Leadership Recruitment and Development
独家黑料 Needs You!
Congratulations on making the choice to get more involved in 独家黑料! Perhaps you鈥檝e been approached by a mentor or maybe you have been casually involved but see a way to improve on what we鈥檙e doing and you鈥檙e ready to take on that challenge. No matter how you got here, know that your involvement helps us advocate, educate and provide research for you and your students. Volunteers are at the core of 独家黑料 success and for that, we thank you.
Expectations
Generally, 独家黑料 volunteer leaders are expected to:
- Assemble a diverse, representative team who can study a problem in its entirety and propose solutions or create a final product to be used by other members
- Hold regular (agreed upon) virtual and in person team meetings.
- Work within the given timeline for project completion
- Communicate with appointed 独家黑料 staff
- Present project findings at the 独家黑料 Annual Meeting
- Serve as an expert/representative on your project for other members
- Recruit the next generation of leaders
Understanding the structure of 独家黑料 and how projects fit into this structure
独家黑料 is governed by an elected 18 member Board of Directors, which is comprised of the Executive Committee, four members-at-large, six regional representatives, and two student representatives. 独家黑料 is an affiliate-based organization, meaning that we鈥檙e a national network of college health professionals.
How to Get Involved
Members interested in joining coalitions can do so just by signing up. To join a committee or task force, members must express interest and be appointed to the committee or task force by the 独家黑料 President.
Sections
独家黑料 has created nine sections to provide members with the opportunity to build professional relationships with others in their specific scope of practice or area of expertise. These sections reflect the professional diversity of the individual members of 独家黑料. Members are free to join the sections most relevant to them. These include:
Committees and Coalitions
独家黑料’s numerous committees, task forces, and coalitions have arisen over the years to address the relevant issues of the day. These groups are where most of the leadership opportunities exist and are a great way to contribute to the field of college health and become an integral part of the association.
Affiliates
独家黑料 is divided into 11 regional affiliate organizations. Each affiliate organization is governed by its own elected affiliate officers, who provide guidance and leadership to members and help forge strong partnerships with colleagues on the state or regional level. Members are automatically part of their region鈥檚 affiliate. While some affiliates are more active than others, our goal is to have every affiliate highly engaged in 独家黑料 activities.
How do affiliates, sections, and committees/coalitions coordinate?
Each affiliate has its own board of directors, its own annual meeting and its own programming. However, we encourage all affiliates to regularly communicate through with team members to troubleshoot, highlight success stories, pose questions etc. All affiliates are dealing with similar issues so maintaining good relationships between them is important.
What makes a leader successful at 独家黑料?
That鈥檚 the million-dollar question! Let鈥檚 start with what a leader isn鈥檛. A leader isn鈥檛 merely a manager. Yes, we need people to manage committees and coalitions and yes, that鈥檚 an important part of the job. But we鈥檙e looking to find leaders who bring something more to 独家黑料. Leaders who bring a deep knowledge about the problem at hand, can think 鈥渂ig鈥 and can inspire their team to think 鈥渂ig鈥 in order to solve complex problems.
Many of our committees and coalitions also have overlap. Again, we encourage open lines of communication and when necessary, leaders from one coalition are encouraged to reach out to leaders of other coalitions.
I鈥檝e been asked to lead a committee, but I鈥檓 not sure where to start.
Before you start building your team, take the time to:
- Set large goals and specific objectives.
- Create a timeline for the project.
- Determine what kinds of team members will help you achieve these goals and objectives.
- Contact your board and staff liaisons.
How do I find the right team members so that my team is effective?
Your first step in assembling a team is to talk to 独家黑料 leadership in your area of interest. For instance, if you鈥檇 like to support a specific Task Force, contact a Chair or Officer of that group to schedule a time and method to learn more. They often have many useful suggestions.
Next, look around at the people attending and leading the relevant 独家黑料 conferences with you, the people who are most engaged in the field. Even if they can鈥檛 participate, they may know of others who are interested.
If you are looking for a specific hole to fill on your team, consider putting out a call for help on the .
独家黑料 Diversity and Inclusion
The ultimate goal of any 独家黑料 committee or coalition is to enhance the health, well-being and academic success of the nation鈥檚 college students. This means we need to be researching problems and designing programs for a diverse group. Therefore, it鈥檚 our goal at 独家黑料 to always strive to include committee members who reflect the college population we serve and/or who have a deep understanding of diversity issues.
How do I 鈥渕ake the ask鈥?
First, be clear about what you鈥檙e asking and set realistic expectations. You are asking a professional to serve as an 独家黑料 volunteer leader. Don鈥檛 downplay the amount of time needed or the tasks that will be expected of your team member鈥攖ry to be as realistic as you can about time commitments and the timeline for the group鈥檚 work.
Last, set up a time to directly ask your potential committee member for their participation. Then follow up with an email detailing what you鈥檙e asking of them, with a response deadline if they haven鈥檛 already committed; and outline their next steps.
I鈥檝e been asked to lead an ongoing committee/coalition but I can only commit to leading this effort for two years. How do I plan for the future?
Leadership transitions often occur naturally when projects come to a pause or when one piece of the project is finished. This is why succession planning and mentoring is so important for leaders in all positions. When a transition is imminent, tapping the chair-elect, or someone on the team whom you鈥檝e mentored, is ready to step up to become the leader. Schedule a formal 鈥榟andoff 鈥榤eeting where you outline the requirements, responsibilities and expectations of the position, turn over copies of all files and paperwork, identify key players, and explain the status and path forward on all ongoing work. Most importantly, offer yourself as a resource to help guide the new leader in their critical first six months.
In situations where all the committee members are ready to end their involvement on the project or when there is no natural leader to take over, committee leaders should consult with 独家黑料 President to help them identify the next leader for the group.
Thank you for volunteering your time and talent to the 独家黑料! Questions? Please contact membership@acha.org.
