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NEW ENGLAND STUDENT AFFAIRS THINK TANK |
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Customs and Protocols History In the fall of 2001, the Associate Student Affairs Think Tank (ASATT) was developed under the umbrella of the New England Resource Center for Higher Education (NERCHE). The initial nineteen member group, followed the NERCHE Think Tank Guidelines. NERCHE runs Think Tanks for Chief Student Affairs Officers, Vice Presidents for Finance and Administration, Associate Academic Deans, Chief Academic Officers, Department Chairs, and at times has sponsored Coordinators of Campus Community Service and Multicultural Affairs. The groups are run with co-coordinators, a group member and a NERCHE staff member. Group members pay a fee ($450 in 2001-2002) to belong to the group. In the spring of 2003, ASATT learned that NERCHE would no longer be able to support the group. The group decided that with a collaborative structure, it could continue as a self-supporting group run by its members. In Spring of 2011 the Group decide to change its name to the New England Student Affairs Think Tank (NESATT) to convey a better sense of the geographical context in which members function. Purpose NESATT provides mid-level administrators with professional development and opportunities for in-depth discussion with their peers about critical issues encountered in their work and relevant to the field of higher education. Our purpose is to create time and space for discussions about pressing issues in higher education, and the challenges we face on our respective campuses. Our meetings serve as opportunities for translating theory into practice through the exchange of ideas and strategies. Group members work collegially consulting with each other on specific campus issues both within the meetings and beyond. Additionally, group members have presented at national conferences on topics relevant to mid-level administrators. Membership Members of this think tank are considered “second in charge” working for the chief student affairs officer at the institution. They are individuals who hold a range of supervisory, management and leadership responsibilities. They are individuals considered to be collaborative, creative and skilled at problem solving. We acknowledge that on some large campuses, there are a few “second in charge” administrators; that is, depending on the topic, the chief student affairs officer turns to a different person. For such institutions, the chief student affairs officer’s recommendation may be important. It has been a custom to have only one administrator from an institution to allow members the most freedom to talk frankly about their institutions. Members are recruited from all types of institutions in New England. Nominations are made by current group members and at times nomination requests are sent to chief student affairs officers at schools targeted for membership (usually to help diversify the group). The think tank participants strive to maintain a diversity of institutional types in the think tank because we have found that this increases the opportunities for mutual learning. It is the goal to have each New England state represented, two-year and four-year institutions as well as public and private. It is our goal to have approximately thirty members. There is no fee for membership, though there are travel and lunch costs for members. Members are encouraged to attend all meetings for the year. Notification that one can not attend should be made ahead of time. Members who can not attend are not allowed to send representatives in their stead. Membership is reviewed annually at the June meeting. Recruitment for new members occurs during the summer. Although members may be recruited via email communication, the group coordinator should have a conversation with each new member prior to the first meeting. Meetings NESATT meets five times each year at member campuses (traditionally in early October, late November/December, February, April and June). We keep the content of our conversations confidential so that members may participate in the free exchange of ideas and concerns in a safe and open environment. A typical gathering starts with a half-hour of social/connection time, the meeting formally begins with a focused pre-determined topic, includes a tour of the host campus, a break for lunch, and then a brief free-form afternoon discussion on timely issues allowing for members to have consultations with the group on particular campus topics or for the group to take up a relevant world/national issue. At each meeting, a volunteer is recruited to note and subsequently post resources mentioned during the course of the meeting. Meetings typically run from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm. The first meeting includes an introductory exercise to welcome new members and a review of the protocols. Prior to the final meeting, members receive a survey/assessment inviting them to reflect on their experiences with the group. Questions include:
Reply data is compiled and distributed to members. The group discusses the survey results at the June meeting, proposing updates to the protocols and setting the topics and meeting dates for the following year (having the dates for national and regional conferences at the June meeting is helpful). It was proposed that the June of 2007 meeting have an experiential component and a focus on renewal, self-assessment, retirement, and/or job fit. It was suggested that the group have some time outdoors at the June meeting, perhaps having a lunch off-campus (in 2005 & 2006 there was an optional dinner gathering). Topics & Topic Host Think tank members at their final meeting of an academic year will develop a list of topics for the following year. The topic host serves as overall facilitator of the meeting, providing an agenda for the day and guiding the group through it. The topic hosts serve as facilitators for the pre-determined topic discussion as well as for the afternoon consultation/mini-topic discussion. Traditionally two people volunteer to serve as co-topic hosts. Their responsibilities are: prior to the meeting to identify relevant literature on the topic and questions to prompt discussion which are shared with think tank members at least a week prior to the meeting. At the meeting, the co-topic hosts begin with an introduction (welcoming new members, noting who is not able to attend, referencing relevant international/national/local news topics, referencing the last meeting topic, acknowledging the location host and letting that person announce information about lunch, restrooms, etc. and finally determining if there are particular consultation or mini-topics for the afternoon), leads the discussion providing a relevant introduction, facilitating discussion and summing up the discussion to conclude. One of the topic hosts should keep time so the group moves on to the next agenda item appropriately. One of the topic hosts should keep notes during the meeting. After the afternoon discussion, the topic hosts should announce the next meeting date, location and topic, and should recruit someone to post to the conference resources noted during the course of discussion. Subsequent to the meetings, members are encouraged to continue conversation via email. Location Host The host campus member is responsible for providing a room meeting location, making arrangements for lunch (paid for by members at the time of the meeting), and showcasing something on the campus with a tour. Directions to campus should be sent to members at least a week prior to the meeting including relevant parking information/passes. Location hosts should take attendance. Copies of this should be given to the web host and coordinator. Web Host The web host develops and maintains the web site for members. On the site is a list of active members, the protocols, the year’s agenda, past meeting topics and when relevant resources noted at meetings. Prior to each meeting, the site includes the readings for a meeting, questions to prompt conversation relevant to the topic, directions to the meeting, lunch information and any other relevant meeting information. It is the responsibility of the topic hosts and location host to provide this information to the web host in a timely manner. Coordinator The coordinator tracks overall group issues by coordinating membership issues (recruiting new members, coordinating response to member issues, and acknowledging member departures), facilitating conversation to develop the yearly agenda, launching the first meeting by reviewing group customs and protocols, and providing a tool for the group to assess and update these customs and protocols yearly. The coordinator sends reminders to the topic and location hosts prior to each meeting so that information is being sent to members in a timely fashion. The coordinator consults with the topic, location and web hosts as needed.
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