by Mark H. Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

Yesterday, I was able to spend several hours in Los Angeles with some of IECA’s local members. In all, 27 members took part in our gathering—a wonderful number by any standard, but almost remarkable in the short notice we provided. More remarkable still is that they gathered not to hear an expert on educational testing or a panel of admission directors, but rather to hear me talk about the state of the educational consulting profession, trends as I see them, and then to share their questions, thoughts, and hopes for the field and the association.

Most in the room were surprised to learn of two major, critical studies announced in the last year that readers of this blog may recall: a major survey demonstrated that 26% of high achieving students use educational consultants in their college search; and the second was the recently released study by Harvard on what they called the “aspiring profession” of educational consulting that identified IECA’s leadership over and over again. That so few of our members knew of these studies (let alone their potential significance) was a reminder that we must rely on traditional forms of communication as well as new media.

More importantly was the genuine enthusiasm in the room about the importance of these studies and ideas for ensuring that the college community understands the significant and important role IECA plays. Many seemed ready to assist in our outreach efforts.

Of course we also discussed the ups and downs of boarding school and therapeutic program advising and how the economic downturn has had a major impact, particularly on the latter. I shared my view that the days when nearly 100% of students in special needs programs came from IECA client referrals were likely gone but, like boarding schools, programs will discover that consultant referrals may be the difference between a program being 2/3 full or completely full (perhaps the difference between a program closing its doors, or not). More significantly, many programs freely admit that the students sent by consultants (as opposed to the Web) are a better match for their program.

I was rightly asked if we made any changes to the conference program based on the survey of consultants and program reps. When I mentioned many of the changes were implemented (we accepted all recommendations but one), there was genuine satisfaction that IECA was responding to attendees. I also noted one frustration from members that we’d like to help change. In recent years special needs programs have been sending MARKETING representatives to conferences. Overwhelmingly IECA members tell us they want counselors and therapists to attend, rather than marketers.

I was asked about the movie “In 500 Words.” We not only plan to show the film at our Fall Conference, but the creators will actually be on site to lead a discussion. Over 200 registrants have already signed up to watch the movie and discuss! We were asked to look into the possibility of co-branding with the producers to gain rights to the film and workbook so members could use these with clients.

There were a number of questions about education and training, and using new technologies like webinars to bring education to members.

What struck me the most was the genuine excitement in the room about joining together (and the genuine regret from dozens more local members who were not available). I found it a bit sad that we needed name tags, until I realized that new members and growing numbers are signs of a healthy, growing organization (despite our east coast beginning, IECA now has more members in California than any other state!). Attendees excitedly discussed establishing a couple of regional IECA groups: one for Los Angeles, the other for Orange County. As I listened to discussions, ideas, and planning, I realized the tremendous power that comes from members joining together, acting together, comparing notes and ideas. It is this collaboration that makes IECA so strong, and their work with families so successful and rewarding.

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by Mark Sklarow, IECA Executive Director

A new study, part of the GoodWork Project Report Series from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, cast an eye to ‘the commercialization of the college application process and the rise of the for-profit educational consultant.’  The report, authored by Alexis Brooke Redding, was released late last week.  Redding sought to discover the impact of the growing field of educational consulting and what is being done to regulate and promote “good work” in the field.

Redding first documented the rise—and reasons behind it—of the use of independent educational consultants (IECs), noting the increased level of frenzy seen in college admissions today, the shift to aggressive marketing techniques among colleges and subsequent ‘consumerist view’ in admissions offices of the process, as well as the growing student-to-counselor ratios in school districts across the United States. Additionally, the report notes that with the process for applying to college changing so dramatically over the last 20 years, even parents who attended colleges feel ill-equipped to advise their children today.

Along with growth, the report examines the role IECs play in the process. It quotes Tim Lee, stating that the field of educational consulting, led by IECA, is focused on helping students find the “best fit” schools.  This underscores my belief that it was IECA members who first introduced “good match or fit” into the college admission vernacular. The author concurs that the role of IECs is to use “their ability to draw upon their broad base of knowledge to help students explore the range of options.” Notes Redding, there is a “professional mantra that the goal is for a counselor to use his or her expertise to facilitate the process so that the student can get into schools based on merit and fit.”

The author cites evidence of the growth in consultant use and cites independent research that today “22% of all freshmen at private, four-year colleges [in 2006] have used IECs.”  This enforces the results of other independent research this past year that found that 26% of high achieving seniors used an educational consultant in their college search or application process. Redding concludes that “IECs are becoming an integral part of the revised admissions process.”

The author notes that the field needs three bases in order to gain recognition as a true profession: knowledge, skill and an underlying ethical framework.  She raises a concern about those who do not attain the knowledge or adhere to such published ethical guidelines.  She also raises red flags about those not choosing to join professional organizations that both examine qualifications, provide education and training, and require adherence to ethical precepts.  In this regard, the report cites IECA frequently, noting our Standards of Excellence as well as our Principles of Good Practice.  More than just ethics, competence and experience are noted:

“The standards for acceptance into NACAC and IECA highlight the importance of experience and expertise.  For example, in order to become a Professional Member of IECA, one has to have a master’s degree in a related field, 3+ years of experience, a record of service to more than 50 students, a minimum of 50 campus visits, and three professional references.”  The report indicates that parents have a responsibility to ensure that the consultant they use rises to this level of knowledge and ethical behavior and suggests such requirements be demanded of all practitioners.

Other professionals in the field also saw our leadership.  The report quotes Dr. William Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions at Harvard: “the field is ‘a little bit like the Wild West’ in which IECA ‘is doing the best it can’ to deal with the ‘set of cottage industries that have developed.’”  He also saw that “in some cases, the use of an independent is highly appropriate.”

The report also praised IECA by noting my own statement that IECA is committed to serving all students, whether they can afford consultants or not. Says Redding “A visit to the IECA website supports his [Sklarow's] statement.  They have a link for parents and students with downloads…” Moreover she notes IECA “publications highlight the importance of professional memberships, experience, and transparency in pricing… By following these guidelines, families would have excellent resources to aid them in finding a qualified counselor and would be better able to protect themselves from being taken advantage of by unscrupulous practitioners.” Finally she notes “IECA members have been vetted during the membership application process, thus assuring that they have met their standards.”

When one interviewee was asked about the benefits of her professional affiliations she noted: “assurance to clients that we follow the principles of good practice for both NACAC and IECA; constant professional development; networking opportunities with my colleagues; opportunities to both attend and participate in conferences…”  In this regard, the report qutoes me saying “ANYONE can PROMISE that they work ethically.  By joining [IECA] you say to the public: I’m being watched: if I violate those ethical guidelines, someone will step in and act… That’s how you know that I am honest, competent, and well qualified.”  David Hawkins, Vice President of NACAC noted, “only members of either of our organizations [NACAC and IECA] are subject to our rules.

Bottom Line:  The author calls independent educational consulting an “aspiring profession.”  While extolling the work that IECA has done to advance the field, it is clear that she believes that today only those who choose to professionally affiliate have agreed to be ‘vetted’ and be held to high ethical standards.  The field will achieve greater status when the vast majority of those practicing agree to meet these or similar standards.

This report mirrors the view endorsed by the IECA executive board that IECA must grow to represent the vast majority of those qualified, ethical consultants in the field.  As I have said before, just as every good doctor believes he or she must join the AMA and every ethical lawyer must join the American Bar Association, so too should every qualified, ethical consultant join IECA.  As I read it, the report affirms this mission.

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by Mark Sklarow, IECA Executive Director

In some ways the Summer Training Institute lasts far longer than the 4 days attendees spend in Swarthmore, PA.  First, in a practical sense, it could takes months just to read everything in their workshop binders.  Hundreds of articles, reproduced blogs, resource lists, sample contracts, intake forms, campus visit checklists and more make the binder a valuable resource for years. IECA education director Sue DePra put together an amazing textbook.

In addition, the attendees are able to start their journeys into the profession knowing they can rely on IECA for support.  Each can immediately link through this blog and the IECA facebook page.  As they seek Associate or Professional Membership they will discover the value IECA offers:  assigning mentors, joining campus tours, gaining discounts on everything from insurance to FedEx.  As a member they will discover the amazing opportunities, products and discounts offered by our partners including College Essay Organizer, Wintergreen Orchard House, Princeton Review, Kaplan, and more than 30 others.  Attending our national conferences in the fall and spring, reading Insights, and participating in LinkedIn discussions all will allow those who took part in this past week’s training to continue to learn and grow.

Yet above all there are the wonderful connections the participants made with each other.  Stretching from San Diego to Maine, and Vancouver to Miami, the STI Class of 2010 seems poised to keep these new relationships alive: visiting schools together, sharing expertise, providing business and counseling support and guidance.  Since 2003, we have seen the incredible value the summer training graduates find in remaining in touch, supporting each other, and raising up their classmates.  We at IECA look forward to their continued involvement.

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by Mark Sklarow, IECA Executive Director

The final afternoon of the 2010 Summer Training Institute was focused on a 3-hour session that was designed to bring together the information attendees gained throughout the week through the process of creating their own personal business plan.  Recognizing that most who enter the field of educational consulting do so with a passion for students and knowledge of counseling, attendees welcomed this final opportunity to examine the small business development aspect of starting a practice.

I shared the teaching for this unit with marketing guru and IECA member Lisa Bleich.  Among the exercises completed, attendees examined their personal reasons for entering the field and crafted mission statements, set goals and specific objectives and examined the external community traits that impact consulting.  Attendees examined the benefits of students using web-based, school-based or corporate-based advising in order to better understand the landscape.  Each completed a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analysis based on their 4 days of learning.

The business plan also had participants examine traditional and new media marketing techniques, start-up costs for establishing a practice as well as on-going expenses, particularly in the early years while a practice is being built.

While plans were hardly complete at the end of the exercise, the 93 attendees left with the basic components of a business plan in hand, along with a cohort of colleagues from across the country and around the world with whom they shared the institute.  Many anticipate continuing their learning at the upcoming IECA Fall Conference in Ohio.

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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

The attendees at the IECA Summer Training Institute found themselves facing a series of ethical conundrums this morning. Drawn from actual cases from IECA’s files, the participants had to look inward to ensure they practice using ethical and professional approaches.

One case explored the need to meet obligations to schools and programs sponsoring campus tours and events.  Another examined the appropriateness of consultants hosting events for client families and admission representatives.  With IECA maintaining the strictest standards (which forbid actions that heighten student and parent anxiety), one case examined a consultant who uses fear, anxiety and pressure at community gatherings to get parents to ‘sign up.’  Further, she promises to use her “secrets” to assure success.  Consultants saw the ethical violation and pledged to only work for good matches and assure families that “great colleges exist for every student.”

The attendees also explored the interactions among consultants.  They read a case dealing with the obligations a consultant has to professional colleagues, and interactions via the IECA TalkList.  This created spirited conversation as members balance the need to share evidence of their research and effort with the need to protect clients’ privacy.

Ethics was presented throughout the weeklong training as the topic was worked in to every instructional session.  This morning, as the STI examined the growth of ‘new media’ and social networking, the ethics of using such technologies and linking with student clients was examined.

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by Emily Snyder, IECA Member (Virginia), and Chair, IECA College Committee

I just returned from the PCACAC Conference that Mark Sklarow referred to in his most recent post to this blog.

Five events occurred during the Conference that reaffirmed that my decision to attend was the right choice for me: (1) having the opportunity to connect and network with admissions professionals in a small, personalized environment, and becoming updated on exciting, new programs and changes at the colleges and universities in attendance; (2) participating in the panel moderated by Mark Sklarow; (3) learning that three public school administrators in my area have become believers in the value of a credential for school based counselors and educational consultants; (4) being informed about upcoming changes to the 2010-2011 Common Application; and (5) seeing a planned, relaxing evening among three colleagues quickly morph into “dinner for 7″.

Mark has already spoken about the value of our panel presentation — I was glad to play a role in helping educate others, challenging and dispelling myths, and providing a more accurate interpretation of the role we play in helping the students we work with achieve successful outcomes.

Learning that some public school administrators, these three in particular because they are in my area, are on board with the idea of a certification for all those who provide educational guidance to students, regardless of whether they are independents consultants or school based personnel, was a bittersweet experience for me –it helped me see how far we as a professional association have come, while at the same time shed light on how far we have to go.

It was just a few years ago that The Common Application made changes to its format without much user input or advance notice. From the groundswell of concerns that arose, advice from different constituencies is now a regular part of the yearly review process. During this morning’s presentation, 7 of the 20 (I believe that’s an accurate count) attendees who were independent consultants, 6 were IECA members. Let’s hope that sooner rather than later IECA consultants will be given equal opportunities, with The Common Application and other organizations that impact students, to provide input and have proportional representation at their advisory and decision making tables.

All that aside, for me, the MOST IMPORTANT experience was dinner amongst 7 individuals who as little as 5 years ago would never have most likely all agreed to socialize over dinner at the same table. At that time, some of these very same individuals were still on “the other side” of the fence regarding the validity and value of educational consultants. If not for the ongoing efforts of individual members and IECA as an organization, who would have thought it possible.

Mark’s comment yesterday about the young woman who couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about is revealing; for me, in a different way than anyone might anticipate.

Five years ago at the university this young woman now works at I made a phone call to the admissions office on behalf of an applicant and his family — there were very valid reasons why they were not in the position to make the call themselves. Without any knowledge of my credentials, I was told in no uncertain terms that my phone call was not welcome. That same applicant, who is not much younger than the admissions representative who spoke up yesterday, will graduate from that very same institution next week, and will be starting law school in the fall; my, how far we have come.

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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, Independent Educational Consultants Association

Based on facts and figures alone, we know the economy is showing significant signs of recovery. We have had two consecutive quarters of positive GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth, and this alone would mean that the recession is, technically, behind us. While employment figures have not shown dramatic improvement, monthly losses of over a half a million jobs shrank to losses of fewer than 10,000 at the beginning of the year, and in March we saw actual growth. So things are better, right? Well, polls indicate that a solid majority of Americans believe we are still in a recession. Most experts think that when we see relatives unemployed or hear of neighbors losing their home, the average person remains cautious and pessimistic. And while unemployment has fallen below 10%, most experts think the real number (including those who stopped looking for work or took part-time jobs) remains remarkable high, at nearly 20%.

At the beginning of the recession I suggested that consultants could better judge the likely impact on this profession by looking at two figures: consumer spending and consumer confidence. That is, are average Americans beginning to spend money, particularly on non-necessities, and are they showing signs of confidence in a rebound that makes them a bit more comfortable, agreeing to a major purchase? So what do we know? The Conference Board tells us that consumer confidence index began to rebound in March, with more Americans thinking that the economy will improve over the next six months than those who believe it will get worse. Significantly, consumer spending increased for five straight months—despite the crippling snowstorms in February—and has exceeded the expectations of economists. Spending on bigger ticket items has improved as higher wage earners are beginning to believe that if they still have their job, they weathered the storm and are safe.

So what does this mean for consulting? I believe we have begun to turn the corner. I am hearing reports from members across the United States that things have begun to pick up. Particularly in college advising the trend seems very positive, while things are rebounding a bit more slowly in therapeutic and traditional boarding placements. I hope more members will e-mail me or post what they are seeing so we can gain a broader perspective. To be sure, there are some parts of the country where things remain very, very difficult, particularly areas where unemployment remains at twice the national average. However, as the stock market continues to improve (it is over 11,000 as I write this blog), companies return to matching retirement contributions and job security returns, we can count on continued improvement in educational consulting. Many have heard me say that consultants will do better if they allow clients to pay in smaller amounts, spread out over time: when any economic uncertainty exists, people want to pay out of their checkbooks, not out of savings or by cashing in a 401(k) or bond. The need to dip heavily into savings or home equity is one of the things preventing therapeutic programs from rebounding more quickly.

So bottom line: I think we are at the beginning of the improvement and I suspect we’ll see real signs of increased clients loads. Those who will gain the most are consultants who can be identified as qualified, competent, and worth the cost. We hope that membership in IECA will provide that reassurance as the economy brings families back to consultants for educational advice.

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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

An article in the Stanford Daily has gotten a lot of attention over the weekend. It raised a question about the authenticity of student applications to the prestigious school, after an advertisement appeared in the campus newspaper for an “admission boot camp” run by an unaffiliated educational consultant whose ethics have long been questioned. The article effectively challenges the Stanford admissions office to seek assurances from students that they “did not receive outside help” in preparing their application to the school. The problem for Stanford—and every other college in America—is that such a question is impossible to answer.

Consider a student in a suburban public school who spends an entire quarter of their 11th grade English class writing and re-writing their college essay, with four or five edits from his or her teacher. Is this outside help? Is such help fair to students who attend a school where fewer students go to college, so such a class assignment is not given?

Consider the number of students who get help on preparation for their ACTs or SATs. Would this require disclosure? In some communities the vast majority of students get such after-school help, so should these students have to “disclose” this on an application as if they are all doing something wrong? Some schools include “SAT vocabulary” as part of the curriculum. It may not be paid assistance, but is this an unfair advantage over students who don’t have such a curriculum?

Consider the difference between a student at a small private school where a college counselor works with just 30-35 students. The counselor may have time to meet with students often for lengthy conversations about college choice and the application process  (is this the ultimate in paid assistance?). Counselors in private schools report tremendous pressure to get students in the most exclusive colleges, so that they can then publish “College Acceptance” lists and use these for student recruitment. How does that experience compare to a public school student in California that is one of 1,000 assigned to a counselor? The entire one-on-one counseling this student sees may be fewer than five minutes. Should that private school student have to “disclose” the additional time and assistance they received? Or might independent college advising be just what the public school student needs to balance the scales a bit; NOT to get the student in to Stanford, but to allow adequate time to discuss the kind of college where they might be successful?

The article implies that students who use educational consultants are somehow “cheating.” Yes, we know that there are some unethical consultants. We know as well that some students pay for essays. But we also know that there is a world of difference between IECA members and the others. IECA members commit to working on the ‘right match’ not on ‘getting in.’ IECA members believe in reducing family anxieties by empowering students to take control of their college search. IECA members refuse to play a heavy role in the college essay: they work with students to find a good topic that conveys who they are, and expect students to tell it in their own voice, at their own ability level. This is why many colleges who claim not to work closely with consultants make the exception for IECA members.

There is some irony that this article appeared in Stanford’s newspaper. IECA members were warmly greeted when they were invited to visit Stanford’s campus last year. The Dean of Admission has accepted several invitations to speak before IECA groups, and one high level official at the college hired an IECA member consultant to explore his own child’s educational options. Officials there know and appreciate the difference between IECA members and the help we give families. A student who indicates they worked with an IECA member should be a reassurance to the admission committee both that the application reflects the student’s own work, and that they are applying to Stanford not based on reputation alone, but after considered thought of a good match.

A recent national survey by the independent research firm, Lipman Hearne, revealed that 26% of high achieving high school students used some fee-for-service assistance in their college search and application process. It was a remarkable discovery that shocked the researchers. More incredible is the awareness that students who work with IECA members are three times more likely to attend a private college and four times more likely to attend school out of state. As schools explore the issue raised in this article, about students disclosing if they received help, private colleges should be aware that over half of their applicants will answer “yes” OR they will discover that asking the question encourages students to lie, rather than be penalized for getting the kind of advice that over-worked and under-supported school counselors cannot provide.

IECA members have every right to be proud of our reputation and the work we do to ensure students get the assistance they need, the advice required, and the support a family requires during an anxiety-prone time. Colleges should be reaching out to work with us as we seek to impose the standards and ethics to ensure a fair and impartial process for all adolescents.

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by Mark H. Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

A new national survey released yesterday by the non-profit research organization Public Agenda, and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, paints a depressing picture of college advising. In their survey of young adults who graduated from college, the researchers explored how helpful the respondents’ school-based counselor was in meeting their college search, application, and financial aid advisory needs. The respondents found little to cheer.

Two-thirds of those surveyed rated their counselor “poor or fair” at “helping you decide what school was right for you,” with 62% indicating a similar rating in the area of financial aid advice. Over 50% gave “poor or fair” evaluations to their counselors for “explaining and helping you with the application process,” while nearly half said that they were made to feel like little more than a “face in the crowd.”

The researchers were quick to note the conditions under which counselors typically work, including excessive caseloads often double or triple the national recommended number of students. In many school districts, college counseling is one aspect of a counselor’s duties that may include academic advising, crisis intervention, and lunchroom duty.

Little in the report came as a surprise, and one might suspect that as executive director of the professional association representing educational consultants working in private practice, we would greet the findings with some degree of pleasure. In fact, I am deeply disturbed by the findings and place the blame where it belongs: NOT on the backs of hard-working, overwhelmed school counselors, but squarely at the feet of school boards who have refused to recognize the importance of good, well-trained counseling staff.

So let me be clear in terms of the solution:

(1) What I believe is simple: every student deserves great college and career advising, not just those in private school or wealthy suburban districts—or those who can afford the services of an educational consultant. Every child.

(2) Counselor caseloads should not exceed the recommended maximum of 250, as set by the American School Counselors Association.

(3) Every counselor doing college placements should take coursework specific to college counseling—few actually have—like online classes offered through UCLA, UC Berkeley and UC Irvine.

(4) A member of the counseling team should be specifically trained to advise students with learning differences on their school search and application process, as well as offer advice on the transition to college.

(5) Schools should find the resources to ensure opportunities for professional development. Counselors must know the latest trends and changes to admission policies, financial aid, and more.

(6) School districts must release counselors to visit campuses regularly, to better understand the social, academic, and community aspects of the college and be better able to advise students and families.

These six recommendations would go a long way to improving counseling by supporting the training and professional development of college counselors and recognizing the limits to effective advice when one is over-worked and under-supported.

Because the educational consulting community supports great counseling for every child, we hope that these changes—which Independent Educational Consultant Association members already benefit from—are extended to school counselors, and we stand with our professional colleagues as they seek the resources they need to more effectively serve students in finding great college matches.

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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

“The pace of change in programming within your association must be commensurate with the pace of change in your member’s world.”

This little bit of truth was but one of hundreds of things that IECA President-elect Dodge Johnson and I heard over the last two days. We were attending a symposium for chief elected officers and chief staff officers run by the American Society of Association Executives. Of course the above bit of knowledge comes with further awareness that we live in an era of unprecedented and unpredictable change. Does any IECA member really know what will be the major challenges facing them in their own practice in their own community in the fall of 2013? Yet somehow, we are told, the association must be preparing now for that unknowable reality. The job of officers and staff is to prepare our members for what the future holds and to be sure that we become a significant resource to help our members thrive in whatever challenge arises.

While the times may change and the daily realities of consulting work may change, the basic premise of what makes an association important to its members does not. Associations are about three things: (1) Community (2) Connections (3) Communication. Our commitment has always been for IECA to be the premiere community, widely recognized and respected as bringing together the leaders in the field to share experiences, knowledge, and to understand the changes taking place in admissions, education, and adolescent health. We are well aware that communities of consultants are easier than ever to create: organizations can start up, or gather online, but what IECA guarantees is that those who choose to join in OUR community are also well screened for competence, ethics, and value a commitment to the success of young people.

Over the last year we have tackled the last in that alliterative series—Communication—in new and exciting ways. This blog and social networking have enabled us to assist our members in this new frontier of possibilities. At the same time, we continue to print our newsletter and brochures. We have expanded opportunities for face-to-face networking through our Speed Meetings, and our College Fairs are larger than ever. It is this very diversity—allowing members to share and communicate in varied formats—that demonstrates our great success.

One of the first items shared with our training group was the unique nature of associations, where the primary consumers, owners, and workforce are all the same: the members. Members are indeed the leaders, filling all Board positions. They also serve as the volunteers that steer our committees, outreach to allied professionals, and help spread the word. And unique among all business systems, these same members are the primary consumers: paying dues, paying conference fees, and attending workshops and campus tours.

Of course we were also cautioned not to allow a situation develop in which members feel they are there to be “sold to” rather than “served.” I took this as a great caution and was reminded of the feedback we heard from many, including the Schools Committee to balance IECA’s fiscal needs with our commitment to serving members. It is a message we heard and to which we will respond.

Over the course of our two days, we were asked to identify one “mega” strategic issue that we expect IECA will confront in the coming years. Rather than pull one out of the blue, Dodge and I were able to access the results (so far) of our ongoing member survey of strategic initiatives. There we found our answer. Members overwhelmingly have identified our mega issue: expanding public awareness and hiring of educational consultants in their educational search, with an effort to ensure that IECA members are seen as the “gold standard” in the profession. It is this overriding member concern that will be front and center as IECA looks at what we need to do to ensure our members are prepared to confront the changes that are coming, as they pursue what the field will be like for them personally in the fall of 2013 and beyond.

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