Executive Board Meets with Three Primary Areas of Focus
August 3rd, 2010
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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Tagged:Affinity Groups, educational consulting, educational opportunities, educational training programs, IECA board of directors, IECA Leadership, IECA members
Thanks for the word, Dodge. I think of the plan, as stated, to be one based on communication and ...