ACPA, ACPAdigital, StudentAffairs

A Conversation with @ACPAPrez @GavinHenning: The Future of Organizational Learning in Higher Ed #ACPAlearning

As we look to the future trends of training and development, it will be critical for professional organizations and trade associations to consider how to meet the training and development needs of their constituents. Considering the nature of how we work, the evolution of how it’s changing, and the demands that lie ahead, more organizations are considering new ways to optimize learning and development.

ACPA-College Student Educators International is one of the professional associations I have been a member of and been working with to consider new ways of delivering learning. ACPA is interested in understanding more about how to support organizational learning, with regards to its membership needs. Being involved in the ACPA Digital Task  Force and program planning for the #ACPA16 Convention, I know the ACPA International Office, the Board, and its members are interested and working on dynamic ways to learn.

What does training and development look like among student affairs educators today? What do you want your professional development to look like? How can ACPA support organizational learning to meet your needs, issues, and challenges on campus? Let’s find out more what the ACPA President has to say about: The Future of Organizational Learning in Higher Ed

BannerACPAlearningAs ACPA considers the needs of their current members, I plan to chat with Gavin more about how the association plans to support student educators for their own training and growth in the field. We’ll talk about initiatives and ways ACPA is innovating for organizational learning, but also discuss the challenges and considerations, including:

  • What does professional development look like today for student educators or in the field of student affairs?
  • What are the current workplace learning and performance needs for higher education staff/faculty in relation to the new ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Educators, specifically the newly added Technology Competency?
  • What’s on the horizon for #ACPAlearning? How will the ACPA organization support learning and development in the future? Thoughts, predictions, and “ponderings.”

Join me for a conversation with @ACPA President Gavin Henning on Monday (9/14) from 12-1 pm Central Time on Google+ Hangouts On Air as we discuss more about how ACPA learns and supports  the professional development of college and university student educators. Feel free to post your comments, questions, or thoughts you have for the ACPAprez here in advance. Then tune in for the LIVE conversation here and/or join the banter on the Twitter backchannel using the hashtag #ACPAlearning

Notes from the conversation: View the story “#ACPAlearning: A Conversation with @ACPAprez @GavinHenning on Learning & Development in Student Affairs” on Storify

Conference, Higher Education, StudentAffairs

Technological Advancements & Considerations for Student Affairs at #ACPA15

This week I will be in Tampa, FL for the 2015 ACPA Convention (Follow #ACPA15 chat on Twitter). Besides getting a chance to warm up from the chilly winter weather, I am looking forward to connecting with a number of student affairs (SA) professionals and faculty who will be attending. This year’s convention holds a number of informative and interactive sessions in the program to support professional development and scholarly research for SA educators. I have a few meetings (#ACPAdigital and #ACPA16, I’m looking at you!); however I am really looking forward to catching up with a number of colleagues who will be in attendance. I suspect a number of hugs and high fives will happen soon.

ACPA Tampa 2015Part of my time in the next couple of days will be spent with the fine folks I have been fortunate to work with on the ACPA Digital Task Force (#ACPAdigital).

digital_report

The association established #ACPAdigital to make recommendations on how student affair educators can best advance the application of digital technology in higher education, specifically through informed scholarship and practice. Being charged with reviewing how ACPA will be a leader in the field, this task force was divided into four working subgroups:

  • Proven Practices
  • Knowledge and Skills
  • Research and Scholarship
  • Informed and Responsible Engagement with Social Technology

While serving on the #ACPAdigital task force this year, I can personally say, the efforts made to evaluate and assess  and how current educators shape student development for digital learning has been impressive. As I review the 49-page report we are sharing with the ACPA leadership this week, I am looking forward to the conversations we will have about our findings, recommendations, questions and proposed research agenda. It is critical that student affairs and learner support entities in post-secondary education consider how technological advancements will impact the work we do with students in face-to-face, blended, and online learning environments. This groups needs to be at the table for discussions on distance education and workforce preparation considerations. I am excited to be part of the discussion and push to move in this direction with student affairs. To learn more about this report and #ACPAdigital’s work, be sure to review the task force website:  http://digitaltaskforce.myacpa.org/

As a member of the Informed and Responsible Engagement with Social Technology (IREST) group, I was part of the collaborative author team who contributed to updating Erik Qualman’s What Happens in Vegas Goes on YouTube. The last few months of swapping ideas, sharing resources, discussing issues, and making edits with Paul, Jason, Courtney, and Erik has been great – and we’re so pleased that we are able to share our efforts this week at #ACPA15:

campus book launch ad.003

The ACPA co-branded book, What Happens on Campus Stays on YouTube, is designed to have your students reflect on their digital identity, with regards to their college experience and future personal/professional development. For #ACPA15, early release copies of book will be available for sale ($11.99) and the official launch on Amazon/public sale will be in April 2015. If you want to get a sneak peek of the book before everyone else, get your copy at the ACPA Booth in the Expo Hall or join our #SAreads event happening on Saturday (3/7) from 12:30-1:30 pm at the #ACPATrendingNow round tables in the Marketplace with Courtney and myself. If you are interested in bulk orders for your curriculum or campus, please be sure to reach out to Courtney O’Connell so she can discuss options best for your institutional needs.

Will you be found at the harbor front this week for #ACPA15? Let me know – I would love to have a chat and catch up. See you soon!