by Mark Sklarow, IECA Executive Director

The Executive Committee of the IECA Board of Directors met Monday and Tuesday this week to examine current issues and ensure the Association’s future is on track, incorporating member feedback and planning for upcoming meetings of the Board of Directors.  While the officers examined numerous topics (e.g., conference changes, affinity groups, ethics, and relationships with affiliated organizations) most discussions led back to three central themes of communication, education, and IECA’s role as the preeminent organization for educational advising in the world.

Given that IECA is the leading professional association for educational consultants, the Executive Committee emphasized a three-year goal of membership growth to include the vast majority of all competent, ethical, knowledgeable, qualified consultants.  The effort revolves around the simple belief that just as the nation’s leading doctors join the AMA and leading psychologists join the APA, the nation’s (and world’s) leading educational consultants should be members of IECA. The result, while ensuring some growth, will guarantee greater awareness by the general public, general acceptance by admission directors, and partnership with leading educational organizations.

Such an effort will challenge IECA to act decisively to ensure effective communication.  This includes communication among our members, communication between the association’s national staff and the membership, as well as communication between our members and the admission and broader educational communities.

IECA has made a commitment to maintain publishing: brochures, fliers, directory and Insights.  While other groups have abandoned ‘hard copies’ we believe such printed material gives us an unequaled presence.  At the same time, our web site is updated regularly and will continue to be renewed. When families search for an educational consultant, we are committed to ensuring that IECA emerges at the top of that search.   Our social media and new media efforts are well ahead of most other associations with thousands now connecting to us through Facebook, LinkedIn, our blog, the TalkList and other efforts.  Increasingly these new communication tools will connect members with each other and with the general public.

The growing importance of our committees, of affinity groups (like the two newest groups for consultants with small children and consultants in dual roles and the coming group for BestNotes users), and newly developing regional groups are all part of the emphasis on communication.  They are also an important part of education, the last piece of our trifecta.

Members in recent surveys have indicated a desire for more educational opportunities.  Having just completed our Summer Training Institute, I know that no organization anywhere does a better job of educating consultants.  Our training is unequaled.  Now we will be looking at new training opportunities, for those just starting out, as well as for those in the process of growing their practices or adding new specialties, as well as for those more senior and experienced members looking to keep up with new technologies and changes in the world of admissions and adolescents.  This is also likely to include a new, online ethics course that all new members of IECA will need to complete during the months following their acceptance to the organization.

A central aspect of IECA’s role is our deep belief that the profession–and students–are best served by our members’ commitment to sharing: through mentoring, presenting at conferences, teaching at the STI and other workshops and seminars.  Sharing is central to our mission.

The fundamental message of the Executive Committee’s work is that IECA intends to be the leader in the field by providing exceptional service and educational opportunities to our members, and by expanding awareness of the profession and recognition of IECA from coast-to-coast and increasingly, around the world.

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by Mark H. Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

It has been a year since the Independent Educational Consultants Association announced a new initiative to allow members with shared interests to form “Affinity Groups” and in that year many such groups have taken off. Consultants that do international placements and those specializing in graduate school are forming Affinity Groups with the former meeting via Skype and the latter just getting underway.

Other Affinity Groups already meeting deal with technology (myCCA and Naviance users), shared concerns (therapeutic support for families with limited resources: ‘Under the Radar’; and GLBT issues: “Over the Rainbow’; or most experienced members: ‘Mad Hatters’). Additionally, consultants looking to meet regionally for sharing or education have begun forming groups as well, like the New Jersey Consultants Affinity Group.

Such regional groups provide a wonderful opportunity for members to work cooperatively in a community and I’m excited by the potential. We have been approached by a number of colleges, schools, and programs that would like to increase their opportunities to connect with IECA members as they travel across the country. We hosted such a meeting for DC-area consultants at the IECA office many weeks back and I was approached by a group of college regional representatives while attending a regional ACAC who want to add regular visits with groups of consultants as they travel throughout the East Coast.

I suspect we’ll soon hear from other organizations, from SSAT to ACT to Best Notes, who would welcome opportunities to meet with members when their representatives visit a community.

Affinity Groups serve to benefit members in a number of ways. As IECA’s membership grows, such groups permit members to meet in smaller, collegial groups, maintaining the sense of community that we all appreciate. Affinity Groups may also be able to advise IECA about educational topics, potential speakers, and new initiatives.

Meeting last month, the IECA Board of Directors voted to establish a Task Force to examine the legal, financial, and governance issue surrounding the expansion of Affinity Groups. As we await their advice, we continue to expand. We invite every member to join an Affinity Group or start their own regional ‘study group.’ The potential to assist members in learning and sharing is enormous and it aids in our outreach to the educational community.

If you wish to start a group, contact IECA Member Services Manager Janice Berger at janice@IECAonline.com. More  information on IECA’s Affinity Groups is available to download from the IECA Web site.

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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

Based on a request brought by the IECA Special Needs Committee, the Board of Directors met via teleconference last week. Knowing that members overwhelmingly view the TalkList as a valuable benefit (based on the January 2010 member survey), the effort focused on ways to make the TalkList both more valuable but also ensure that several current concerns are addressed.

Concerns focused on just a few specific area: (1) the tendency of some to reveal too much information in  a case study such that client confidentiality could be compromised; (2) the tendency of some to present so little background as to call in to question whether the person making the post is qualified or ‘did their homework’ before asking for assistance; (3) the actions of some in forwarding TalkList postings to individuals outside of IECA (often in schools or programs), a clear violation of the rules that members agree to support.

Board consensus was that the regulations established should be shared with members more frequently. It was felt that often members sign the TalkList agreement but forget expectations, like proper titles. There was discussion about online training that would review what constitutes a good case study posting: one that provides sufficient information but no identifying characteristics, and demonstrates the research done by the consultant prior to the post. It was also felt that members need to be reminded that it is unacceptable to forward postings outside the membership and that doing so is basis for being removed from the TalkList.

There was discussion about the possibility of creating a TalkList mentor group. Their role would be to assist those trying to frame a posting or to contact those who post something considered improper to explain why and provide assistance in changing to a more valuable post.

Many on the Board felt that there were more significant problems of members venturing into advising beyond their expertise. This was judged to be an issue beyond just the TalkList and will be addressed separately.

The Board will continue this work and create a series of proposals. You may share your thoughts in the comments section below this blog, or send your comments to IECA board president Diane Geller at dianegeller@gmail.com or to me at msklarow@iecaonline.com.

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The IECA Nominating Committee has completed their lengthy review and deliberations, and are pleased to announce the following slate for the Independent Educational Consultants Association leadership:

Nominated to a Three-Year Term (2010 – 2013)

IECA Board of Directors

James “Bar” Clarke (ME)

Jamie Dickenson (WV)

Alan Haas (CT)

Dodge Johnson (PA) [nominated to second Board term]

Emily A. Snyder (VA)

Nominated to One-Year Term (2010 – 2011)

IECA Board Officers

President
Dodge Johnson (PA)

Vice President for Education
Marilyn G. S. Emerson (NY)

Vice President for Ethics
Alan Haas (CT)

Vice President for Committees
Ann Montgomery (TX)

Secretary/Treasurer
Luisa M. Rabe (PA)

Immediate Past President
Diane Geller (CA)

The February issue of Insights will include biographies on all nominees.

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by Dodge Johnson, President-Nominee, IECA (Pennsylvania)

I have to say that Mark and I took on a lot of challenges – and that we had a great time gnawing on them.

Our seminar leaders asked us to set an “audacious” goal. So after looking at the member survey, we said, “Okay, why not reshape the world so that families making educational choices ask not whether they should work with an educational consultant but ask instead which IECA consultant would best meet their needs.” I’m sorry to have to tell you that we didn’t get it all done, But we made a pretty good stab at it.

Fortunately, we have Diane’s momentum to build on and her insistence that we plan our future instead of just letting it happen. So we brainstormed about how we might bring our goal to pass. Here are some of our ideas. Members will no doubt have a lot more.

How we can turn our powerful new social networking tools into a megaphone for IECA?

Could alliances with other groups produce not only new friends but also new benefits? For example, schools value how we match clients. That’s why TABS put on their website a search engine where families looking for a school can choose an IECA consultant.

Could advisory boards drawn from colleges/schools/programs suggest how we might establish relationships they’d most like to have with us, get the most out of visits with them, present candidates in ways they find most helpful?

Could we grow more opportunities for consultants to present themselves and IECA to the world – and offer ways to help them make good presentations even more effective.

I’m discovering how important it is for each of us actively to champion IECA as the “gold standard” while championing ourselves. Because the best way to get the world to ask the right question is already to have planted the right answer in their minds.

All this was just brainstorming, of course. The board will decide how we’ll build on our strategic plan and what steps we’ll take to bring us closer to big goals. But I’m excited by the prospect of thinking audaciously.

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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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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

Here we are just six days into the New Year, and I’m already focusing on what the consulting field will look like at the mid-point of the new decade. More specifically, I wonder how consultants’ work will be different, what their challenges will be, and what the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) will be doing to ensure consultants’ success.

This wonder is not mere mental exercise. It is essential that IECA always look forward, peer around the bend, examine what’s off in the distance, if we are committed—as we are—to remaining (1) the most recognized and important association in the field of educational advising and (2) an essential part of every great consultant’s arsenal.

The process for planning for 2015 officially kicks off this week in two key ways. Every IECA member received an invitation to take part in a survey coordinated by the Strategic Planning Committee. This survey comes after nine months of work by the committee has been completed, including a review of the successes and failures of recent years and the creation of a report card on the 2005 Strategic Plan. With more than 700 active members, we hope for a major response to the survey. If you are an IECA member, please get started as soon as possible and share your thoughts, opinions, concerns, and more. We have been blessed in the past with survey responses way beyond what other associations report. We hope for another such response now.

This Sunday, Dodge Johnson (PA), president-elect designee, and I will depart for a training symposium designed to prepare for the next several years and strategically beyond. We will be attending a Symposium for Chief Staff Officers and Chief Volunteer Board Officers, sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives. This intense program will give not only time but also professional training to ensure IECA is well positioned to take on new initiatives and tackle whatever comes along in this new decade. Our goal is stronger leadership to further strengthen a great association.

As we begin turning our attention to what IECA is to become, please e-mail, blog, text, and communicate in other ways to share your thoughts. Complete the survey, in the coming days (check your e-mail for the link), and make a pledge to commit yourself to IECA as a volunteer or active participant.

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by Mark Sklarow, Executive Director, IECA

I admit to being a person who is rarely satisfied with the way things are. I believe in the need to change and that includes both personal change and actions to ensure that the Independent Educational Consultants Association continues to move forward, developing new approaches, new programs and new initiatives so that we are always meeting member needs. Allow me to illustrate using just one example. Following an IECA Summer Training Institute in Claremont, California, I sat down with Sue DePra and Steve Antonoff to review the participant evaluations. They were off the charts with virtually every attendee giving the Summer Institute nearly perfect scores, and comments from most attendees that it was among the best training sessions they had ever attended. The three of us then spent the next two hours re-writing the curriculum, developing new interactive elements, implementing ‘labs’ and strengthening the program further. The result was taking a great training program and making it remarkable.

Now as I reflect back on 2009, I feel great about the excellent work of staff, Board and committee leadership, and volunteer members who combined to make it a great year. We advanced dramatically in our efforts to use social networking to promote IECA and the profession, and to improve communications. We initiated new program in learning disabilities and adopted our new Standards of Excellence. We implemented significant changes during our conference: from Speed Meetings to Conference Central and from point/counterpoint sessions to master classes. Participation among colleges has never been higher, and despite the economic downturn our membership is up, conference participation is up, and our training workshops were larger than ever.

But as I look ahead, I know what I want to achieve in the coming year for IECA and for my own work as Executive Director: to take IECA from a great organization to a remarkable one. Looking at the success of America’s most lauded associations, I hope we use their example to become an exceptional force for our members. To become ‘remarkable,’ I think Board, staff and volunteers need to meet these expectations:

• Member Service—we exist as an association for one reason: to meet the needs of our membership. That commitment to member service should always be the top priority.

• Align all services, conferences, and activities with IECA’s mission. That mission, unchanged in 30 years, is to help professional consultants to serve the interests of students and families in their educational decision-making.

• Seek feedback and input from members and our related constituencies. In the next several weeks, members will be asked to complete a strategic planning survey and a survey from the Education & Training Committee. These will set our priorities over the next several years. We have now begun to involve schools, colleges, and programs in conference planning and regularly seek their advice on programming.

• Be willing to fail. As we look to be innovative, creative, and dynamic, we must be willing to accept that success require risk-taking and that means we will fail from time to time. Such failure is inevitable and will lead to new successes.

• A nimble, flexible, national office that is able to meet changes in the marketplace and ensure that such changes are quickly and capably brought to our members to help them succeed in their own work.

• Building alliances with not-for-profit and for-profit companies, institutions, and organizations that will help us further our mission and better serve clients and students.

I look forward to hearing ideas from our members, colleagues, and families on how we can best serve each to make 2010 and IECA remarkable in the year ahead. Join us in this effort: volunteer, get involved in committees, affinity groups, or other efforts, and above all, offer your ideas on what IECA should be doing.

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by Charlotte Klaar, IECA Member (Maryland) and Chair, Board Development Committee

Each year when I receive my membership renewal from IECA and make the decision not only to renew but also to continue to be actively involved in the organization, I am amazed at the strides IECA has made in the preceding year. Now, some 15 years after I first became associated with IECA, I look back and see a transformed organization whose efforts have also transformed an industry. This transformation has come about through the work of our Executive Director, Mark Sklarow, and his staff and the efforts of the many involved members of the organization.

This past year has been a particularly meaningful one for me since I have seen efforts that I have been periodically involved with come to fruition, and others that began later show progress. This year, sets of competency documents for each of our constituencies have been finalized. The committees (College, Schools, Learning Disabilities, and Special Needs) each decided on these competencies, which were necessary to properly do the work of each specialty. This was an idea that began with the Education and Training Committee, and using the model that the Special Needs Committee had begun, under the leadership of Tom Callahan, asked that the other disciplines put together their competency documents. This is a huge step forward for the organization and for our members who will soon be able to look at the competencies to decide if they are truly up-to-date in the services they offer. More training will be available to those who want it.

The Board Development Committee (BDC) is another group that is working hard at adding to the professionalism of the organization, with particular focus on the Board of Directors who set the direction of IECA. Last year, under the leadership of Tim Lee, the BDC created instruments by which the Board can assess its own work, and for each Board member to assess his or her contributions to the Board and to the organization as a whole. In addition, a protocol was created to provide advance information on the responsibilities of a Board member, so that those asked to stand for election to the Board know the level of commitment required. This year the BDC created a debriefing document for former Board members and also distributed talent surveys to the sitting Board and committee chairs to create a database of existing member talents. Our next steps will be to examine the qualities required for each of the Executive Board positions, and to assess each position and its relevance in the changed environment that is IECA today.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are a more professional organization today than when I began 15 years ago. I am honored to be part of this changed organization and thank all those who came before me who sowed the seeds for this transformed profession.

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by Diane Geller, President, IECA

Our Executive Board hit the ground running on Wednesday and came up for air only when it was time to return home. Although I did have my running shoes with me, Mark’s reference to “marathon” pertained only to our meeting—we were all so engaged in discussion that I never even made it to the gym!

We began our conversation with updates on the upcoming Charlotte conference, our recently completed and well attended Summer Training Institute, and a report on our financial picture. We are excited about our conference registration and membership numbers. All in all, an excellent report card.

Our agenda was full, but the overarching theme was our continued commitment to IECA’s role and responsibility in serving the profession, insuring that families are well served, and that we are maintaining and even raising our high standards. We are fortunate that committee meetings are no longer limited to in-person sessions at conferences; new technologies enable our standing committees to work and meet via teleconference between our fall and spring conferences. The Learning Disabilities committee has completed its lexicon and is developing a “top ten” competencies list. The Schools committee is promoting increased visibility at other professional associations and conferences and has embraced the “speed dating” model for schools and consultants at the Charlotte conference. The Special Needs committee demonstrates not only its hard work but also its tech savvy on its Facebook page. The Board Development Committee and the Nominating Committee are working on leadership development; the Directory Task Force will follow up on the Membership Committee’s suggestion regarding specialty codes. And, as always, our Outreach Committee continues to reach out at receptions and events. Members will soon be learning more about using new technologies for Web-based training and our “Standards of Excellence” document is nearing completion. We are thrilled with our affiliation with the University of California-Irvine certificate program in Educational Consulting and our College Committee is proud of our relationship with College Week Live where our members volunteer and are featured on a regular basis. We are forming an affinity group for consultants who work internationally and a task force is in the works for coordinating our members who do volunteer work and community service.

In all consultant specialties, community service is being initiated, consultants continue to visit schools, colleges, and programs, and opportunities for continuing education are being pursued.

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