By Autumn Walden, Editor, AACRAO Connect, Content Strategy Manager, AACRAO
Our community loves its acronyms. In fact, it’s not lost on me that the “acro” in “acronym” is a rhyme or loose homonym with AACRAO. And if you browse the listing of State & Regional Associations, you’ll find an “ACRO” or “ACRAO” here or an “ACROA” there, but they all organize for similar reasons.
Joining a State & Regional Association is not always an instinctual move—many stories of involvement begin with a collegial shoulder tap or a “voluntold” opportunity. But did you know that AACRAO has a course for S&R Fundamentals? It’s free for members and covers two of the new AACRAO Competencies: Organizational Management and Strategic Professional Development. You can begin your own path to involvement and leadership at your own pace—we recommend blocking two hours to sit with the material.
“I think this course is a great option for those who are interested in getting involved in their State & Regional organization, particularly if you’re interested in joining the Board, a committee, or other leadership role,” said Katie Rendon of Hebrew Union College. “The course presents you with a variety of ideas for ways to run an S&R organization, which you can then adapt and apply to your own organization.”
The course includes sections such as:
- Introduction and Organizational Structure
- Association Activities
- Leadership Development
- Administrative Practices
- Conference Planning
- Legal and Financial Considerations
Now is a great time to gain perspective and build your baseline S&R knowledge as we approach the voting season for AACRAO leadership and open Best of the Best session nominations for presenting at the 112th Annual Meeting. (More on that coming soon.) Hear more from Rendon, who is also an AACRAO Community and Content Facilitator and former chair of the S&R Relations Committee.
At what point in your involvement with S&R activities did you take the S&R Fundamentals course, and why did you take it?
Rendon: I completed this course prior to moving into a President-Elect role for my S&R. I wanted to set myself up for success and learn as much about running a state & regional organization as I could. Because the course was free and could be taken on demand, it was a great option for professional development.
Were there parts of the course that surprised you or areas where you were interested in digging into more?
Rendon: I found it so interesting to learn about the diversity amongst S&R organizations. Because we are often only familiar with how our own S&R works, this course provided an entryway to learning about other ways to run an organization and get ideas for S&R best practices.
How can folks apply this course if they’re new or have years of experience?
Rendon: I’d also recommend S&R Boards to use this course as a part of their onboarding process for new organization leaders. The course can help to provide context for the work that fits alongside the specific S&R onboarding that new leaders complete.
share