By Brian Fisher, AdmissionsQuest

The first official morning just concluded. Formats and offerings have changed and that’s good.

I talked with Mark Sklarow from the periphery of the Speed Meeting sessions to get his take on the conference and the new approaches.

In a word, there’s more meat. The conference has tightened its focus on professional experiences and information. There’s still networking to be sure, but serious education and professional development are in the fore here in Charlotte. As Mark said, the conference priorities have shifted from “a little education with a lot of networking to a lot of education with a little networking.”

Mark found that schools and consultants were looking for more content- more return on their conference experience.

The pre and post conference workshops now book-end the conference with intense detailed presentations covering serious topics and current research.

Check back soon to see video conversation recorded at the Speed Meetings. We’ll work hard to post them as soon as we can (we recorded 17 so it may take a bit, but be patient).

by Sue DePra, Director of Education, IECA

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that IECA is firmly committed to providing on-going professional development and training through our annual Spring and Fall Conferences, our annual Summer Training Institute for new consultants, and through the many resources and services that are available to IECA member consultants, to name just a few of our current initiatives!

This commitment to excellence in the profession is also evidenced in a one-day workshop we offer each September for those who may be several years from opening a practice: Transitioning to Independent College Consulting, to be held September 23, 2009 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Held one day prior to the annual NACAC (National Association for College Admission Counseling) conference, IECA has created this workshop specifically for those who are currently employed in a school or college setting and are contemplating a move to independent college consulting in the coming year(s). (This workshop is not designed for those already working as educational consultants.) The curriculum covers a variety of topics: how to assess and build on your expertise; how to market yourself as an independent professional; how to set up a small home- or office-based business; how ethics, counseling services, and credibility issues change; and how to write a “Transition Plan” to guide you through the process. Sessions are led by some of our most experienced college consultants, each of whom has successfully made the transition from an institutional setting to private practice.

Now in its fifth year, the 2009 Transitioning workshop will be held in Baltimore on Wednesday, September 23rd from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. NACAC supports our efforts by offering this as one of their official pre-conference workshops, and partners with us by managing registration and the logistical aspects of the event. Registration is limited to approximately 65 participants.

To learn more about the workshop and link to the registration system, please visit the IECA Web site. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me directly: 703-591-4850 ext. 15 or Sue@IECAonline.com