? How has it compared to your experience
with national associations?
